THE CAMPFIRE GIRLS SERIES

 A CAMPFIRE GIRL'S FIRST COUNCIL FIRE A CAMPFIRE GIRL'S CHUM A CAMPFIRE GIRL IN SUMMER CAMP A CAMPFIRE GIRL'S ADVENTURE A CAMPFIRE GIRL'S TEST OF FRIENDSHIP A CAMPFIRE GIRL'S HAPPINESS

[Illustration: "Keep still, and you won't be hurt, " commanded the man. ]

 A Campfire Girl's Test of Friendship

 By JANE L. STEWART

 CAMPFIRE GIRLS SERIES VOLUME V

 THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY AKRON, OHIO NEW YORK

 Made in U. S. A. 

 COPYRIGHT, MCMXIV BY THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING CO. 

The Camp Fire Girls On the March

CHAPTER I

AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR

"Oh, what a glorious day!" cried Bessie King, the first of the membersof the Manasquan Camp Fire Girls of America to emerge from the sleepinghouse of Camp Sunset, on Lake Dean, and to see the sun sparkling on thewater of the lake. She was not long alone in her enjoyment of the scene, however. 

"Oh, it's lovely!" said Dolly Ransom, as, rubbing her eyes sleepily, since it was only a little after six, she joined her friend on theporch. "This is really the first time we've had a chance to see what thelake looks like. It's been covered with that dense smoke ever sincewe've been here. "

"Well, the smoke has nearly all gone, Dolly. The change in the wind notonly helped to put out the fire, but it's driving the smoke away fromus. "

"The smoke isn't all gone, though, Bessie. Look over there. It's stillrising from the other end of the woods on the other side of the lake, but it isn't bothering us over here any more. "

"What a pity it is that we've got to go away just as the weather givesus a chance to enjoy it here! But then I guess we'll have a good timewhen we do go away, anyhow. We thought we weren't going to enjoy ithere, but it hasn't been so bad, after all, has it?"

"No, because it ended well, Bessie. But if those girls in the camp nextdoor had had their way, we wouldn't have had a single pleasant thing toremember about staying here, would we?"

"They've had their lesson, I think, Dolly. Perhaps they won't be soready to look down on the Camp Fire Girls after this--and I'm sure theywould be nice and friendly if we stayed. "

"I wouldn't want any of their friendliness. All I'd ask would be forthem to let us alone. That's all I ever did want them to do, anyhow. Ifthey had just minded their own affairs, there wouldn't have been anytrouble. "

"Well, I feel sort of sorry for them, Dolly. When they finally got intoreal trouble they had to come to us for help, and if they are the sortof girls they seem to be, they couldn't have liked doing that verywell. "

"You bet they didn't, Bessie! It was just the hardest thing they couldhave done. You see, the reason they were so mean to us is that they areawfully proud, and they think they're better than any other people. "

"Then what's the use of still being angry at them? I thought you weren'tlast night--not at Gladys Cooper, at least. "

"Why, I thought then that she was in danger because of what I'd done, and that made me feel bad. But you and I helped to get her back to theircamp safely, so I feel as if we were square. I suppose I ought to bewilling to forgive them for the way they acted, but I just can't seem todo it, Bessie. "

"Well, as long as we're going away from here to-day anyhow, it doesn'tmake much difference. We're not likely to see them again, are we?"

"I don't know why not--those who live in the same town, anyhow. MarciaBates and Gladys Cooper--the two who were lost on the mountain lastnight, you know--live very close to me at home. "

"You were always good friends with Gladys until you met her up here, weren't you?"

"Oh, yes, good friends enough. I don't think we either of us caredparticularly about the other. Each of us had a lot of friends we likedbetter, but we got along well enough. "

"Well, don't you think she just made a mistake, and then was afraid toadmit it, and try to make up for it? I think lots of people are likethat. They do something wrong, and then, just because it frightens thema little and they think it would be hard to set matters right, theymake a bad thing much worse. "

"Oh, you can't make me feel charitable about them, and there's no usetrying, Bessie! Let's try not to talk about them, for it makes me angryevery time I think of the way they behaved. They were just plain snobs, that's all!"

"I thought Gladys Cooper was pretty mean, after all the trouble we hadtaken last night to help her and her chum, but I do think the rest weresorry, and felt that they'd been all wrong. They really said so, if youremember. "

"Well, they ought to have been, certainly! What a lot of lazy girls theymust be! Do look, Bessie. There isn't a sign of life over at their camp. I bet not one of them is up yet!"

"You're a fine one to criticise anyone else for being lazy, DollyRansom! How long did it take me to wake you up this morning? And howmany times have you nearly missed breakfast by going back to bed afteryou'd pretended to get up?"

"Oh, well, " said Dolly, defiantly, "it's just because I'm lazy myselfand know what a fault it is that I'm the proper one to call other peopledown for it. It's always the one who knows all about some sin who canpreach the best sermon against it, you know. "

"Turning preacher, Dolly?" asked Eleanor Mercer. Both the girls spunaround and rushed toward her as soon as they heard her voice, andrealized that she had stepped noiselessly out on the porch. Theyembraced her happily. She was Guardian of the Camp Fire, and no morepopular Guardian could have been found in the whole State. 

"Dolly's got something more against the girls from Halsted Camp!"explained Bessie, with a peal of laughter. "She says they're lazybecause they're not up yet, and I said she was a fine one to sayanything about that! Don't you think so too, Miss Eleanor?"

"Well, she's up early enough this morning, Bessie. But, well, I'm afraidyou're right. Dolly's got a lot of good qualities, but getting up earlyin the morning unless someone pulls her out of bed and keeps her fromclimbing in again, isn't one of them. "

"What time are we going to start, Miss Eleanor?" asked Dolly, who feltthat it was time to change the topic of conversation. Dolly was usuallywilling enough to talk about herself, but she preferred to choose thesubject herself. 

"After we've had breakfast and cleaned things up here. It was very niceof the Worcesters to let us use their camp, and we must leave it lookingjust as nice as when we came. "

"Are they coming back here this summer?"

"The Worcesters? No, I don't think so. I'm pretty sure, though, thatthey have invited some friends of theirs to use the camp next week andstay as long as they like. "

"I hope their friends will please the Halsted Camp crowd better than wedid, " said Dolly, sarcastically. "The Worcesters ought to be verycareful only to let people come here who are a little better sociallythan those girls. Then they'd probably be satisfied. "

"Now, don't hold a grudge against all those girls, Dolly, " saidEleanor, smiling. "Gladys Cooper was really the ringleader in all thetrouble they tried to make for us, and you've had your revenge on her. On all of them, for that matter. "

"Oh, Miss Eleanor, if you could only have seen them when I threw thatbasket full of mice among them! I never saw such a scared lot of girlsin my life!"

"That was a pretty mean trick, " said Eleanor. "I don't think what theydid to bother us deserved such a revenge as that, even if I believed inrevenge, anyhow. I don't because it usually hurts the people who get itmore than the victims. "

Bessie looked at Dolly sharply, but, if she meant to say anything, Eleanor herself anticipated her remark. 

"Now come on, Dolly, own up!" she said. "Didn't you feel pretty bad whenyou heard Gladys and Marcia were lost in the woods last night? Didn'tyou think that it was because you'd got the best of the girls that theyturned against Gladys, and so drove her into taking that foolish nightwalk in the woods?"

"Oh, I did--I did!" cried Dolly. "And I told Bessie so last night, too. I never would have forgiven myself if anything really serious hadhappened to those two girls. "

"That's just it, Dolly. You may think that revenge is a joke, perhaps, as you meant yours to be, but you never can tell how far it's going, norwhat the final effect is going to be. "

"I'm beginning to see that, Miss Mercer. "

"I know you are, Dolly. You were lucky--as lucky as Gladys and Marcia. You were particularly lucky, because, after all, it was your pluck ingoing into that cave, when you didn't know what sort of danger you mightrun into, that found them. So you had a salve for your conscience rightthen. But often and often it wouldn't have happened that way. You mightvery well have had to remember always that your revenge, though youthought it was such a trifling thing, had had a whole lot of prettyserious results. "

"Well, I really am beginning to feel a little sorry, " admitted Dolly, "though Gladys acted just as if she was insulted because we found them. She said she and Marcia would have been all right in that cave if they'dstayed there until morning. "

"I think she'll have reason to change her mind, " said Eleanor. "She'dhave found herself pretty uncomfortable this morning with nothing toeat. And she's in for a bad cold, unless I'm mistaken, and it might verywell have been pneumonia if they'd had to stay out all night. "

"She's a softy!" declared Dolly, scornfully. "I'll bet Bessie and Icould have spent the night there and been all right, too, after it wasall over. "

"You and Bessie are both unusually strong and healthy, Dolly. It may notbe her fault that she's a softy, as you call her. The Camp Fire pays awhole lot of attention to health. That's why Health is one of the wordsthat we use to make up Wo-he-lo. Work, and Health, and Love. Becauseyou can't work properly, and love properly, unless you are healthy. "

"I suppose what happened to Gladys last night was one of the things youwere talking about when you wanted us to be patient, wasn't it?"

"What do you mean, Dolly?"

"Why, when you said that pride went before a fall, and that she'd besure to have something unpleasant happen if we only let her alone, anddidn't try to get even ourselves?"

"Well, it looks like it, doesn't it?"

"I don't get much satisfaction out of seeing people punished that way, though, " admitted Dolly, after a moment's thought. "It seems tome--well, listen, Miss Eleanor. Suppose someone did something awfullynice for me. It wouldn't be right, would it, for me just to say tomyself, 'Oh, well, something nice will happen to her. ' She might havesome piece of good fortune, but I wouldn't have anything to do with it. I'd want to do something nice myself to show that I was grateful. "

"Of course you would, " said Eleanor, who saw the point Dolly was tryingto make and admired her power of working out a logical proposition. 

"Well, then, if that's true, why shouldn't it be true if someone doessomething hateful to me? I don't take any credit for the pleasant thingsthat happen to people who are nice to me, so why should I feel satisfiedbecause the hateful ones have some piece of bad luck that I didn't haveanything to do with, either?"

"That's a perfectly good argument as far as it goes, Dolly. But thetrouble is that it doesn't go far enough. You've got a false step in it. Can't you see where she goes wrong, Bessie?"

"I think I can, Miss Eleanor, " said Bessie. "It's that we ought not tobe glad when people are in trouble, even if they are mean to us, isn'tit? But we are glad, and ought to be, when nice people have good luck. So the two cases aren't the same a bit, are they?"

"Right!" said Eleanor, heartily. "Think that over a bit, Dolly. You'llsee the point pretty soon, and then maybe you'll understand the wholebusiness better. "

Just then the girls whose turn it had been to prepare breakfast came tothe door of the Living Camp, which contained the dining-room and thekitchen, and a blast on a horn announced that breakfast was ready. 

"Come on! We'll eat our next meal sitting around a camp fire in thewoods, if that forest fire has left any woods where we're going, "announced Eleanor. "So we want to make this meal a good one. No tellingwhat sort of places we'll find on our tramp. "

"I bet it will be good fun, no matter what they're like, " said MargeryBurton, one of the other members of the Camp Fire. She was a Fire-Maker, the second rank of the Camp Fire. First are the Wood-Gatherers, to whichBessie and Dolly belonged; then the Fire-Makers, and finally, and nextto the Guardian, whom they serve as assistants, the Torch-Bearers. Margery hoped soon to be made a Torch-Bearer, and had an ambition tobecome a Guardian herself as soon as Miss Eleanor and the local councilof the National Camp Fire decided that she was qualified for the work. 

"Oh, you'd like any old thing just because you had to stand for it, Margery, whether it was any good or not, " said Dolly. 

"Well, isn't that a good idea? Why, I even manage to get along with you, Dolly! Sometimes I like you quite well. And anyone who could stand foryou!"

Dolly laughed as loudly as the rest. She had been pretty thoroughlyspoiled, but her association with the other girls in the Camp Fire hadtaught her to take a joke when at was aimed at her, unlike most peoplewho are fond of making jokes at the expense of others, and of teasingthem. She recognized that she had fairly invited Margery's sharp reply. 

"We'll have to hurry and get ready when breakfast is over, " said Eleanoras they were finishing the meal. "You girls whose turn it is to wash uphad better get through as quickly as you can. Then we'll all get thepacks ready. We have to take the boat that leaves at half past nine forthe other end of Lake Dean. "

"Why, there's someone coming! It's those girls from the other camp!"announced Dolly, suddenly. She had left the table, and was looking outof the window. 

And, sure enough, when the Camp Fire Girls went out on the porch in aminute, they saw advancing the private school girls, whose snobbishnesshad nearly ruined their stay at Camp Sunset. Marcia Bates, who had beenrescued with her friend, Gladys Cooper, acted as spokesman for them. 

"We've come to tell you that we've all decided we were nasty and actedlike horrid snobs, " she said. "We have found out that you're nicegirls--nicer than we are. And we're very grateful--of course I am, especially--for you helping us. And so we want you to accept theselittle presents we've brought for you. "

CHAPTER II

TROUBLE SMOOTHED AWAY

Probably none of the Camp Fire Girls had ever been so surprised in theirlives as when they heard the object of this utterly unexpected visit. Marcia's eyes were rather blurred while she was speaking, and anyonecould see that it was a hard task she had assumed. 

It is never easy to confess that one has been in the wrong, and it wasparticularly hard for these girls, whose whole campaign against the CampFire party had been based on pride and a false sense of their ownsuperiority, which, of course, had existed only in their imaginations. 

For a moment no one seemed to know what to do or say. Strangely enough, it was Dolly, who had resented the previous attitude of the rich girlsmore than any of her companions, who found by instinct the truesolution. 

She didn't say a word; she simply ran forward impulsively and threw herarms about Marcia's neck. Then, and not till then, as she kissed thefriend with whom she had quarreled, did she find words. 

"You're an old dear, Marcia!" she cried. "I knew you wouldn't keep onhating us when you knew us better--and you'll forgive me, won't you, forplaying that horrid trick with the mice?"

Dolly had broken the ice, and in a moment the stiffness of the twogroups of girls was gone, and they mingled, talking and laughingnaturally. 

"I don't know what the presents you brought are--you haven't shown themto us yet, " said Dolly, with a laugh. "But I'm sure they must be lovely, and as for accepting them, why, you just bet we will!"

"You know, " said Marcia a little apologetically, "there aren't any realstores up here, and we couldn't get what we would really have liked, butwe just did the best we could. Girls, get those things out!"

And then a dozen blankets were unrolled, beautifully woven Indianblankets, such as girls love to use for their dens, as couch covers andfor hangings on the walls. Dolly exclaimed with delight as she saw hers. 

"Heavens! And you act as if they weren't perfectly lovely!" she cried. "Why, Marcia, how can you talk as if they weren't the prettiest things!If that's what you call just doing the best you can, I'm afraid to thinkof what you'd have got for us if you'd been able to pick out whateveryou wanted. It would have been something so fine that we'd have beenafraid to take it, I'm sure. "

"Well, we thought perhaps you'd find them useful if you're going on thistramp of yours, " said Marcia, blushing with pleasure. "And I'm ever soglad you like them, if you really do, because I helped to pick them out. There's one for each of you, and then we've got a big Mackinaw jacketfor Miss Mercer, so that she'd have something different. "

"I can't tell you how happy this makes me!" said Eleanor, swallowing alittle hard, for she was evidently deeply touched. "I don't mean thepresents, Marcia, though they're lovely, but the spirit in which you allbring them. "

"We--we wanted to show you we were sorry, and that we understood howmean we'd been, " said Marcia. 

"Oh, my dear, do let's forget all that!" said Eleanor, heartily. "Wedon't want to remember anything unpleasant. Let's bury all that, andjust have the memory that we're all good friends now, and that we'dnever have been anything else if we'd only understood one another in thebeginning as well as we do now. 

"That's the reason for most of the quarrels in this world; people don'tunderstand one another, that's all. And when they do, it's just as it iswith us--they wonder how they ever could have hated one another!"

"Why, where's Gladys Cooper?" asked Dolly, suddenly. She had beenlooking around for the girl who had been chiefly responsible for all thetrouble, and who had been, before this meeting, one of Dolly's friendsin the city from which she and Marcia, as well as the Camp Fire Girls, came. And Gladys was missing. 

"She--why--she--she isn't feeling very well, " stammered Marciaunhappily. But a look at Dolly's face convinced her that she might aswell tell the truth. "I'm awfully sorry, " she went on shamefacedly, "butGladys was awfully silly. "

"You mean she hasn't forgiven us?" said Eleanor gently. 

"She's just stupid, " flashed Marcia. "What has she got to forgive? Sheought to be here, thanking Dolly and Bessie King for finding us, just asI am. And she's sulking in her room, instead!"

"She'll change her mind, Marcia, " said Eleanor, "just as the rest of youhave done. I'm dreadfully sorry that she feels that way, because it mustmake her unhappy. But please don't be angry with her if you really wantto please us. We're just as ready and just as anxious to be friendswith her as with all the rest of you, and some time we will be, too. I'm sure of that. "

"We'll make her see what a fool she is!" said Marcia, hotly. "If she'donly come with us, she'd have seen it for herself. She said all thegirls here would crow over us, and act as if we were backing down, andhad done this because someone made us. "

Eleanor laughed heartily. 

"Well, that is a silly idea!" she said. "Just explain to her that wewere just as pleased and as surprised to see you as we could be, Marcia. You didn't need to come here this way at all, and we know it perfectlywell. You did it just because you are nice girls and wanted to befriendly, and we appreciate the way you've come a good deal more than wedo the lovely presents, even. "

"Well, I hope we'll see you again, " said Marcia. "If you're going onthat half past nine boat we'll go back now, and let you pack, unless wecan help you?"

"No, you can't help us. We've really got very little to do. But don'tgo. Stay around, if you will, and we'll all talk and visit with youwhile we do what there is to be done. "

"I'm awfully sorry Gladys is cutting up so. It makes me feel ashamed, Dolly, " said Marcia, when she and Dolly were alone. "But you know howshe is. I think she's really just as sorry as the rest of us, but--"

"But she's awfully proud, and she won't show it, Marcia. I know, for I'mthat way myself, though I really do think I've been behaving myself alittle better since I've belonged to the Camp Fire. I wish you'd join, Marcia. "

"Maybe I will, Dolly. "

"Oh, that would be fine! Shall I speak to Miss Eleanor? She'd beperfectly delighted, I know. "

"No, don't speak to her yet. I've got a plan, or some of us have, rather, but it's still a secret so I can't tell you anything about it. But maybe I'll have a great surprise for you the next time I see you. "

The time passed quickly and pleasantly, and all too soon Miss Eleanorhad to give the word that it was time to start for the landing if theywere to catch the little steamer that was to take them to the other endof the lake. 

"I tell you what! We'll all go with you as far as you go on the boat, and come back on her, " said Marcia. "That will be good fun, won't it?I've got plenty of money for the fares, and those who haven't theirmoney with them can pay me when we get back to camp. "

All the girls from Camp Halsted fell in with her suggestion, delightedby the idea of such an unplanned excursion. It was easy enough toarrange it, too, for the little steamer would be back on her return tripearly in the afternoon, even though she did not make very good speed andhad numerous stops to make, since Lake Dean's shores were lined withlittle settlements, where camps and cottages and hotels had been builtat convenient spots. 

"We've heard you singing a lot of songs we never heard before, " saidMarcia to Bessie, as they took their places on the boat. "Won't youteach us some of them? They were awfully pretty, we thought. "

"You must mean the Camp Fire songs, " said Bessie, happily. "We'll beglad to teach them to you--and they're all easy to learn, too. I thinkDolly's got an extra copy of one of the song books and I know she'll beglad to let you have it. "

And so, as soon as Bessie explained what Marcia wanted, the deck of thesteamer was turned into an impromptu concert hall, and she made herjourney to the strains of the favorite songs of the Camp Fire, theWo-he-lo cheer with its lovely music being, of course, sung more oftenthan any of the others. 

"We were wondering so much about that, " said Marcia. "We could make outthe word Wo-he-lo, but we couldn't understand it. It sounded like anIndian word, but the others didn't seem to fit in with that idea. "

"It's just made up from the first syllables of work and health and love, you see, " said Eleanor. "We make up a lot of the words we use. A goodmany of the ceremonial names that the girls choose are made that way. "

"Then they have a real meaning, haven't they?"

"Yes. You see, one of the things that we preach and try to teach in theCamp Fire is that things ought to be useful as well as beautiful. Andit's very easy to be both. "

"But tell me about the Indian sound of Wo-he-lo. Was that just anaccident, or was it chosen that way on purpose?"

"Both, I think, Marcia. You see, the Indians in this country had a lotof good qualities that a great many people have forgotten or overlookedcompletely. Of course they were savages, in a way, but they had acivilization of their own, and a great many of their practices areparticularly well adapted to this country. "

"Oh, I see! You don't want them to be forgotten. "

"That's just it. It's a good way to keep the memory of earlier timesalive, and there seems to be something romantic and picturesque aboutthe Indian names and the Indian things. "

"That's one of the things I like best that I've found out about the CampFire since you came to Camp Sunset. We used to think the Camp Fire meantbeing goody-goody and learning to sew and cook and all sorts of thingslike that. But you have a lot of fun and good times, too, don't you?"

"Yes, and there really isn't anything goody-goody about us, Marcia. You'd soon find that out if you were with us. "

"Well, I'm very glad that so many people have been led to know the truthabout us, " said Eleanor, with a smile. "If everyone knew the truth aboutthe Camp Fire, it would soon be as big and as influential as even themost enthusiastic of us hope it will be. And I'm sure that we'll growvery fast now, because when girls understand us they see that we simplyhelp them to have the sort of good times they enjoy most. Having a goodtime is a pretty important thing in this life. "

"I--I rather thought you would think that we spent too much time justhaving a good time, " said Marcia, plainly rather surprised by thisstatement. 

"I don't say anything about you girls in particular, because I don'tknow enough about you, " replied Eleanor. "Of course, it's easy to get tobe so bound up in enjoying yourself that you don't think of anythingelse. But people who do that soon get tired of just amusing themselves, so, as a rule, there's no great harm done. They get so that everythingthey do bores them, and they turn to something serious and useful, for achange. "

"But you just said having a good time was important--"

"And I meant it, " said Eleanor, with a smile. "Because it's just as badto go to one extreme as to the other, and that's true in abouteverything. People who never work, but spend all their time playingaren't happy, as a rule, or healthy, either. And people who reversethat, and work all the time without ever playing, are in just about thesame boat, only they're really worse off than the others, because it'sharder for them to change. "

"I think I'm beginning to see what you mean, Miss Mercer. "

"Why, of course you are, Marcia! It's in the middle ground that theright answer lies. Work a little, and play a little, that's the way toget on and be happy. When you've worked hard, you need some sort ofrelaxation, and it's pretty important to know how to enjoy yourself, andhave a good time. "

"And you certainly can have bully good times in the Camp Fire, " saidDolly, enthusiastically. "I've never enjoyed myself half so much as Ihave since I've belonged. Why, we have bacon bats, and picnics, and allsorts of things that are the best fun you ever dreamed of, Marcia. Muchnicer than those stiff old parties you and I used to go to all the time, when we always did the same things, and could tell before we went justwhat was going to happen. "

"And the regular camp fires, the ceremonial ones, Dolly, " remindedBessie. "Don't you think Marcia would enjoy that?"

"Oh, I know she would! Couldn't I bring her to one some time?" Dollyasked Eleanor. 

"She'll be very welcome, any time, " said Eleanor with a smile. "There'snothing secret about the Camp Fire meetings, " she went on. "They're nota bit like high school and private school fraternities orsororities--whichever you call them. "

"Why, look where we are!" said Marcia suddenly. "We'll be at the dockpretty soon. "

"Why, so we will!" Eleanor said. "That's Cranford, sure enough, girls!We get off here, and begin our real tramp. "

"I wish we were going with you, " said Marcia, with a sigh of regret. "But we can't, of course. Well, I told Dolly we might have a surprisefor her pretty soon, and we will if I've got anything to say about it, too. This has been awfully jolly! I guess I know a lot more about yourCamp Fire now than I ever expected to. And I've enjoyed hearing everyword, too. "

Soon the little steamer was made fast to the dock, and the Camp FireGirls streamed off, lining up on the dock. On the steamer the girls fromCamp Halsted--all but Gladys Cooper, who had not made the trip--linedup, leaning over the rail. 

"We'll see them off as the boat goes right back again, " said Eleanor. "And let's give them the Wo-he-lo cheer for good-bye, girls. "

So their voices rose on the quiet air as the steamer's whistle shrieked, and she began to pull out. 

"Good-bye! Good luck!" cried Marcia and all the Halsted girls. "And comeback whenever you can! We'll have a mighty different sort of welcome foryou next time!"

"Good-bye! And thank you ever so much for the blankets!" called the CampFire Girls. 

CHAPTER III

THE WORK OF THE FIRE

At Cranford began the road which the Camp Fire Girls were to followthrough Indian Notch, the gap between the two big mountains, Mount Grantand Mount Sherman. Then they were to travel easily toward the seashore, since the Manasquan Camp Fire, ever since it had been organized, hadspent a certain length of time each summer by the sea. 

The Village of Cranford had been saved from the fire only by a shift ofthe wind. The woods to the west and the north had been burning brisklyfor several days, and every able-bodied man in the village had been out, day and night, with little food and less rest, trying to turn off thefire. In spite of all their efforts, however, they would have failed intheir task if the change in the weather had not come to their aid. As aconsequence, everyone in the village, naturally enough, was stilltalking about the fire. 

"It isn't often that a village in this part of the country has such anarrow escape, " said Eleanor, looking around. "See, girls, you can seefor yourselves how close they were to having to turn and run from thefire. "

"It looks as if some of the houses here had actually been on fire, " saidDolly, as they passed into the outskirts of the village. 

"I expect they were. You see, the wind was very high just before theshift came, and it would carry sparks and blazing branches. It's been avery hot, dry summer, too, and so all the wooden houses were ready tocatch fire. The paint was dry and blistered. They probably had to watchthese houses very carefully, to be ready to put out a fire the minute itstarted. "

"It didn't look so bad from our side of the lake, though, did it?"

"The smoke hid the things that were really dangerous from us, but herethey could see all right. I'll bet that before another summer comesaround they'll be in a position to laugh at a fire. "

"How do you mean? Is there anything they can do to protectthemselves--before a fire starts, I mean?"

"That's the time to protect themselves. When people wait until the firehas actually begun to burn, it's almost impossible for them to check it. It would have been this time, if the wind had blown for a few hourslonger the way it was doing when the fire started. "

"But what can they do?"

"They can have a cleared space between the town and the forest, for onething, with a lot of brush growing there, if they want to keep that. Then, if a fire starts, they can set the brush afire, and make a backfire, so that the big fire will be checked by the little one. The firehas to have something to feed on, you see, and if it comes to a clearedspace that's fairly wide, it can't get any further. 

"Oh, a cleared space like that doesn't mean that the village could goto sleep and feel safe! But it's a lot easier to fight the fire then. All the men in town could line up, with beaters and plenty of water, andas soon as sparks started a fire on their side of the clearing, theycould put it out before it could get beyond control. "

"Oh, I see! And being able to see the fire as soon as it started, theywouldn't have half so much trouble fighting it as if they had to beafter the really big blaze. "

"Yes. The fire problem in places like this seems very dreadful, but whenthe conditions are as good as they are here, with plenty of water, allthat's needed is a little forethought. It's different in some of thelumber towns out west, because there the fires get such a terrific startthat they would jump any sort of a clearing, and the only thing to dowhen a fire gets within a certain distance of a town is for the peoplewho live in the town to run. "

Soon the road began to pass between desolate stretches of woods, wherethe fire had raged at its hottest. Here the ground on each side of theroad was covered with smoking ashes, and blackened stumps stood up fromthe barren, burnt ground. 

"It looks like a big graveyard, with those stumps for headstones, " saidDolly, with a shudder. 

"It is a little like that, " said Eleanor, with a sigh. "But if you camehere next year you wouldn't know the place. All that ash will fertilizethe ground, and it will all be green. The stumps will still be there, but a great new growth will be beginning to push out. Of course it willbe years and years before it's real forest again, but nature isn't dead, though it looks so. There's life underneath all that waste anddesolation, and it will soon spring up again. "

"I hope we'll get out of this burned country soon, " said Dolly. "I thinkit's as gloomy and depressing as it can be. I'd like to have seen thisroad before the fire--it must have been beautiful. "

"It certainly was, Dolly. And all this won't last for many miles. Wereally ought to stop pretty soon to eat our dinner. What do you say, girls? Would you like to wait, and press on until we come to a morecheerful spot, where the trees aren't all burnt?"

"Yes, oh, yes!" cried Margery Burton. "I think that would be ever somuch nicer! Suppose we are a little hungry before we get our dinner? Wecan stand that for once. "

"I think we'll enjoy our meal more. So we'll keep on, then, if the restof you feel the same way. "

Not a voice dissented from that proposition, either. Dolly was not theonly one who was saddened by the picture of desolation through whichthey were passing. The road, of course, was deep in dust and ashes, andthe air, still filled with the smoke that rose from the smoulderingwoods, was heavy and pungent, so that eyes were watery, and there was agood deal of coughing and sneezing. 

"It's a lucky thing there weren't any houses along here, isn't it?"said Margery. "I don't see how they could possibly have been saved, doyou, Miss Eleanor?"

"There's no way that they could have saved them, unless, perhaps, byhaving a lot of city fire engines, and keeping them completely coveredwith water on all sides while the fire was burning. They call that awater blanket, but of course there's no way that they could manage thatup here. "

"What do you suppose started this fire, Miss Eleanor?"

"No one will ever know. Perhaps someone was walking in the woods, andthrew a lighted cigar or cigarette in a pile of dry leaves. Perhaps someparty of campers left their camp without being sure that their fire wasout. "

"Just think of it--that all the trouble could be started by a littlething like that! It makes you realize what a good thing it is that wehave to be careful never to leave a single spark behind when we'releaving a fire, doesn't it?"

"Yes. It's a dreadful thing that people should be so careless withfire. Fire, and the heat we get from it, is responsible for the wholeprogress of the race. It was the discovery that fire could be used byman that was back of every invention that has ever been made. "

"That's why it's the symbol of the Camp Fire, isn't it?"

"Yes. And in this country people ought to think more of fire than theydo. We lose more by fire every year than any other country in the world, because we're so terribly careless. "

"What is that there, ahead of us, in the road?" asked Bessie, suddenly. They had just come to a bend in the road, and about a hundred yards awaya group of people stood in the road. 

Eleanor looked grave. She shaded her eyes with her hand, and staredahead of her. 

"Oh, " she cried, "what a shame! I remember now. There was a farm housethere! I'm afraid we were wrong when we spoke of there being no housesin the path of this fire!"

They pressed on steadily, and, as they approached the group forlorn, distressed and unhappy, they saw that their fears were only too wellgrounded. The people in the road were staring, with drawn faces, at ascene of ruin and desolation that far outdid the burnt wastes beside theroad, since what they were looking at represented human work and thetoil of hands. 

The foundations of a farm house were plainly to be seen, the cellarfilled with the charred wood of the house itself, and in what hadevidently been the yard there were heaps of ashes that showed where thebarns and other buildings had stood. 

In the road, staring dully at the girls as they came up, were two womenand a boy about seventeen years old, as well as several young children. 

Eleanor looked at them pityingly, and then spoke to the older of the twowomen. 

"You seem to be in great trouble, " she said. "Is this your house?"

"It was!" said the woman, bitterly. "You can see what's left of it!What are you--picnickers? Be off with you! Don't come around heregloating over the misfortunes of hard working people!"

"How can you think we'd do that?" said Eleanor, with tears in her eyes. "We can see that things look very bad for you. Have you any place togo--any home?"

"You can see it!" said the woman, ungraciously. 

Eleanor looked at her and at the ruined farm for a minute verythoughtfully. Then she made up her mind. 

"Well, if you've got to start all over again, " she said, "you are goingto need a lot of help, and I don't see why we can't be the first to helpyou! Girls, we won't go any further now. We'll stay here and help thesepoor people to get started!"

"What can people like you do to help us?" asked the woman, scornfully. "This isn't a joke--'t ain't like a quiltin' party!"

"Just you watch us, and see if we can't help, " said Eleanor, sturdily. "We're not as useless as we look, I can tell you that! And the firstthing we're going to do is to cook a fine dinner, and you are all goingto sit right down on the ground and help us eat it. You'll be glad of ameal you don't have to cook yourselves, I'm sure. Where is your well, oryour spring for drinking water? Show us that, and we'll do the rest!"

Only half convinced of Eleanor's really friendly intentions, the womansullenly pointed out the well, and in a few moments Eleanor had set thegirls to work. 

"The poor things!" she said to Margery, sympathetically. "What they needmost of all is courage to pick up again, now that everything seems tohave come to an end for them, and make a new start. And I can't imagineanything harder than that!"

"Why, it's dreadful!" said Margery. "She seems to have lost allambition--to be ready to let things go. "

"That's just the worst of it, " said Eleanor. "And it's in making themsee that there's still hope and cheer and good friendship in the worldthat we can help them most. I do think we can be of some practical useto them, too, but the main thing is to brace them up, and make them wantto be busy helping themselves. It would be so easy for me to give themthe money to start over again or I could get my friends to come in withme, and make up the money, if I couldn't do it all myself. "

"But they ought to do it for themselves, you mean?"

"Yes. They'll really be ever so much better off in the long run if it'smanaged that way. Often and often, in the city, I've heard the peoplewho work in the charity organizations tell about families that werequite ruined because they were helped too much. "

"I can see how that would be, " said Margery. "They would get into thehabit of thinking they couldn't do anything for themselves--that theycould turn to someone else whenever they got into trouble. "

"Yes. You see these poor people are in the most awful sort of troublenow. They're discouraged and hopeless. Well, the thing to do is to makethem understand that they can rise superior to their troubles, that theycan build a new home on the ashes of their old one. "

"Oh, I think it will be splendid if we can help them to do that!"

"They'll feel better, physically, as soon as they have had a gooddinner, Margery. Often and often people don't think enough about that. It's when people feel worst that they ought to be fed best. It'simpossible to be cheerful on an empty stomach. When people are wellnourished their troubles never seem so great. They look on the brightside and they tell themselves that maybe things aren't as bad as theylook. "

"How can we help them otherwise, though?"

"Oh, we'll fix up a place where they can sleep to-night, for one thing. And we'll help them to start clearing away all the rubbish. They've gotto have a new house, of course, and they can't even start work on thatuntil all this wreckage is cleared away. "

"I wonder if they didn't save some of their animals--their cows andhorses, " said Bessie. "It seems to me they might have been able to dothat. "

"I hope so, Bessie. But we'll find out when we have dinner. I didn'twant to bother them with a lot of questions at first. Look, they seem tobe a little brighter already. "

The children of the family were already much brighter. It was naturalenough for them to respond more quickly than their elders to thestimulus of the presence of these kind and helpful strangers, and theywere running around, talking to the girls who were preparing dinner, andtrying to find some way in which they could help. 

And their mother began to forget herself and her troubles, and to watchthem with brightening eyes. When she saw that the girls seemed to befond of her children and to be anxious to make them happy, the maternalinstinct in her responded, and was grateful. 

"Oh, we're going to be able to bring a lot of cheer and new happiness tothese poor people, " said Eleanor, confidently. "And it will be splendid, won't it, girls? Could anything be better fun than doing good this way?It's something we'll always be able to remember, and look back athappily. And the strange part of it is that, no matter how much we dofor them, we'll be doing more for ourselves. "

"Isn't it fine that we've got those blankets?" said Dolly. "If we campout here to-night they'll be very useful. "

"They certainly will. And we shall camp here, though not in tents. Lateron this afternoon, we'll have to fix up some sort of shelter. But thatwill be easy. I'll show you how to do it when the time comes. Now wewant to hurry with the dinner--that's the main thing, because I thinkeveryone is hungry. "

CHAPTER IV

GETTING A START

Often people who have been visited by great misfortunes become souredand suspect the motives of even those who are trying to help them. Eleanor understood this trait of human nature very well, thanks to thefact that as a volunteer she had helped out the charity workers in herown city more than once. And as a consequence she did not at all resentthe dark looks that were cast at her by the poor woman whose everyglance brought home to her more sharply the disaster that the fire hadbrought. 

"We've got to be patient if we want to be really helpful, " she explainedto Dolly Ransom, who was disposed to resent the woman's unfriendlyaspect. 

"But I don't see why she has to act as if we were trying to annoy her, Miss Eleanor!"

"She doesn't mean that at all, Dolly. You've never known what it is toface the sort of trouble and anxiety she has had for the last few days. She'll soon change her mind about us when she sees that we are reallytrying to help. And there's another thing. Don't you think she's alittle softer already?"

"Oh, she is!" said Bessie, with shining eyes. "And I think I know why--"

"So will Dolly--if she will look at her now. See, Dolly, she's lookingat her children. And when she sees how nice the girls are to them, sheis going to be grateful--far more grateful than for anything we did forher. Because, after all, it's probably her fear for her children, and ofwhat this will mean to them, that is her greatest trouble. "

Dinner was soon ready, and when it was prepared, Eleanor called thehomeless family together and made them sit down. 

"We haven't so very much, " she said. "We intended to eat just this way, but we were going on a little way. Still, I think there's plenty ofeverything, and there's lots of milk for the children. "

"Why are you so good to us?" asked the woman, suddenly. It was her firstadmission that she appreciated what was being done, and Eleanor secretlyhailed it as a prelude to real friendliness. 

"Why, you don't think anyone could see you in so much trouble and notstop to try to help you, do you?" she said. 

"Ain't noticed none of the neighbors comin' here to help, " said thewoman, sullenly. 

"I think they're simply forgetful, " said Eleanor. "And you know thisfire was pretty bad. They had a great fight to save Cranford fromburning up. "

"Is that so?" said the woman, showing a little interest in the news. "Myland, I didn't think the fire would get that far!"

"They were fighting night and day for most of three days, " said Eleanor. "And now they're pretty tired, and I have an idea they're making up forlost sleep and rest. But I'm sure you'll find some of them driving outthis way pretty soon to see how you are getting on. "

"Well, they won't see much!" said the woman, with a despairing laugh. "We came back here, 'cause we thought some of the buildings might besaved. But there ain't a thing left exceptin' that one barn a little wayover there. You can't see it from here. It's over the hill. We did saveour cattle and a good many chickens and ducks. But all our crops isruined--and how we are ever goin' to get through the winter I declare Ican't tell!"

"Have you a husband? And, by the way, hadn't you better tell me yourname?" said Eleanor. 

"My husband's dead--been dead nearly two years, " said the woman. "I'mSarah Pratt. This here's my husband's sister, Ann. "

"Well, Mrs. Pratt, we'll have to see if we can't think of some way ofmaking up for all this loss, " said Eleanor, after she had told the womanher own name, and introduced the girls of the Camp Fire. "Why--just aminute, now! You have cows, haven't you? Plenty of them? Do they givegood milk?"

"Best there is, " said the woman. "My husband, he was a crank for buyin'fine cattle. I used to tell him he was wastin' his money, but he woulddo it. Same way with the chickens. "

"Then you sold the milk, I suppose?"

"Yes, ma'am, and we didn't get no more for it from the creamery than thefarmers who had just the ornery cows. "

"Well, I've got an idea already. I'm going back to Cranford as soon aswe've had dinner to see if it will work out. I suppose that's your son?"

She looked with a smile at the awkward, embarrassed boy who had solittle to say for himself. 

"Well, while the girls fix you up some shelters where you can sleepto-night, if you stay here, I'm going to ask you to let him drive meinto Cranford. I want to do some telephoning--and I think I'll havegood news for you when I come back. "

Strangely enough, Mrs. Pratt made no objection to this plan. Once shehad begun to yield to the charm of Eleanor's manner, and to believe thatthe Camp Fire Girls meant really to help and were not merely stoppingout of idle curiosity, she recovered her natural manner, which turnedout to be sweet and cheerful enough, and she also began to look onthings with brighter eyes. 

"Makes no difference whether you have good news or not, my dear, " shesaid to Eleanor. "You've done us a sight of good already. Waked me upan' made me see that it's wrong to sit down and cry when it's a time tobe up an' doin'. "

"Oh, you wouldn't have stayed in the dumps very long, " said Eleanor, cheerfully. "Perhaps we got you started a little bit sooner, but I cansee that you're not the sort to stay discouraged very long. "

Then, while a few of the girls, with the aid of the Pratt children, washed dishes and cleared up after the meal, Eleanor took aside Margeryand some of the stronger girls, like Bessie and Dolly, to show them whatshe wanted done while she was away. 

"There's plenty of wood around here, " she said. "A whole lot of theboards are only a little bit scorched, and some of them really aren'tburned at all. Now, if you take those and lay them against the side ofthat steep bank there, near where the big barn stood, you'll have oneside of a shelter. Then take saplings, and put them up about seven feetaway from your boards. "

She held a sapling in place, to show what she meant. 

"Cut a fork in the top of each sapling, and dig holes so that they willstand up. Then lay strips of wood from the saplings to the tops of yourboards, and cover the space you've got that way with branches. If you goabout half a mile beyond here, you'll be able to get all the branchesyou want from spots where the fire hasn't burned at all. "

"Why, they'll be like the Indian lean-tos I've read about, won't they?"exclaimed Margery. 

"They're on that principle, " said Eleanor. "Probably we could get alongvery well without laying any boards at all against that bank, but itmight be damp, and there's no use in taking chances. And--"

"Oh, Miss Eleanor, " Dolly interrupted, "excuse me, but if it rained orthere were water above, wouldn't it leak right down and run through fromthe top of the bank?"

"That's a good idea, Dolly. I'll tell you how to avoid that. Dig atrench at the top of the bank, just as long as the shelter you haveunderneath, and the water will all be caught in that. And if you givethe trench a little slope, one way or the other, or both ways from thecentre, not much, just an inch in ten feet--the water will all becarried off. "

"Oh, yes!" said Dolly. "That would fix that up all right. "

"Get plenty of branches of evergreens for the floor, and we'll coverthose with our rubber blankets, " Eleanor went on. "Then we'll be snugand dry for to-night, anyhow, and for as long as the weather holdsfine. "

"You mean it will be a place where the Pratts can sleep?" said Margery. "Of course, it would be all right in this weather, but do you think itwill stay like this very long?"

"Of course it won't, Margery, but I don't expect them to have to livethis way all winter. If it serves to-night and to-morrow night I thinkit will be all that's needed. Now you understand just what is to bedone, don't you? If you want to ask any questions, go ahead. "

"No. We understand, don't we, girls?" said Margery. 

"All right, then, " said Eleanor. "Girls, Margery is Acting Guardianwhile I'm gone. You're all to do just as she tells you, and obey herjust as if she were I. I see that Tom's got the buggy all harnessed up. It's lucky they were able to save their wagons and their horses, isn'tit?"

"What are you going to do in Cranford?" asked Dolly. "Won't you tell us, Miss Eleanor?"

"No, I won't, Dolly, " said Eleanor, laughing. "If I come back with goodnews--and I certainly hope I shall--you'll enjoy it all the more if it'sa surprise, and if I don't succeed, why, no one will be disappointedexcept me. "

And then with a wave of her hand, she sprang into the waiting buggy anddrove off with Tom Pratt holding the reins, and looking very proud ofhis pretty passenger. 

"Well, I don't know what it's all about, but we know just what we'resupposed to do, girls, " said Margery. "So let's get to work. Bessie, youand Dolly might start picking out the boards that aren't too badlyburned. "

"All right, " said Dolly. "Come on, Bessie!"

"I'll pace off the distance to see how big a place we need to make, "said Margery. "Mrs. Pratt, how far is it to a part of the woods thatwasn't burned? Miss Mercer thought we could get some green branchesthere for bedding. "

"Not very far, " said Mrs. Pratt, with a sigh. "That's what seemed sohard! When we drove along this morning we came quite suddenly to a patchalong the road on both sides where the fire hadn't reached, and it madeus ever so happy. "

"Oh, what a shame!" said Margery. "I suppose you thought you'd come tothe end of the burned part?"

"I hoped so--oh, how I did hope so!" said poor Mrs. Pratt. "But then, just before we came in sight of the place, we saw that the fire hadchanged its direction again, and then we knew that our place must havegone. "

"That's very strange, isn't it?" said Margery. "I wonder why the fireshould spare some places and not others?"

"It seems as if it were always that way in a big fire, " said Mrs. Pratt. "I suppose there'd been some cutting around that patch of woods thatwasn't burned. And only last year a man was going to buy the wood inthat wood lot of ours on the other side of the road, and clear it. If hehad, maybe the fire wouldn't ever have come near us, at all. "

"Well, we'll have to think about what did happen, not what we wish hadhappened, Mrs. Pratt, " said Margery, cheerfully. "The thing to do now isto make the best of a bad business. I'm going to send four or five ofthe girls to get branches. Perhaps you'll let one of the children goalong to show them the way?"

"You go, Sally, " said Mrs. Pratt to the oldest girl, a child offourteen, who had been listening, wide-eyed, to the conversation. "Now, ain't there somethin' Ann an' I can do to help?"

"Why, yes, there is, Mrs. Pratt. I think it's going to be dreadfullyhot. Over there, where we unpacked our stores, you'll find a lot oflemons. I think if you'd make a couple of big pails full of lemonadewe'd all enjoy them while we were working, and they'd make the work gofaster, too. "

"The water won't be very cold, " suggested Ann. 

"Pshaw, Ann! Why not use the ice?" said Mrs. Pratt, whose interest insmall things had been wonderfully revived. "The ice-house wasn't burned. Do you go and get a pailful of ice, and we'll have plenty for the girlsto drink. They surely will be hot and tired with all they're doing forus. "

"I'm sorry I ever said Mrs. Pratt wasn't nice, " said Dolly to Bessie, when they happened to overhear this, and saw how Mrs. Pratt beganhustling to get the lemonade ready. 

"I knew she'd be all right as soon as she began to be waked up alittle, " said Bessie. "This is more fun than one of our sillyadventures, isn't it, Dolly? Because it's just as exciting, but thereisn't the chance of things going wrong, and we're doing something tomake other people happy. "

"You're certainly right about that, Bessie. And it makes you think ofhow much hard luck people have, and how easy it would be for people whoare better off to help them, doesn't it?"

"It _is_ easy, Dolly. You know, I think Miss Eleanor must help an awfullot of people. It seems to be the first thing she thinks of when shesees any trouble. "

"She makes one understand what Wo-he-lo really means, " said Dolly. "She's often explained that work means service--doing things for otherpeople, and not just working for yourself. "

"That's one of the things I like best about the Camp Fire, " said Bessie, thoughtfully. "Everyone in it seems to be unselfish and to think abouthelping others, and yet there isn't someone to preach to you all thetime--they just do it themselves, and make you see that it's the way tobe really happy. "

"I wouldn't have believed that I could enjoy this sort of work if anyonehad told me so a year ago. But I do. I haven't had such a good timesince I can remember. Of course, I feel awfully sorry for the Pratts, but I'm glad that, if it had to happen to them, we came along in time tohelp them. "

They hadn't stopped working while they talked, and now they had broughtas many boards as Margery wanted. 

"There are lots more boards, Margery, " said Dolly. "Why shouldn't wemake a sort of floor for the lean-to? If we put up a couple of planksfor them to rest on, every so often, we could have a real floor, andthen, even if the ground got damp, it would be dry inside. "

"Good idea! We'll do that, " said Margery, who was busy herself, flyinghere, there, and everywhere to direct the work. "Go ahead!"

And so, when the sound of wheels in the road heralded the return of MissEleanor in the buggy, the work was done, and the lean-to was completed, a rough-and-ready shelter that was practical in the extreme, thoughperhaps it was not ornamental. 

"Splendid!" cried Eleanor. "But I knew you girls would do well. AndI've got the good news I hoped to bring, too!"

CHAPTER V

GOOD NEWS FROM TOWN

Everyone rushed eagerly forward, and crowded around Miss Mercer as shedescended from the buggy, smiling pleasantly at the bashful Tom Pratt, who did his best to help her in her descent. And not the least eager, byany means, was Tom Pratt's mother, whose early indifference to theinterest of these good Samaritans in her misfortunes seemed utterly tohave vanished. 

"Oh, these girls of yours!" cried Mrs. Pratt. "You've no idea of howmuch they've done--or how much they've heartened us all up, Miss Mercer!I don't believe there were ever so many kind, nice people broughttogether before!"

Eleanor laughed, as if she were keeping a secret to herself. And herwords, when she spoke, proved that that was indeed the case. 

"Just you wait till you know how many friends you really have aroundhere, Mrs. Pratt!" she said. "Well, I told you I hoped to bring backgood news, and I have, and if you'll all give me a chance, I'll tell youwhat it is. "

"You've found a place for all the Pratts to go!" said Dolly. 

"You've arranged something so that they won't have to stay here!" agreedMargery. 

"I don't know whether Mrs. Pratt would agree that that was such goodnews, " she said. "Tell me, Mrs. Pratt--you are still fond of this place, aren't you?"

"Indeed, and I am, Miss Mercer!" she said, choking back a sob. "When Ifirst saw how it looked this morning, I thought I only wanted to go awayand never see it again, if I only knew where to go. But I feel sodifferent now. Why, all the time we've been working around here, it'smade me think of how Tom--I mean my poor husband--and I came here whenwe were first married. Tom had the land, you see, and he'd built alittle cabin for us with his own hands. "

"And all the farm grew from that?"

"Yes. We worked hard, you see, and the children came, but we had abetter place for each one to be born in, Miss Mercer--we really did! Itwas our place. We've earned it all, with the help from the place itself, and before the fire--"

She broke down then, and for a moment she couldn't go on. 

"Of course you love it!" said Eleanor, heartily. "And I don't think itwould be very good news for you to know that you had a chance to gosomewhere else and make a fresh start, though I could have managed thatfor you. "

"I'd be grateful, though, Miss Mercer, " said Mrs. Pratt. "I don't wantyou to think I wouldn't. It'll be a wrench, though--I'm not saying itwouldn't. When you've lived anywhere as long as I've lived here, andseen all the changes, and had your children born in it, and--"

"I know--I know, " interrupted Eleanor, sympathetically. "And I could seehow much you loved the place. So I never had any idea at all ofsuggesting anything that would take you away. "

"Do you really think we can get a new start here?" asked Mrs. Pratt, looking up hopefully. 

"I don't only believe it, I know it, Mrs. Pratt, " said Eleanor, enthusiastically. "And what's more, you're going to be happier and moreprosperous than you ever were before the fire. Not just at first, perhaps, but you're going to see the way clear ahead, and it won't belong before you'll be doing so well that you'll be able to let my friendTom here go to college. "

Mrs. Pratt's face fell. It seemed to her that Eleanor was promising toomuch. 

"I don't see how that could be, " she said. "Why, his paw and I used totalk that over. We wanted him to have a fine education, but we didn'tsee how we could manage it, even when his paw was alive. "

"Well, you listen to me, and see if you don't think there's a goodchance of it, anyhow, " said Eleanor. "In the first place, none of thepeople in Cranford knew that you'd had all this trouble. It was just asI thought. Their own danger had been so great that they simply hadn'thad time to think of anything else. They were shocked and sorry when Itold them. "

"There's a lot of good, kind people there, " said Mrs. Pratt, brighteningagain. "I'm sure I didn't think anything of their not having come outhere to see how we were getting along. "

"Some of them would have been out in a day or two, even if I hadn't toldthem, Mrs. Pratt. As it is--but I think that part of my story had betterwait. Tell me, you've been selling all your milk and cream to the bigcreamery that supplies the milkmen in the city, haven't you?"

"Yes, and I guess that we can keep their trade, if we can get on ourfeet pretty soon so that they can get it regular again. "

"I've no doubt you could, " said Eleanor, dryly. "They make so much moneybuying from you at cheap prices and selling at high prices that theywouldn't let the chance to keep on slip by in a hurry, I can tell you. But I've got a better idea than that. "

Mrs. Pratt looked puzzled, but Tom Pratt, who seemed to be in Eleanor'ssecret, only smiled and returned Eleanor's wise look. 

"When you make butter you salt it and keep it to use here, don't you?"Eleanor asked next. 

"Yes, ma'am, we do. "

"Well, if you made fresh, sweet butter, and didn't salt it at all, doyou know that you could sell it to people in the city for fifty cents apound?"

Mrs. Pratt gasped. 

"Why, no one in the world ever paid that much for butter!" she said, amazed. "And, anyhow, butter without salt's no good. "

"Lots of people don't agree with you, and they're willing to pay prettywell to have their own way, too, " she said, with a laugh. "In the cityrich families think fresh butter is a great luxury, and they can't getenough of it that's really good. And it's the same way, all summerlong, at Lake Dean. 

"The hotel there will take fifty pounds a week from you all summer long, as long as it's open, that is. And I have got orders for another fiftypounds a week from the people who own camps and cottages. And what'smore, the manager of the hotel has another house, in Lakewood, in thewinter time, and when he closes up the house at Cranford, he wants youto send him fifty pounds a week for that house, too. "

"Why, however did you manage to get all those orders?" asked Margery, amazed. 

"I telephoned to the manager of the hotel, " said Eleanor. "And then Iremembered the girls at Camp Halsted, and I called up Marcia Bates andtold her the whole story, and what I wanted them to do. So she and twoor three of the others went out in that fast motor boat of theirs andvisited a lot of families around the lake, and when they told them aboutit, it was easy to get the orders. "

"Well, I never!" gasped Mrs. Pratt. "I wouldn't ever have thought ofdoin' anythin' like that, Miss Mercer, and folks around here seem tothink I'm a pretty good business woman, too, since my husband died. Why, we can make more out of the butter than we ever did out of a wholeseason's crops, sellin' at such prices!"

"You won't get fifty cents a pound from the hotel, " said Eleanor. "That's because they'll take such a lot, and they'll pay you every week. So I told them they could have all they wanted for forty cents a pound. But, you see, at fifty pounds a week, that's twenty dollars a week, allthe year round, and with the other fifty pounds you'll sell to privatefamilies, that will make forty-five dollars a week. And you haven't evenstarted yet. You'll have lots more orders than you can fill. "

"I'm wonderin' right now, ma'am, how we'll be able to make a hundredpounds of butter a week. "

"I thought of that, too, " said Eleanor, "and I bought half a dozen morecows for you, right there in Cranford. They're pretty good cows, and ifthey're well fed, and properly taken care of, they'll be just what youwant. "

"But I haven't got the money to pay for them now, ma'am!" said Mrs. Pratt, dismayed. 

"Oh, I've paid for them, " said Eleanor, "and you're going to pay me whenyou begin to get the profits from this new butter business. I'd be gladto give them to you, but you won't need anyone to give you things;you're going to be able to afford to pay for them yourself. "

Mrs. Pratt broke into tears. 

"That's the nicest thing you've said or done yet, Miss Mercer, " shesobbed. "I just couldn't bear to take charity--"

"Charity? You don't need it, you only need friendly help, Mrs. Pratt, and if I didn't give you that someone else would!"

"And eggs! They'll be able to sell eggs, too, won't they?" said Dolly, jumping up and down in her excitement. 

"They certainly will! I was coming to that, " said Eleanor. "You know, this new parcel post is just the thing for you, Mrs. Pratt! Just as soonas a letter I wrote is answered, you'll get a couple of cases of newboxes that are meant especially for mailing butter and eggs and thingslike that from farmers to people in the city. 

"You'll be able to sell eggs and butter cheaper than people in the citycan buy things that are anything like as good from the stores, becauseyou won't have to pay rent and lighting bills and all the otherexpensive things about a city store. I'm going to be your agent, and Ido believe I'll make some extra pocket money, too, because I'm going tocharge you a commission. "

Mrs. Pratt just laughed at that idea. 

"Well, you wait and see!" said Eleanor. "I'm glad to be able to help, Mrs. Pratt, but I know you'll feel better if you think I'm gettingsomething out of it, and I'm going to. I think my running across youwhen you were in trouble is going to be a fine thing for both of us. Why, before you get done with us, you'll have to get more land, and alot more cows and chickens, because we're going to make it thefashionable thing to buy eggs and butter from you!"

Mrs. Pratt seemed to be overwhelmed, and Eleanor, in order to create adiversion, went over to inspect the lean-to. 

"It's just right, " she said. "Having a floor made of those boards is afine idea; I didn't think of that at all. Good for you, Margery!"

"That was Dolly's idea, not mine, " said Margery. 

"You were perfectly right, too. Well, it's getting a little late and Ithink it's time we were thinking about dinner. Margery, if you'll goover to the buggy you'll find quite a lot of things I bought inCranford. We don't want to use up the stores we brought with us beforewe get away from here. And--here's a secret!"

"What?" said Margery, leaning toward her and smiling. And Eleanorlaughed as she whispered in Margery's ear. 

"There are going to be some extra people--at least seven or eight, andperhaps more--for dinner, so we want to have plenty, because I thinkthey're going to be good and hungry when they sit down to eat!"

"Oh, do tell me who they are, " cried Margery, eagerly. "I never saw youact so mysteriously before!"

"No, it's a surprise. But you'll enjoy it all the more when it comes fornot knowing ahead of time. Don't breathe a word, except to those whohelp you cook if they ask too many questions. "

Dinner was soon under way, and those who were not called upon by Margerybusied themselves about the lean-to, arranging blankets and makingeverything snug for the night. 

The busy hands of the Camp Fire Girls had done much to rid the place ofits look of desolation, and now everything spoke of hope and renewedactivity instead of despair and inaction. A healthier spirit prevailed, and now the Pratts, encouraged as to their future, were able to joinheartily in the laughter and singing with which the Camp Fire Girls madethe work seem like play. 

"Why, what's this?" cried Bessie, suddenly. She had gone toward theroad, and now she came running back. 

"There are four or five big wagons, loaded with wood and shingles andall sorts of things like that coming in here from the road, " she cried. "Whatever are they doing here?"

"That's my second surprise, " laughed Eleanor. "It's your neighbors fromCranford, Mrs. Pratt. Don't you recognize Jud Harkness driving the firstteam there?"

"Hello, folks!" bellowed Jud, from his seat. "How be you, Mis' Pratt?Think we'd clean forgot you? We didn't know you was in such an all-firedlot of trouble, or we'd ha' been here before. We're come now, though, and we ain't goin' away till you've got a new house. Brought it withus, by heck!"

He laughed as he descended, and stood before them, a huge, black-beardedman, but as gentle as a child. And soon everyone could see what hemeant, for the wagons were loaded with timber, and one contained all thetools that would be needed. 

"There'll be twenty of us here to-morrow, " he said, "and I guess we'llshow you how to build a house! Won't be as grand as the hotel atCranford, mebbe, but you can live in it, and we'll come out when we getthe time and put on the finishing touches. To-night we'll clear away allthis rubbish, and with sun-up in the morning we'll be at work. "

Eleanor's eyes shone as she turned to Mrs. Pratt. 

"Now you see what I meant when I told you there were plenty of goodfriends for you not far from here!" she cried. "As soon as I told Judwhat trouble you were in he thought of this, and in half an hour he'dgot promises from all the men to put in a day's work fixing up a newhouse for you. "

Mrs. Pratt seemed too dazed to speak. 

"But they can't finish a whole house in one day!" declared Margery. 

"They can't paint it, and put up wall paper and do everything, Margery, "said Eleanor. "That's true enough. But they can do a whole lot. You'reused to thinking of city buildings, and that's different. In the countryone or two men usually build a house, and build it well, and when thereare twenty or thirty, why, the work just flies, especially when they'redoing the work for friendship, instead of because they're hired to doit. Oh, just you wait!"

"Have you ever seen this before?"

"I certainly have! And you're going to see sights to-morrow that willopen your eyes, I can promise you. You know what it's like, Bessie, don't you? You've seen house raisings before?"

"I certainly have, " said Bessie. "And it's fine. Everyone helps anddoes the best he can, and it seems no time at all before it's all done. "

"Well, we'll do our share, " said Eleanor. "The men will be hungry, andI've promised that we'll feed them. "

CHAPTER VI

THE GOOD SAMARITANS

"Well, I certainly have got a better opinion of country people than Iever used to have, Bessie, " said Dolly Ransom. "After the way thosepeople in Hedgeville treated you and Zara, I'd made up my mind that theywere a nasty lot, and I was glad I'd always lived in the city. "

"Well, aren't you still glad of it, Dolly? I really do think you'rebetter off in the city. There wouldn't be enough excitement about livingin the country for you, I'm afraid. "

"Of course there wouldn't! But I think maybe I was sort of unfair to allcountry people because the crowd at Hedgeville was so mean to you. And Ilike the country well enough, for a little while. I couldn't bear livingthere all the time, though. I think that would drive me wild. "

"The trouble was that Zara and I didn't exactly belong, Dolly. Theythought her father was doing something wrong because he was a foreignerand they couldn't understand his ways. "

"I suppose he didn't like them much, either, Bessie. "

"He didn't. He thought they were stupid. And, of course, in a way, theywere. But not as stupid as he thought they were. He was used to entirelydifferent things, and--oh, well, I suppose in some places what he didwouldn't have been talked about, even. 

"But in the country everyone knows the business of everyone else, andwhen there is a mystery no one is happy until it's solved. That's whyZara and her father got themselves so disliked. There was a mysteryabout them, and the people in Hedgeville just made up their minds thatsomething was wrong. "

"I feel awfully sorry for Zara, Bessie. It must be dreadful for her toknow that her father is in prison, and that they are saying that he wasmaking bad money. You don't think he did, do you?"

"I certainly do not! There's something very strange about that wholebusiness, and Miss Eleanor's cousin, the lawyer, Mr. Jamieson, thinks sotoo. You know that Mr. Holmes is mighty interested in Zara and herfather. "

"He tried to help to get Zara back to that Farmer Weeks who would havebeen her guardian if she hadn't come to join the Camp Fire, didn't he?"

"Yes. You see, in the state where Hedgeville is, Farmer Weeks is herlegal guardian, and he could make her work for him until she wastwenty-one. He's an old miser, and as mean as he can be. But once she isout of that state, he can't touch her, and Mr. Jamieson has had MissEleanor appointed her guardian, and mine too, for that state. The statewhere Miss Eleanor and all of us live, I mean. "

"Well, Mr. Holmes is trying to get hold of you, too, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is. You ought to know, Dolly, after the way he tried to get usboth to go off with him in his automobile that day, and the way he setthose gypsies on to kidnapping us. And that's the strangest thing ofall. "

"Perhaps he wants to know something about Zara, and thinks you can tellhim, or perhaps he's afraid you'll tell someone else something hedoesn't want them to know. "

"Yes, it may be that. But that lawyer of his, Isaac Brack, who is somean and crooked that no one in the city will have anything to do withhim except the criminals, Mr. Jamieson says, told me once that unless Iwent with him I'd never find out the truth about my father and motherand what became of them. "

"Oh, Bessie, how exciting! You never told me that before. Have you toldMr. Jamieson?"

"Yes, and he just looked at me queerly, and said nothing more about it. "

"Bessie, do you know what I think?"

"No. I'm not a mind reader, Dolly!"

"Well, I believe Mr. Jamieson knows more than he has told you yet, orthat he guesses something, anyway. And he won't tell you what it isbecause he's afraid he may be wrong, and doesn't want to raise yourhopes unless he's sure that you won't be disappointed. "

"I think that would be just like him, Dolly. He's been awfully good tome. I suppose it's because he thinks it will please Miss Eleanor, and heknows that she likes us, and wants to do things for us. "

"Oh, I know he likes you, too, Bessie. He certainly ought to, after theway you brought him help back there in Hamilton, when we were there forthe trial of those gypsies who kidnapped us. If it hadn't been for you, there's no telling what that thief might have done to him. "

"Oh, anyone would have done the same thing, Dolly. It was for my sakethat he was in trouble, and when I had a chance to help him, it wascertainly the least that I could do. Don't you think so?"

"Well, maybe that's so, but there aren't many girls who would have knownhow to do what you did or who would have had the pluck to do it, evenif they did. I'm quite sure I wouldn't, and yet I'd have wanted to, justas much as anyone. "

"I wish I did know something about my father and mother, Dolly. You'veno idea how much that worries me. Sometimes I feel as if I never wouldfind out anything. "

"Oh, you mustn't get discouraged, Bessie. Try to be as cheerful as youare when it's someone else who is in trouble. You're the best littlecheerer-up I know when I feel blue. "

"Oh, Dolly, I do try to be cheerful, but it's such a long time sincethey left me with the Hoovers!"

"Well, there must be some perfectly good reason for it all, Bessie, Ifeel perfectly sure of that. They would never have gone off that wayunless they had to. "

"Oh, it isn't that that bothers me. It's feeling that unless somethingdreadful had happened to them, I'd have heard of them long ago. Andthen, Maw Hoover and Jake Hoover were always picking at me about them. When I did something Maw Hoover didn't like, she'd say she didn'twonder, that she couldn't expect me to be any good, being the child ofparents who'd gone off and left me on her hands that way. "

"That's all right for her to talk that way, but she didn't have you onher hands. She made you work like a slave, and never paid you for it atall. You certainly earned whatever they spent for keeping you, MissEleanor says so, and I'll take her word any time against Maw Hoover oranyone else. "

"I've sometimes thought it was pretty mean for me to run off the way Idid, Dolly. If it hadn't been for Zara, I don't believe I'd have doneit. "

"It's a good thing for Zara that you did. Poor Zara! They'd taken herfather to jail, and she was going to have to stay with Farmer Weeks. She'd never have been able to get along without you, you know. "

"Well, that's one thing that makes me feel that perhaps it was rightfor me to go, Dolly. That, and the way Miss Eleanor spoke of it. Sheseemed to think it was the right thing for me to do, and she knowsbetter than I do, I'm sure. "

"Certainly she does. And look here, Bessie! It's all coming out right, sometime, I know. I'm just sure of that! You'll find out all about yourfather and mother, and you'll see that there was some good reason fortheir not turning up before. "

"Oh, Dolly dear, I'm sure of that now! And it's just that that makes mefeel so bad, sometimes. If something dreadful hadn't happened to them, they would have come for me long ago. At least they would have kept onsending the money for my board. "

"How do you know they didn't, Bessie? Didn't Maw Hoover get most of theletters on the farm?"

"Yes, she did, Dolly. Paw Hoover couldn't read, so they all went to her, no matter to whom they were addressed. "

"Why, then, " said Dolly, triumphantly, "maybe your father and motherwere writing and sending the money all the time!"

"But wouldn't she have told me so, Dolly?"

"Suppose she just kept the money, and pretended she never got it at all, Bessie? I've heard of people doing even worse things than that when theywanted money. It's possible, isn't it, now? Come on, own up!"

"I suppose it is, " said Bessie, doubtfully. "Only it doesn't seem veryprobable. Maw Hoover was pretty mean to me, but I don't think she'd everhave done anything like that. "

"Well, I wouldn't put it above her! She treated you badly enough aboutother things, heaven knows!"

"I'd hate to think she had done anything quite as mean as that, though, Dolly. I do think she had a pretty hard time herself, and I'm quite surethat if it hadn't been for Jake she wouldn't have been so mean to me. "

"Oh, I know just the sort he is. I've seen him, remember, Bessie! He's aregular spoiled mother's boy. I don't know why it is, but the boyswhose mothers coddle them and act as if they were the best boys on earthalways seem to be the meanest. "

"Yes, you did see him, Dolly. Still, Jake's very young, and he wouldn'tbe so bad, either, if he'd been punished for the things he did at home. As long as I was there, you see, they could blame everything that wasdone onto me. He did, at least, and Maw believed him. "

"Didn't his father ever see what a worthless scamp he was?"

"Oh, how could he, Dolly? He was his own son, you see, and then therewas Maw Hoover. She wouldn't let him believe anything against Jake, anymore than she would believe it herself. "

"I'm sorry for Paw Hoover, Bessie. He seemed like a very nice old man. "

"He certainly was. Do you remember how he found me with you girls theday after Zara and I ran away? He could have told them where we werethen, but he didn't do it. Instead of that, he was mighty nice to me, and he gave me ten dollars. "

"He said you'd earned it, Bessie, and he was certainly right about that. Why, in the city they can't get servants to do all the things you did, even when they're well paid, and you never were paid at all!"

"Well, that doesn't make what he did any the less nice of him, Dolly. And I'll be grateful to him, because he might have made an awful lot oftrouble. "

"Oh, I'll always like him for that, too. And I guess from what I saw ofhim, and all I've heard about his wife, that he doesn't have a veryhappy time at home, either. Maw Hoover must make him do just about whatshe wants, whether he thinks she's right or not. "

"She certainly does, Dolly, unless she's changed an awful lot since Iwas there. "

"Well, I suppose the point is that there really must be more people likehim in the country than like his wife and Farmer Weeks. These peoplearound here are certainly being as nice as they can be to the poorPratts. Just think of their coming here to-morrow to build a new housefor them!"

"There are more nice, good-hearted people than bad ones all over, Dolly. That's true of every place, city or country. "

"But it seems to me we always hear more of the bad ones, and those whodo nasty things, than we do of the others, in the newspapers. "

"I think that's because the things that the bad people do are morelikely to be exciting and interesting, Dolly. You see, when people donice things, it's just taken as a matter of course, because that's whatthey ought to do. And when they do something wicked, it gets everyoneexcited and makes a lot of talk. That's the reason for that. "

"Still, this work that the men from Cranford are going to do for thePratts is interesting, Bessie. I think a whole lot of people would liketo know about that, if there was any way of telling them. "

"Yes, that's so. This isn't an ordinary case, by any means. And I guessyou'll find that we'll do plenty of talking about it. Miss Eleanor will, I know, because she thinks they ought to get credit for doing it. "

"So will Mrs. Pratt and the children, too. Oh, yes, I was wrong aboutit, Bessie. Lots of people will know about this, because the Pratts willalways have the house to remind them of it, and people who go by, ifthey've heard of it, will remember the story when they see the place. Ido wonder what sort of a house they will put up?"

"It'll have to be very plain, of course. And it will look rough atfirst, because it won't be painted, and there won't be any plaster onthe ceilings and there won't be any wall paper, either. "

"Oh, but that will be easy to fix later. They'll have a comfortablehouse for the winter, anyhow, I'm sure. And if they can make as muchmoney out of selling butter and eggs as Miss Eleanor thinks, they'llsoon be able to pay to have it fixed up nicely. "

"Dolly, I believe we'll be able to help, too. If those girls at CampHalsted could go around and get so many orders just in an hour or so, why shouldn't we be able to do a lot of it when we get back to thecity?"

"Why, that's so, Bessie! I hadn't thought of that. My aunt would buy herbutter and eggs there, I know. She's always saying that she can't getreally fresh eggs in the city. And they are delicious. That was one ofthe things I liked best at Miss Eleanor's farm. The eggs there weredelicious; not a bit like the musty ones we get at home, no matter howmuch we pay for them. "

"I think it's time we were going to bed ourselves, Dolly. This is goingto be like camping out, isn't it?"

"Yes, and we'll be just as comfortable as we would be in tents, too. TheBoy Scouts use these lean-tos very often when they are in the woods, you know. They just build them up against the side of a tree. "

"I never saw one before, but they certainly are splendid, and they'reawfully easy to make. "

"We'll have to get up very early in the morning, Bessie. I heard MissEleanor say so. So I guess it's a good idea to go to bed, just as yousay. "

"Yes. The others are all going. We certainly are going to have a busyday to-morrow. "

"I don't see that we can do much, Bessie. I know I wouldn't be any goodat building a house. I'd be more trouble than help, I'm afraid. "

"That's all you know about it! There are ever so many things we can do. "

"What, for instance?"

"Well, we'll have to get the meals for the men, and you haven't any ideawhat a lot of men can eat when they're working hard! They have appetitesjust like wolves. "

"Well, I'll certainly do my best to see that they get enough. They'llhave earned it. What else?"

"They'll want people to hand them their tools, and run little errandsfor them. And if the weather is very hot, they'll be terribly thirsty, too, and we'll be able to keep busy seeing that they have plenty ofcooling drinks. Oh, we'll be busy, all right! Come on, let's go to bed. "

CHAPTER VII

THE HOUSE RAISING

The sun was scarcely up in the morning when Eleanor turned out andaroused the girls. 

"We've got to get our own breakfast out of the way in a hurry, girls, "she said. "When country people say early, they mean early--EARLY! And wewant to have coffee and cakes ready for these good friends of ours whenthey do come. A good many of them will come from a long way off and Ithink they'll all be glad to have a little something extra before theystart work. It won't hurt us a bit to think so, and act accordinglyanyhow. "

So within half an hour the Pratts and the Camp Fire Girls had had theirown breakfasts, the dishes were washed, and great pots of coffee wereboiling on the fires that had been built. And, just as the fragrantaroma arose on the cool air, the first of the teams that brought theworkers came in sight, with jovial Jud Harkness driving. 

"My, but that coffee smells good, Miss Mercer!" he roared. "Say, I'm notstrong for all these city fixin's in the way of food. Plain home cookin'serves me well enough, but there's one thing where you sure do lay allover us, and that's in makin' coffee. Give me a mug of that, Mis' Pratt, an' I'll start work. "

And from the way in which the coffee and the cakes, the latter spreadwith good maple syrup from trees that grew near Cranford, began todisappear, it was soon evident that Eleanor had made no mistake, andthat the breakfast that she had had prepared for the workers would by nomeans be wasted. 

"It does me good to see you men eat this way, " she said, laughing. "That's one thing we don't do properly in the city--eat. We peck at alot of things, instead of eating a few plain ones, and a lot of them. And I'll bet that you men will work all the harder for this extrabreakfast. "

"Just you watch and see!" bellowed Jud. "I'm boss here to-day, ma'am, and I tell you I'm some nigger driver. Ain't I, boys?"

But he accompanied the threat with a jovial wink, and it was easy to seethat these men liked and respected him, and were only too willing tolook up to him as a leader in the work of kindness in which they wereabout to engage. 

"I don't know why all you boys are so good to me, Jud, " said Mrs. Pratt, brokenly. "I can't begin to find words to thank you, even. "

"Don't try, Mis' Pratt, " said Jud, looking remarkably fierce, though hewas winking back something that looked suspiciously like a tear. "Iguess we ain't none of us forgot Tom Pratt--as good a friend as men everhad! Many's the time he's done kind things for all of us! I guess it'dbe pretty poor work if some of his friends couldn't turn out to help hiswife and kids when they're in trouble. "

"He knows what you're doing, I'm sure of that, " she answered. "And Godwill reward you, Jud Harkness!"

Heartily as the men ate, however, they spent little enough time at thetask. Jud Harkness allowed them what he thought was a reasonable time, and then he arose, stretched his great arms, and roared out hiscommands. 

"Come on, now, all hands to work!" he bellowed. "We've got to get allthis rubbish cleared out, then we'll have clean decks for building. "

And they fell to with a will. In a surprisingly short space of time themen who had plunged into the ruined foundations of the house had tornout the remaining beams and rafters, and had flung the heap of rubbishthat filled the cellar on to the level ground. While some of the men didthis, others piled the rubbish on to wagons, and it was carted away anddumped. The fire, however, had really lightened their task for them. 

"That fire was so hot and so fierce, " said Eleanor, as she watched themworking, "that there's less rubbish than if the things had been onlyhalf burned. "

"I've seen fires in the city, " said Margery, "or, at least, houses aftera fire. And it really looked worse than this, because there'd be a wholelot of things that had started to burn. Then the firemen came along, toput out the fire, and though the things weren't really any good, theyhad to be carted away. "

"Yes, but this fire made a clean sweep wherever it started at all. Ashesare easier to handle than sticks and half ruined pieces of furniture. Aslong as it had to come, I guess it's a good thing that it was such a hotblaze. "

The work of clearing away, therefore, which had to be done, of course, before any actual building could be begun, was soon accomplished. 

"We're going to build just the way Tom Pratt did, " said Jud Harkness. Hewas the principal carpenter and builder of Lake Dean, and a masterworkman. Many of the camps and cottages on the lake had been built byhim, and he was, therefore, accustomed to such work. 

"You mean you're going to put up a square house?" said Eleanor. 

"Yes, ma'am, just a square house, with a hall running right through fromthe front to the back, and an extension in the rear for a kitchen--justa shack, that will be. Two floors--two rooms on each side of the hall oneach floor. That'll give them eight rooms to start with, beside thekitchen. "

"That'll be fine, and it will really be the easiest thing to do, too. "

"That's what we're figuring, ma'am. You see, it'll be just as it waswhen Tom Pratt first built here, except that he only put up one story atfirst. Then, as Mis' Pratt gets things going again, she can add to it, and if she don't get along as fast as she expects, why, we'll lend her ahand whenever she needs it. "

"How on earth could you get all the lumber you need ready so quickly?That's one thing I couldn't understand. The work is not so difficult tomanage, of course. But the wood--that's what's been puzzling me. "

Jud grinned. 

"Well, the truth is, ma'am, I expect to have a little argument aboutthat yet with a city chap that's building a house on the lake. I've gotthe job of putting it up for him, and if it hadn't been for this firecoming along, I'd have started work day before yesterday. "

"Oh, and this is the lumber for his house?"

"You guessed it right, ma'am! He'll be wild, I do believe, becausethere's no telling when I'll get the next lot of lumber through. "

"You say the fire stopped you from going ahead with his house?"

"Yes. You see all of us had to turn out when it got so near to Cranford. My house is safe, I do believe. I'm mighty scared of fire, ma'am, andI've always figured on having things fixed so's a fire would have apretty hard time reaching my property. But of course I had to jump in tohelp my neighbors--wouldn't be much profit about having the only houseleft standing in town, would there?"

Eleanor laughed. 

"I guess not!" she said. "But what a lucky thing for Mrs. Pratt that youhappened to have just the sort of wood she needed!"

"Oh, well, we'd have managed somehow. Of course, it makes it easier, butwe'd have juggled things around some way, even if this chap's plansdidn't fit her foundations. As it happens, though, they do. Old TomPratt had a mighty well-built house here. "

"Well, I'm quite sure that just as good a one is going up in its place. "

Jud Harkness watched the work of getting out the last of the rubbish. Then he went over to the cleared foundations, and in a moment he wasputting up the first of the four corner posts, great beams that lookedstout enough to hold up a far bigger house than the one they were tosupport. 

All morning the work went on merrily. As Eleanor had predicted, andBessie, too, there was plenty for the girls to do. The sun grew hotterand hotter, and the men were glad of the cooling drinks that were soliberally provided for them. 

"This is fine!" said Jud Harkness, as he quaffed a great drink oflemonade, well iced. "My, but it's a pleasure to work when it's made sonice for you! I tell you, having these cool drinks here is worth anextra hour's work, morning and afternoon. And what's that--just thenails I want? I'll give you a job as helper, young woman!"

That remark was addressed to Bessie, who flushed with pleasure at thethought that she was playing a part, however small, in the building ofthe house. And, indeed, the girls all did their part, and their help wasroyally welcomed by the men. 

Quickly the skeleton of the house took form, and by noon, when work wasto be knocked off for an hour, the whole framework was up. 

"I simply wouldn't have believed it, if I hadn't seen it with, my owneyes!" said Eleanor. "It's the most wonderful thing I ever saw!"

"Oh, shucks!" said Jud, embarrassed by such praise. "There's lots ofus--I don't think we've done so awful well. But it does look kind ofnice, don't it?"

"It's going to be a beautiful house, " said Mrs. Pratt. "And to think ofwhat the place looked like yesterday! Well, Jud Harkness, I haven't anywords to tell you what I really think, and that's all there is to it!"

For an hour or more Margery and her helpers had been busy at the bigfire. At Eleanor's suggestion two of the men had stopped work on thehouse long enough to put up a rough, long table with benches at thesides, and now the table was groaning with the fine dinner that Margeryhad prepared. 

"Good solid food--no fancy fixings!" Eleanor had decreed. "These menburn up a tremendous lot of energy in work, and we've got to give themgood food to replace it. So we don't want a lot of trumpery things, such as we like!"

She had enforced a literal obedience, too. There were great joints ofcorned beef, red and savory; pots of cabbage, and huge mounds of boiledpotatoes. Pots of mustard were scattered along the table, and each manhad a pitcher of fine, fresh milk, and a loaf of bread, with plenty ofbutter. And for dessert there was a luxury--the only fancy part of themeal. 

Eleanor had had a whispered conference with Tom Pratt early in the day, as the result of which he had hitched up and driven into Cranford, toreturn with two huge tubs of ice-cream. He had brought a couple of boxesof cigars, too, and when the meal was over, and the men were getting outtheir pipes, Eleanor had gone around among them. 

"Try one of these!" she had urged. "I know they're good--and I know thatwhen men are working hard they enjoy a first-class smoke. "

The cigars made a great hit. 

"By Golly! There's nothing she don't think of, that Miss Mercer!" saidJud Harkness appreciatively, as he lit up, and sent great clouds of bluesmoke in the air. "Boys, if we don't do a tiptop job on that house tofinish it off this afternoon we ought to be hung for a lot of ungratefulskunks. Eh?"

There was a deep-throated shout of approval for that sentiment, and, after a few minutes of rest, during which the cigars were enjoyed to theutmost, Jud rose and once more sounded the call to work. 

"I've heard men in the city say that after a heavy meal in the middle ofthe day, they couldn't work properly in the afternoon, " said Eleanor, asshe watched the men go about their work, each seeming to know his partexactly. "It doesn't seem to be so with these men, though, does it? Iguess that in the city men who work in offices don't use their bodiesenough--they don't get enough exercise, and they eat as much as if theydid. "

"I love cooking for men who enjoy their food the way these do, " saidMargery happily. "They don't have to say it's good--they show they thinkso by the way they eat. It's fine to think that people really enjoy whatyou do. I don't care how hard I work if I think that. "

"Well, you certainly had an appreciative lot of eaters to-day, Margery. "

As the shadows lengthened and the sun began to go down toward the westthe house rapidly assumed the look it would have when it was finished. Agood deal of the work, of course, was roughly done. There was nosmoothing off of rough edges, but all that could be done later. 

And then, as the end of the task drew near, so that the watchers on theground could see what the finished house would be like, Mrs. Pratt, already overwhelmed by delight at the kindness of her neighbors, had anew surprise that pleased and touched her, if possible, even more thanwhat had gone before. A new procession of wagons came into sight in theroad, and this time each was driven by a woman. 

And what a motley collection of stuff they did bring, to be sure! Bedsand mattresses, bedding, chairs, tables, a big cook stove for thekitchen, pots and pans, china and glass, knives and forks--everythingthat was needed for the house. 

"We just made a collection of all the things we could spare, SarahPratt, " said sprightly little Mrs. Harkness, a contrast indeed to herhuge husband, who could easily lift her with one hand, so small was she. "They ain't much on looks, but they're all whole and clean, and you canuse them until you have a chance to stock up again. Now, don't you gotrying to thank us--it's nothing to do!"

"Nothing?" exclaimed Mrs. Pratt. "Sue Harkness, don't you dare say that!Why, it means that I'll have a real home to-night for my children--we'llbe jest as comfortable as we were before the fire! I don't believe anywoman ever had such good neighbors before!"

Long before dark the house was finished, as far as it was to be finishedthat day. And, as soon as the men had done their work, their wives andthe Camp Fire Girls descended on the new house with brooms and pails, and soon all the shavings and the traces of the work had been banished. Then all hands set to work arranging the furniture, and by the timesupper was ready the house was completely furnished. 

"Well, " said Eleanor, standing happily in the parlor, "this certainlydoes look homelike!"

There was even an old parlor organ. Pictures were on the wall; a goodrag carpet was on the floor, and, while the furniture was not new, andhad seen plenty of hard service, it was still good enough to use. ThePratt home had certainly risen like a Phoenix from its ashes. Andtired but happy, all those who had contributed to the good work sat downto a bountiful supper. 

CHAPTER VIII

ON THE MARCH AGAIN

After supper, when the others who had done the good work of rebuildingwere ready to go, all the girls of the Camp Fire lined up in front ofthe new house and sped them on their way with a cheer and the singing ofthe Wo-he-lo cry. 

"Listen to that echo!" said Dolly, as their song was brought back tothem. "I didn't notice that last night. Is it always that way?"

"Always, " said Tom Pratt. "Folks come here sometimes to yell and hearthe echo shout back at them. "

"Good!" cried Eleanor. "That supplies a need I've been thinking of allday!"

"What's that, Miss Mercer?" asked Mrs. Pratt. 

"Why, if you are going into the business of supplying eggs and butter tothe summer folk at the lake and to others in the city, you'll need aname for your farm. Why not call it Echo Farm? That's a good name, andin your case it means something, you see. "

"Whatever you say, Miss Mercer! Though I'd never thought of having aname for the place before. "

"Lots of things are going to be different for you now, Mrs. Pratt. You're going to be a business woman, and to make a lot of money, youknow. Yes, that will look well on your boxes. When I get back to thecity I'll have a friend of mine make a drawing and put that name withit, to be put on your boxes, and on all the paper you will use forwriting letters. "

"Dear me, it's going to be splendid, Miss Mercer! Why, that fire isgoing to turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to us, I'msure!"

"I think we can often turn our misfortunes into blessings if we takethem the right way, Mrs. Pratt. The thing to do is always to try to lookon the bright side, and, no matter how black things seem, to try to seeif there isn't some way that we can turn everything to account. "

"Well, I would never have done it if you hadn't come along, Miss Mercer. You gave us all courage in the first place, and then you got JudHarkness and all the others to come and help me this way. "

"Oh, they'd have done it themselves, as soon as they heard. I didn'tsuggest a thing--I just told them the news, and they thought ofeverything else all by themselves. The only thing I thought of was usingyour farm so that it would really pay you. "

"Now that you've told us how, it seems so easy that I wonder I neverthought of it myself. "

"Well, lots and lots of farmers just waste their land and themselves, Mrs. Pratt. You're not the only one. My father has a farm, and in hissection he's done his level best to make the regular farmers see thatthere are new ways of farming, just as there are new ways of doingeverything else. "

"That's what my poor husband always said. He had all sorts ofnew-fangled ideas, as I used to call them. Maybe he was right, too. Buthe didn't have money enough to try them and see how they'd do, though wealways made a good living off this place. "

"Well, the advantage of my idea is that you don't need much money togive it a trial, and if you don't succeed, you won't lose much. "

"I think we'd be pretty stupid if we didn't succeed, after the finestart you've given us, and the way you've told me what to do. "

"Well, I think so myself, " said Eleanor, with a frank laugh. "And I knowyou're not stupid--not a bit of it! It's going to be hard work, but I'msure you'll succeed. You'll be able to hire someone to do most of thework for you before long, I think, and then you'll have to have a rest, and come down to visit me in the city. "

"Well, well, I do hope so, Miss Mercer! I ain't been in the city since Idon't know when. Tom--my husband--took me once, but that was years andyears ago, and I expect there's been a lot of changes since then. "

"I'm going to keep an eye on you, Mrs. Pratt. And I feel as if I were asort of partner in this business, so if you don't make as much money asI think you ought to, why, you'll hear from me. I can promise you that!Girls, we'll sleep in the lean-to to-night, and in the morning we'll beoff, bright and early. "

"Oh, " said Mrs. Pratt, "have you really got to go? And you'll not sleepout to-night! You'll take the house, and we'll be the ones to sleepoutside. "

"Nonsense, Mrs. Pratt! Who should be the ones to sleep in this fine newhouse the first night but you? We love to sleep in the open air, reallywe do! It's no hardship, I can tell you. "

And, despite all of Mrs. Pratt's protests, it was so arranged. 

"I'll hate to go away from here--really I will!" said Dolly, to Bessie. "It's been perfectly fine, helping these people. And I feel as if we'dreally done something. "

"Well, we certainly have, Dolly, " said Bessie. 

"I do hope that butter and egg business will do well. "

"I _know_ it's going to do well, " said Eleanor, who had overheard. "Andone reason is that you girls are going to help. Now we must all get tosleep, or we'll never get started in the morning. I think we'll have toride part of the way to the seashore in the train, after all. We don'twant to be too late in getting there, you know. "

And in a few minutes silence reigned over the place. It was a picture ofpeace and content--a vast contrast to the scene of the previous night, when desolation and gloom seemed to dominate everything. 

Parting in the morning brought tears alike to the eyes of those whostayed behind and those who were going on. The experience of the lasttwo days had brought the Pratts and the girls of the Camp Fire veryclose together, and the Pratt children--the younger ones at least--weptand refused to be comforted when they learned that their new friendswere going away. 

"Cheer up, " said Eleanor. "We'll see you again, you know. Maybe we'llall come up next summer. And we've had a good time, haven't we?"

"We certainly have!" said Mrs. Pratt, and there was sincerity, as wellas pleasure, in her tone. "I've often heard that good came out of evil, and joy out of sorrow, but I never had any such reason to believe itbefore this!"

Before the final parting, Eleanor had shown Mrs. Pratt exactly what shemeant about the new way in which the butter was to be made. 

"Of course, as your business grows, you will want to get bettermachinery, " she had said. "That will make the work much easier, and youwill be able to do it more quickly too, and with less help than if youstuck to the old-fashioned way. "

"I'm going to take your advice in everything about running this farm, Miss Mercer, " Mrs. Pratt had replied. "You've certainly shown that youknow what you're talking about so far. "

"Take a trip down to my father's farm some time, Mrs. Pratt, and they'llbe glad to show you everything they have there, I know. My father isvery anxious for all the farmers in his neighborhood to profit by anyhelp they can get. The only trouble is that a good many of them seem tofeel that he is interfering with them. "

"Well, if they're as stupid as that, it serves them right to keep onlosing money, Miss Mercer. "

"But it's natural, after all. You see they've run their farms their ownway all their lives, and it's the way they learned from their fathers. So it isn't very strange that they're apt to feel that they know more, from all that practice and experiment, than city people who are farmingscientifically. "

"Does your father enjoy farming?"

"He says he does--and it's a curious thing that he makes that farm payits way, even allowing for a whole lot of things he does that aren'treally necessary. That's what proves, you see, that his theories areright--they pay. 

"Of course, he could afford to lose money on it, and you can't make awhole lot of those farmers in our neighborhood believe that he doesn't. So now he is having the books of the farm fixed up so that any of thefarmers around can see them, and find out for themselves how things arerun. "

Tired as the girls of the Camp Fire had been, the night before, theywere wonderfully refreshed by their night's sleep. The weather was muchmore pleasant than it had been, and a brisk wind had driven off much ofthe smoke that still remained when they reached the Pratt farm as areminder of the scourge of fire. So the conditions for walking weregood, and Eleanor Mercer set a round, swinging pace as they started off. 

"I'll really be glad to get out of this burned district. It's awfullygloomy, isn't it, Bessie?" said Dolly. 

"Yes, especially when you realize what it means to the people who livein the path of the fire, " answered Bessie. "Seeing the Pratts as theywere when we came up has given me an altogether new idea of these forestfires. "

"Yes. That's what I mean. It's bad enough to see the forest ruined, butwhen you think of the houses, and all the other things that are burned, too, why, it seems particularly dreadful. "

"Tom Pratt told me that a whole lot of animals were caught in the fire, too--chipmunks, and squirrels, and deer. That seems dreadful. "

"Oh, what a shame! I should think they could manage to get away, Bessie. Don't you suppose they try?"

"Oh, yes, but you see they can't reason the way human beings do, and alot of these fires burn around in a circle, so that while they wererunning away from one part of the fire they might very easily be headingstraight for another, and get caught right between two fires. "

Soon, however, they passed a section where the land had been cleared oftrees for a space of nearly a mile, and, once they had travelled throughit, they came to the deep green woods again, where no marring traces ofthe fire spoiled the beauty of their trip. 

"Ah, don't the woods smell good!" said Dolly. "So much nicer than thatold smoky smell! I never smelt anything like that! It got so thateverything I ate tasted of smoke. I'm certainly glad to get to where thefire didn't come. "

Now the ground began to rise, and before long they found themselves inthe beginning of Indian Gap. The ground rose gradually, and when theystopped for their midday meal, in a wild part of the gap, none of thegirls were feeling more than normally and healthfully tired. 

"Do many people come through here, Miss Eleanor?" asked Margery. 

"At certain times, yes. But, you, see, the forest fires have probablymade a lot of people who intended to take this trip change their minds. In a way it's a good thing, because we will be sure to find plenty ofroom at the Gap House. That's where we are to spend the night. Sometimeswhen there's a lot of travel, it's very crowded there, anduncomfortable. "

"Is it a regular hotel?"

"No, it's just a place for people to sleep. It's where the trail startsup Mount Sherman, and it's the station of the railroad that runs to thetop of the mountain, too, for people who are too lazy to climb. There'sa gorgeous view there in the mornings, when the sun rises. You can seeclear to the sea. "

"Oh, can't we stop and see that?"

"We haven't time to climb the mountain. If you want to go up on theincline railway, though, we can manage it. You get up at three o'clockin the morning, and get to the top while it's still dark, so that youcan see the very beginning of the sunrise. "

There was not a dissenting voice to the plan to make the trip, and itwas decided to take the little extra time that would be required. 

"After all, " said Eleanor, "we can get such an early start afterwardthat it won't take very much time. And to-morrow we'll finish our trampthrough the gap, and stop at Windsor for the night. Then the next daywe'll take the train straight through to the seashore. I think reallywe'll have more fun, and get more good out of it if we spend the timethere than if we go through with our original plan of doing more walkingbefore getting on the train. "

"Yes. We've lost quite a little time already, haven't we?" said Margery. 

"Two whole days at Lake Dean, and two days more staying with thePratts, " said Eleanor. "That's four days, and one can walk quite a longdistance in four days if one sets one's mind and one's feet to it. "

"Well, we certainly couldn't help the delay, " said Margery. "At LakeDean the fire held us--and I wouldn't think very much of any crowd thatcould see the trouble those poor people were in and not stay to helpthem. "

They slept well in the early part of that night in the rough quartersat the Gap House, and, while it was still dark, they were routed out tocatch the funicular railway on its first trip of the day up MountSherman. 

At first, when they were at the top of the mountain, there was nothingto be seen. But soon the sky in the east began to lighten and grow pink, then the fog that lay below them began to melt away, and, as the sunrose, they saw the full wonder of the spectacle. 

"I never saw anything so beautiful in all my life!" exclaimed Bessiewith a sigh of delight. "See how it seems to gild everything as thelight rises, Dolly!"

"Yes, and you can see the sea, way off in the distance! How tiny all thetowns and villages look from here! It's just like looking at a map, isn't it?"

"Well, it was certainly worth getting up in the middle of the night tosee it, Bessie. And I do love to sleep, too!"

"I'd stay up all night to see this, any time. I never even dreamed ofanything so lovely. "

"We were very fortunate, " said Eleanor, with a smile. "I've been up herewhen the fog was so thick that you couldn't see a thing, and only knewthe sun had risen because it got a little lighter. I've known it to bethat way for a week at a time, and some people would stay, and come uphere morning after morning, and be disappointed each time!"

"That's awfully mean, " said Dolly. "I suppose, though, if they had neverseen it, they wouldn't mind so much, because they wouldn't know whatthey were missing. "

"They never seemed very happy about it, though, " laughed Eleanor. "Well, it's time to go down again, and be off for Windsor. And then to-morrowmorning we'll be off for the seashore. We're to camp there, right on thebeach, instead of living in a house. That will be much better, Ithink. "

CHAPTER IX

A STARTLING DISCOVERY

"Bessie, why are you looking so glum?" asked Dolly, as they started onthe last part of their walk, taking the Windsor road. 

"Am I? I didn't realize I was, Dolly. But--well, I suppose it's becauseI'm rather sorry we're leaving the mountains. "

"I think the seashore is every bit as nice as the mountains. There areever so many things to do, and I know you'll like Plum Beach, wherewe're going. It's the dandiest place--"

"It couldn't be as nice as this, Dolly. "

"Oh, that seems funny to me, Bessie. I've always loved the seashore, ever since I can remember. And, of course, since I've learned to swim, I've enjoyed it even more than I used to. "

"You can't swim much in the sea, can you? Isn't the surf too heavy?"

"The surf's good fun, even if you don't do any swimming in it, Bessie. It picks you up and throws you around, and it's splendid sport. But downat Plum Beach you can have either still water or surf. You see, there'sa beach and a big cove--and on that beach the water is perfectly calm, unless there's a tremendous storm, and we're not likely to run into oneof those. "

"How is that, Dolly? I thought there was always surf at the seashore. "

"There's a sand bar outside the cove, and it's grown so that it reallymakes another beach, outside. And on that there is real surf. So we canhave whichever sort of bathing we like best, or both kinds on the sameday, if we want. "

"Maybe I'll like it better when I see it, then. Because I do love toswim, and I don't believe I'd enjoy just letting the surf bang mearound. "

"Why, Bessie, you say you may like it better when you see it? Haven'tyou ever been to the seashore?"

"I certainly never have, Dolly! You seem to forget that I've spent allthe time I can remember in Hedgeville. "

"I do forget it, all the time. And do you know why? It's because youseem to know such an awful lot about other places and things you neversaw there. I suppose they made you read books. "

"Made me! That was one of the things Maw Hoover used to get mad at mefor doing. Whenever she saw me reading a book it seemed to make her mad, and she'd say I was loafing, and find something for me to do, even ifI'd hurried through all the chores I had so that I could get at the booksooner. "

"Then you used to like to read?"

"Oh, yes, I always did. The Sunday School had a sort of library, and Iused to be able to get books from there. I love to read, and you would, too, Dolly, if you only knew how much fun you have out of books. "

Dolly made a face. 

"Not the sort of books my Aunt Mabel wants me to read, " she saiddecidedly. "Stupid old things they are! It's just like going to schoolall over again. I get enough studying at school, thanks!"

"But you like to know about people and places you've never seen, don'tyou?"

"Yes, but all the books I've ever seen that tell you about things likethat are just like geographies. They give you a lot of things you haveto remember, and there's no fun to that. "

"You haven't read the right sort of books, that's all that's the matterwith you, Dolly. I tell you what--when we get back to the city, we'llget hold of some good books, and take turns reading them aloud to oneanother. I think that would be good fun. "

"Well, maybe if they taught me as much as you seem to know about placesyou've never seen I wouldn't mind reading them. Anyhow, books or nobooks, you're going to love the seashore. Oh, it is such a delightfulplace--Plum Beach. "

"Tell me about it, Dolly. "

"Well, in the first place, it isn't a regular seaside place at all. Imean there aren't any hotels and boardwalks and things like that. It'sabout ten miles from Bay City, and there they do have everything likethat. But Plum Beach is just wild, the way it always has been. And Idon't see why, because it's the best beach I ever saw--ever so muchfiner than at Bay City. "

"I'll like the beach. "

"Yes, I know you will. And because it's sort of wild and desolate, andoff by itself that way, you can have the best time there you everdreamed of. Last year we put on our bathing suits when we got up, andkept them on all day. You go in the water, you see, and then, if you liedown on the beach for half an hour, you're dry. The sun shines rightdown on the sand, and it's as warm as it can be. "

"I suppose that's why you like it so much--because you don't have thetrouble of dressing and undressing. "

"It's one reason, " said Dolly, who never pretended about anything, andwas perfectly willing to admit that she was lazy. "But it's nice to havethe beach to yourselves, too, the way we do. You see, when we get therewe'll find tents all set up and ready for us. "

"Is there any fishing?"

Dolly smacked her lips. 

"You bet there is!" she said. "Best sea bass you ever tasted, and aboutall you can catch, too! And it tastes delicious, because the fish downthere get cooked almost as soon as they're caught. And there arelobsters and crabs--and it's good fun to go crabbing. Then at low tidewe dig for clams, and they're good, too--I'll bet you never dreamed howgood a clam could be!"

"How about the other things--milk, and eggs, and all those?"

"Oh, that's easy! There are a lot of farms a little way inland, and weget all sorts of fine things from them. "

"I wonder if Mr. Holmes will try to play any tricks on us down there, Dolly. He has about everywhere we've been since Zara and I joined theCamp Fire Girls, you know. "

"I'm hoping he won't find out, Bessie. That would be fine. I certainlywould like to know why he is so anxious to get hold of you and Zara. Ibet it's money, and that there's some secret about you. "

"Money? Why, he's got more than he can spend now! Even if there is asecret, I don't see how money can have anything to do with it. "

"Well, you remember this, Bessie: the more money people have, the morethey seem to want. They're never content. It's the people who only havea little who seem to be happy, and willing to get along with what theyhave. How about your old Farmer Weeks?"

"That's so, Dolly. He certainly was that way. He had more money thananyone in Hedgeville or anywhere near it, and yet he was the stingiest, closest fisted old man in town. "

"There you are!"

"Still I think Mr. Holmes must be a whole lot richer than Farmer Weeks, or than all the other people in Hedgeville put together. And it doesn'tseem as if there was any money he could make out of Zara or me thatwould tempt him to do what he's done. "

"Do you know what I've noticed most, Bessie, about the way he's gone towork?"

"No. What?"

"The way he has spent money. He's acted as if he didn't care a bit howmuch it cost him, if only he got what he wanted. And people in the citynever spend money unless they expect to get it back. "

"Who's the detective now? You called me one a little while ago, but itseems to me that you're doing pretty well in that line yourself. "

"Oh, it's all right to laugh, but, just the same, I'll bet that when weget at the bottom of all this mystery, we'll find that the chief reasonMr. Holmes was in it was that he wanted to get hold of some informationthat would make it easy for him to get a whole lot more than it costhim. "

"Well, maybe you're right, Dolly. But I'd certainly like to know justwhat he has got up his sleeve. "

"I think he'll be careful for a little while now, Bessie. He never knewthat Miss Eleanor had that letter he'd written to the gypsy. And it musthave damaged him a lot to have as much come out about that as did. "

"I expect a lot of people who heard it didn't believe it. "

"Even if that's so, I guess there were plenty who did believe it, andwho think now that Mr. Holmes is a pretty good man to leave alone. Yousee, that proved absolutely that he had really hired that gypsy to carryyou off, and that is a pretty mean thing to do. And people must know bythis time that if there was any legal way of getting you and Zara awayfrom the Camp Fire and Miss Mercer, he would do it. "

"But he didn't get into any trouble for doing it, Dolly. "

"He's got so much money that he could hire lawyers to get him out ofalmost any scrape he got in, Bessie. That's the trouble. Those people atHamilton were afraid of him. They know how rich he is, and they didn'twant to take any chance of making him angry at them. "

"Yes, that's just it. And I'm afraid he's got so much money that a wholelot of people who would say what they really thought if they weren'tafraid of him, are on his side. You see, he says that I'm a runaway, just because I didn't stay any longer with the Hoovers. And probably hecan make a whole lot of people think that I was very ungrateful, andthat he is quite right in trying to get me back into the same state asHedgeville. "

"They'd better talk to Miss Eleanor, if he makes them think that. They'll soon find out which is right and which is wrong in thatbusiness. And if she doesn't tell them, I guess Mr. Jamieson will--andhe'd be glad of the chance, too!"

"Let's not worry about him, anyhow. I hope he won't find out where weare, too. We haven't seen or heard anything of him since we went back toLong Lake from Hamilton, so I don't see why there isn't a good chance ofhis letting us alone for a while now. "

They reached Windsor, the little town at the other end of Indian Gap, late in the afternoon, having cooked their midday meal in the gap. 

"I know the people in a big boarding-house here, " said Eleanor, "andwe'll be very comfortable. In the morning we'll take an early train, sothat we can get to Plum Beach before it's too late to get comfortablysettled. I've sent word on ahead to have the tents ready for us, but, even so, there will be a good many things to do. "

"There always are, " sighed Dolly. "That's the one thing I don't likeabout camping out. "

"I expect really, if you only knew the truth, Dolly, it's the one thingyou like best of all, " smiled Eleanor. "That's one of the greatdifferences between being at home, where everything is done for you, and camping out, where you have to look after yourself. "

"Well, I don't like work, anyhow, and I don't believe I ever shall, MissEleanor, no matter what it's called. Some of it isn't as bad as someother kinds, that's all. "

Eleanor laughed to herself, because she knew Dolly well enough not totake such declarations too seriously. 

"I've got some work for you to-night, " she said. "I want you and Bessieto go to a meeting of the girls that belong to one of the churches here, and tell them about the Camp Fire. They found out we were coming, andthey would like to know if they can't start a Camp Fire of their own. 

"And I think they'll get a better idea of things, and be less timid andshy about asking questions if two of you girls go than if I try toexplain. I will come in later, after they've had a chance to talk to youtwo, but by that time they ought to have a pretty clear idea. "

"That's not work, that's fun, " declared Dolly. 

"I'm glad you think so, because you will be more likely to besuccessful. "

And so after supper Bessie and Dolly went, with two girls who called forthem, to the Sunday School room of one of the Windsor churches, ready todo all they could to induce the local girls to form a Camp Fire of theirown. And, being thoroughly enthusiastic, they soon fired the desire ofthe Windsor girls. 

"They won't have just one Camp Fire; they'll have two or three, "predicted Dolly, when she and Bessie were walking back to theboarding-house later with Eleanor Mercer. "They asked plenty ofquestions, all right. Nothing shy about them, was there, Bessie?"

Bessie laughed. 

"Not if asking questions proves people aren't shy, " she admitted. "Ithought they'd never stop thinking of things to ask. "

"That's splendid, " said Eleanor. "The Camp Fire is the best thing thesegirls could have. It will do them a great deal of good, and I was surethat the way to make them see how much they would enjoy it was to letthem understand how enthusiastic you two were. That meant more to themthan anything I could have said, I'm sure. "

"I don't see why, " said Dolly. 

"Because they're girls like you, Dolly, and it's what you like, and showyou like, that would appeal to them. I'm older, you see, and they mightthink that things that I would expect them to like wouldn't reallyplease them at all. "

"What's the matter with you, Bessie?" asked Dolly suddenly, as theyreached the house. She was plainly concerned and surprised, and Eleanor, rather startled, since she had seen nothing in Bessie to provoke such aquestion, looked at her keenly. 

"Nothing, except that I'm a little tired, I think. "

But Dolly wasn't satisfied. She knew her chum too well. 

"You've got something on your mind, but you don't want to worry us, " shesaid. "Better own up, Bessie!"

Bessie, however, would not answer. And in the morning she seemed to beher old self. Just as they were starting for the train, though, Bessiesuddenly hung back at the door of the boarding-house. 

"Wait for me a minute, Dolly, " she said. "I left a handkerchief in ourroom. I'll be right down. Go on, the rest of you; we'll soon catch up. "

She ran upstairs for the handkerchief. 

"I left it behind on purpose, Dolly, " she explained, when she came down. "I wanted them to go ahead. Ah, look!"

As they went along, with most of the girls fully a hundred yards aheadof them, a lurking figure was plainly to be seen following the girls. 

"It's Jake Hoover!" said Dolly excitedly. 

"I thought I saw him last night. That was why you thought something waswrong, Dolly, " said Bessie. "But I wanted to make sure before I saidanything. "

"That means trouble, " said Dolly. 

CHAPTER X

A MEETING--AND A CONVERSION

"Trouble--he's always meant that every time we've seen him!" said Bessiebitterly. 

"How do you suppose he has managed to be away from home so much, Bessie?"

"I don't know, Dolly, but I'm afraid he's got into some sort of trouble. I'm quite sure that Mr. Holmes and that lawyer, Mr. Brack, have gotsomething against him--that they know something he's afraid they willtell. "

"Say, I'll bet you're right! You know, he must be an awful coward--andyet, the way he goes after you, he takes a lot of chances, doesn't he?It does look as if, no matter how much it may frighten him to do what hedoes, he's still more afraid not to do it. "

"Look out--get behind this tree! I don't want him to see us here if wecan help it. It would be better if he thought he hadn't been noticed atall, don't you think?"

"Yes. And it's a very good thing we saw him, Bessie. Now we know that wemust look out for squalls at Plum Beach, and they don't know we'rewarned at all. So maybe it will be easier to beat them. "

"Look here, Dolly, isn't there another train to Plum Beach? A later one, that would get us there an hour or so after the other girls, if they goon this one?"

"There certainly is, Bessie; but how can we wait for it? Miss Eleanorwould be worried. "

"Oh, we'll have to let her know what we're going to do, of course. Howsoon does that train go?"

"Not for half an hour yet. Miss Mercer wanted to be at the station veryearly so that all the baggage would surely be checked in time to go onthe same train with us. "

"Well, that makes it easy, Dolly. I tell you what. I'll stay here, andfollow very slowly, when Jake gets out of sight, so that he won't seeme. And if you go right across the street, and cut across the lotsthere, you can get to the railroad station from the other side. "

"I know the way--I saw that last night, though not because I expected todo it. "

"All right, then. You take that way, and get hold of Miss Eleanorquietly. Better not let the others hear what you're saying, and keepyour eyes open for Jake, too. But I don't believe he'll show himself inthe station. "

"Do you think she'll let us do it?"

"I don't see why not. We'll be perfectly safe. I'm sure Jake is herealone, and he wouldn't dare try to do anything to stop us here. He knowsthat he'd get into trouble if he did, and I don't think he's very brave, even in this new fashion of his unless some of the people he's afraid ofare right around to spur him on. You remember how Will Burns thrashedhim? He didn't look very brave then, did he?"

"I should say not! All right, I'll tell her and see what she says. ThenI'll get back to the boarding-house. You'll go there, won't you?"

"No, I don't think that would be a good idea at all. The best thing foryou to do is to wait for me right there in the station. The ticket agentis a woman, and I'm sure she'll let you stay with her until I come, ifyou get Miss Eleanor to speak to her. Miss Eleanor knows all the peoplehere, and they all like her, and would do anything she asked them to do, if they could. 

"And it's easier for me to get to the station without being seen than tothe boarding-house. Besides, I think it's right around the station thatwe'll have the best chance of finding out what they mean to do. "

"All right! I'll obey orders, " said Dolly. "You're right, too, I think, Bessie. "

Jake Hoover, creeping along, was out of sight when Dolly made a swiftdash across the street, and in a minute she had disappeared. Bessie knewthat Dolly's movements, always rapid, were likely to prove altogethertoo elusive for Jake's rather slow mind to follow, and, moreover, shewas not much afraid of detection, even should Jake catch a glimpse ofher chum. Jake was sure that all the Camp Fire Girls were in front ofhim; he would not, therefore, be looking in the rear for any of them, especially for those he wanted to track down. 

Bessie had the harder task. She had to keep herself from Jake'sobservation until after the train had gone, in any case, and as muchlonger as possible. As she had told Dolly, she was not very much afraidof anything he might attempt against them, but she saw no use in runningany avoidable risks. 

Once Jake was out of sight, she made her way slowly toward the station, prepared to make an instant dash for cover should she see Jakereturning. 

The one thing that was likely to cause him to come back toward her, shefigured, was the presence of Holmes or one of the other men who werebehind him in the conspiracy, and she was taking the chance, of course, that one of these men was behind her, and a spectator of her movements. 

But she could not avoid that. If one of them was there he was, that wasall, and she felt that by acting as she had decided to do, she had, atall events, everything to gain and nothing to lose. 

The road from the boarding-house to the station was perfectly straightfor about three-quarters of a mile, and parallel with the railroadtracks. Then, when the road came to a point opposite the station, itcame also to a crossroad, and, about a hundred yards down this crossroadwas the station itself. 

Bessie reached that point without anything to alarm her or upset herplans, and there she was lucky enough to find a big billboard at thecorner, which happened to be a vacant lot. Behind this billboard shetook shelter thankfully, feeling sure that it would enable her to seewhat Jake was doing without any danger of being discovered by him. 

As she had expected, Jake did not enter the station. She had no soonertaken up her position in the shelter of the billboard than she was ableto single him out from the men who were lounging about, waiting for thetrain. His movements were still furtive and sly, and Bessie had torepress a shudder of disgust. Such work seemed to bring out everythingsmall and mean and sly in Jake's nature, and Bessie's thoughts were fullof sympathy for his father. After all, Paw Hoover had always been goodto her, and when she and Zara had run away from Hedgeville, he hadhelped them instead of turning them back, as he might so easily havedone. It seemed strange to Bessie that so good and kind a man shouldhave such a worthless son. 

Twice, as Bessie looked, she saw Jake approach one of the windows of thestation building furtively, but each time he was scared away from itbefore he had a chance to look in. 

"Trying to make sure that I'm in there, and afraid of being seen at hisspying, " decided Bessie. "That's great! If he doesn't see me, he'lljust decide that I must be there anyhow, and take a chance. It's a goodthing he's such a coward. But I wonder what he thinks we'd do to him, even if we did see him?"

She laughed at the thought. Never having had a really guilty conscienceherself, Bessie had no means of knowing what a torturing, weakeningthing it is. She could not properly imagine Jake's mental state, inwhich everything that happened alarmed him. Having done wrong, hefancied all the time that he was about to be haled up, and made to payfor his wrongdoing. And that, of course, was the explanation of hisactions, when, as a matter of fact, he could have walked with entiresafety into the station and the midst of the Camp Fire Girls. 

Soon the whistle of the train that was to carry the Camp Fire Girls toPlum Beach was heard in the distance, and a minute later it roared intothe station, stopped, and was off again. Seeing a great waving ofhandkerchiefs from the last car, Bessie guessed what they meant. MissEleanor had agreed to her plan, and this was the way the girls took ofbidding her good-bye and good luck. 

As soon as the train had gone Jake rushed into the station, and Bessiewalked boldly toward it, a new idea in her mind. She had made up hermind that to be afraid of Jake Hoover was a poor policy. If the guessshe and Dolly had made concerning his relations with those who werepersecuting her was correct, Jake must be a good deal more afraid ofthem, or of what he had done, than she could possibly be of him, andBessie knew that there should be no great difficulty in dealing verymuch as she liked with a coward. 

Moreover, the presence of a policeman at the station gave her assurancethat she need fear no physical danger from Jake, and she felt that wasthe only thing that need check her at all. 

When she reached the station she looked in the window first, and sawJake standing by the ticket agent's window. The ticket agent was alsothe telegraph operator, and Bessie saw that she was writing somethingon a yellow telegraph blank. Evidently Jake was sending a message, andBessie knew that, while he could read a very little, Jake had alwaysbeen so stupid and so lazy that he had never learned to write properly. The sight made her smile, because, unless her plans had miscarriedcompletely, Dolly was inside the little ticket office, and must behearing every word of that message!

So she waited until Jake, satisfied, turned from the window, and thenshe walked boldly in. For a minute Jake, who was looking out of one ofthe windows in front toward the track, did not see her at all. In thatmoment Bessie got in line with the ticket window and, seeing Dolly, waved to her to come out. Then she walked over to Jake, smiled at hisamazed face as he turned to her, and saluted him cheerfully. 

"Hello, Jake Hoover, " she said. "Were you looking for me?"

Jake's face fell, and he stared at her in comical dismay. 

"Well, I snum!" he said. "How in tarnation did you come to git off thatthere train, hey?"

"I never was on it, Jake, " said Bessie, pleasantly. "You just thought Iwas, you see. You don't want to jump to a conclusion so quickly. "

Jake was petrified. When he saw Dolly come out of the ticket office, puzzled by Bessie's action, but entirely willing to back her up, hisface turned white. 

"You're a pretty poor spy, Jake, " said Dolly, contemptuously. "I guessMr. Holmes won't be very pleased when he gets your message at Canton, telling him Bessie went on that train and then doesn't find her aboardat all. "

"What's that?" asked Bessie, suddenly. "Is that the message he sent, Dolly?"

"It certainly is, " said Dolly. "Why, what's the matter, Bessie?"

But Bessie didn't answer her. Instead she had raced toward a bigrailroad map that hung on the wall of the station, and was looking forCanton on it. 

"I thought so!" she gasped. Then she ran over to the ticket window, andspoke to the agent. 

"If I send a telegram right now, can it be delivered to Miss Mercer, onthat train that just went out, before she gets to Canton?" she asked. 

The agent looked at her time-table. 

"Oh, yes, " she said, cheerfully. "That's easy. I'll send it right outfor you, and it will reach her at Whitemarsh which is only twenty-fivemiles away. "

"Good!" said Bessie, and wrote out a long telegram. In a minute shereturned to Jake and Dolly, and the sound of the ticking telegraphinstrument filled the station with its chatter. 

"He wanted to run away, Bessie, " said Dolly. "But I told him it wasn'tpolite to do that when a young lady wanted to talk to him, so he stayed. That was nice of him, wasn't it?"

"Very, " said Bessie, her tone as sarcastic as Dolly's own. "Now, lookhere, Jake, what have you done that makes you so afraid of Mr. Holmesand these other wicked men?"

Jake's jaw fell again, but he was speechless. He just stared at her. 

"There's no use standing there like a dying calf, Jake Hoover!" saidBessie, angrily. "I know perfectly well you've been up to some dreadfulmischief, and these men have told you that if you don't do just as theytell you they'll see that you're punished. Isn't that true?"

"How--how in time did you ever find that out?" stammered Jake. 

"I've known you a long time, Jake Hoover, " said Bessie, crisply. "Andnow tell me this. Haven't I always been willing to be your friend?Didn't I forgive you for all the mean things you did, and help you everyway I could? Did I ever tell on you when you'd done anything wrong, andyour father would have licked you?"

Bessie's tone grew more kindly as she spoke to him, and Jake seemed tobe astonished. He hung his head, and his look at her was sheepish. 

"No, I guess you're a pretty good sort, Bessie, " he said. "Mebbe I'vebeen pretty mean to you--"

"It's about time you found it out!" said Dolly, furiously. "Oh, I'd liketo--"

"Let him alone, Dolly, " said Bessie. "I'm running this. Now, Jake, lookhere. I want to be your friend. I'm very fond of your father, and I'dhate to see him have a lot of sorrow on your account. Don't you knowthat these men would sacrifice you and throw you over in a minute ifthey thought they couldn't get anything more out of you? Don't you seethat they're just using you, and that when they've got all they can, they'll let you get into any sort of trouble, without lifting a fingerto save you?"

"Do you think they'd do that, Bessie? They promised--"

"What are their promises worth, Jake? You ought to know them well enoughto understand that they don't care what they do. If you're in trouble, Iknow someone who will help you. Mr. Jamieson, in the city. "

"He--why, he would like to get me into trouble--"

"No, he wouldn't. And if I ask him to help you, I know he'll do it. Hecan do more for you than they can, too. You go to him, and tell him thewhole story, and you'll find he will be a good friend, if you make upyour mind to behave yourself after this. We'll forget all the thingsyou've done, and you shall, too, and start over again. Don't you want tobe friends, Jake?"

"Sure--sure I do, Bessie!" said Jake, looking really repentant. "Do youmean you'd be willing--that you'd be friends with me, after all the meanthings I've done to you?"

Bessie held out her hand. 

"I certainly do, Jake, " she said. "Now, you go to Mr. Jamieson, and tellhim everything you know. Everything, do you hear? I can guess what thislatest plot was, but you tell him all you know about it. And you'll findthat they've told you a great many things that aren't so at all. Verylikely they've just tried to frighten you into thinking you were indanger so that they could make you do what they wanted. "

"I'll do it, Bessie!" said Jake. 

CHAPTER XI

A NARROW ESCAPE

Despite Dolly's frantic curiosity, Bessie drew Jake aside where therewas no danger of their being overheard by any of the others in thestation, and talked to him earnestly for a long time. Jake seemed tohave changed his whole attitude. He was plainly nervous and frightened, but Dolly could see that he was listening to Bessie with respect. Andfinally he threw up his head with a gesture entirely strange to him, and, when Bessie held out her hand, shook it happily. 

"Here's Mr. Jamieson's address, " said Bessie, writing on a piece ofpaper which she handed to him. "Now you go straight to him, and dowhatever he tells you. You'll be all right. How soon will you start?"

"There's a train due right now, " said Jake, excitedly. "I'll get aboard, and as soon as I get to town I'll do just as you say, Bessie. Good-bye. "

"Good-bye, Jake--and good luck!" said Bessie warmly. "We're going to begood friends, now. "

"Well, I never!" gasped Dolly. She stared at Jake's retreating form, andthen back to Bessie, as if she were paralyzed with astonishment. "Whatever does this mean, Bessie? I should think you would be prettyhard up for friends before you'd make one of Jake Hoover!"

"Jake's been more stupid than mean, Dolly. And he's found out that he'sbeen wrong, I'm sure. From this time he's going to do a whole lot forus, unless I'm badly mistaken. I'm sure it's better to have him on ourside than against us. "

"I'm not sure of anything of the sort, Bessie. But do tell me whathappened. Why did you send that telegram to Miss Eleanor? And what wasin it?"

"I sent it because if I hadn't she would have walked right into atrap--she and Zara. Maybe it was too late, but I hope not. And ourstaying behind here was a mighty lucky thing. If we hadn't had somewarning of what Mr. Holmes and the others were planning, I don't knowwhat would have happened! Zara and I would have been caught, I'm quitesure. "

"Don't be so mysterious, Bessie, " begged Dolly. "Tell me what you foundout, can't you? I'm just as excited and interested as you are, and Ishould think you would know it, too. "

"You'll see it all soon enough, Dolly. Let's find out how soon the nexttrain comes. "

"In twenty minutes, " said the ticket agent, in answer to the question. 

"And is it a through train--an express?" asked Bessie. "Have you atime-table? I'd like to see just where it stops. "

She got the time-table, and, after she had examined it carefully, heaveda sigh of relief. 

"The train doesn't stop at any place that isn't marked down for it onthe time-table, does it?" she said, as she bought the tickets. 

"No, indeed. That's a limited train, and it's almost always on time. They wouldn't stop that except at the regular places for anyone. "

"That's all right, then, " said Bessie. "Dolly, can't you see the pointyet for yourself? Go and look at the map, and if you can't see then, why, I'm not going to tell you! If you're as stupid as all that, youdeserve to wait!"

Bessie laughed, but Dolly understood that the laugh was not one ofamusement alone, but that Bessie was undergoing a reaction after somestrain that had worried her more than she was willing to admit or toshow. 

"I guess I'm stupid all right, " she said, after she had looked at themap. "I don't know what you're driving at, but I suppose you do, andthat makes it all right. I'm willing to do whatever you say, but I dolike to know why and how things like that are necessary. And I don'tthink I'm unreasonable, either. "

"You're not, " said Bessie, suddenly contrite. "But, Dolly dear, I don'twant everyone here to know all about us, and the things that arehappening to us. You won't mind waiting a little for an explanation, will you?"

"Not when you ask that way, " said Dolly, loyally. "But I don't like tohave you act as if it were stupid of me not to be able to guess what itis. You wouldn't have known yourself, would you, if Jake Hoover hadn'ttold you when you two were whispering together?"

"I knew it before that. That's one reason I was able to make Jake tellme what he did, Dolly. I suppose you don't like my making up with him, either, do you?"

"Oh, no, I don't like it. But that doesn't make any difference. Idaresay you've got some very good reason. "

"I certainly have, Dolly, and you shall know it soon, too. Listen, there's our train whistling now! We'll start in a minute or two. "

"Well, that's good. I hate mysteries. Do you know, Bessie, that if thistrain only makes one or two stops, we shall be at Plum Beach very soonafter Miss Eleanor and the other girls get there?"

"I'm glad of it, Dolly. Tell me, there isn't any station at Plum Beach, is there?"

"No, we'll go to Bay City, and then go back on another train to a littlestation called Green Cove, and that's within a mile of the beach. It'son a branch railroad that runs along the coast from Bay City. "

Then the train came along, and they climbed aboard, happy in havingoutwitted the enemies of Bessie and Zara. Dolly did not share Bessie'senthusiasm over the conversion of Jake Hoover, though. 

"I don't trust him, Bessie, " she said. "He may have really meant to turnaround and be friends with us, but I don't think he can stick to apromise. I don't know that he means to break them, but he just seems tobe helpless. You think he's afraid of Mr. Holmes and those men, don'tyou?"

"Yes, and he as good as admitted it, too, Dolly. "

"Well, what I'm afraid of is that he will see them again, and that he'lldo whatever the people he happens to be with tell him. "

"I suppose we've got to take that much of a chance, Dolly. We reallyhaven't much choice. My, how this train does go!"

"Why are you looking at your map and your time-table so carefully, Bessie?"

"I want to be sure to know when we're getting near Canton, Dolly. Whenwe do, you must keep your eyes open. You'll see something there that mayexplain a whole lot of things to you, and make you understand how sillyyou were not to see through this plot. "

Canton was a town of considerable size, and, though the train did notstop there, it slowed down, and ran through the streets and the stationat greatly reduced speed. And as the car in which they were sitting wentthrough the station Bessie clutched Dolly's arm, and spoke in her ear. 

"Look!" she said. "There on the platform! Did you ever see those menbefore?"

Dolly gave a startled cry as her eyes followed Bessie's pointing finger. 

"Mr. Holmes!" she exclaimed. "And that's that little lawyer, Mr. Brack. And the old man with the whiskers--"

"Is Farmer Weeks, of course! Do you see the fourth man standing withthem? See how he pushes his coat back! He's a constable and he's soproud of it he wants everyone to see his badge!"

"Bessie! Do you mean they were waiting here for you?"

"For me and Zara, Dolly! If I had been on a train that stopped here--butI wasn't! And I guess Miss Eleanor must have got my telegram in time tohide Zara so that they didn't find her on the other train, too, or elsewe'd see something of her. "

Dolly laughed happily. Then she did a reckless thing, showing herself atthe window, and shaking her fist defiantly as the car, with rapidlygathering speed, passed the disconsolate group on the station platform. Holmes was the first to see her, and his face darkened with a swiftscowl. Then he caught sight of Bessie, and, seizing Brack's arm, pointedthe two girls out to him, too. But there was nothing whatever to bedone. 

The train, after slowing down, was already beginning to move fast again, and there was no way in which it could be stopped, or in which the groupof angry men on the platform could board it. They could only stand inpowerless rage, and look after it. Bessie and Dolly, of course, couldnot hear the furious comments that Holmes was making as he turnedangrily to old Weeks. But they could make a guess, and Dolly turned anelfin face, full of mischievous delight, to Bessie. 

"That's one time they got fooled, " she exclaimed. 

"I'm sorry they found out we were on this train, though, " said Bessie, gravely. "It means that we'll have trouble with them after we get toPlum Beach, I'm afraid. "

"Who cares?" said Dolly. "If they can't do any better there than they'vedone so far on this trip, we needn't worry much, I guess. "

"Well, do you see what they were up to, now, Dolly?"

Dolly wrinkled her brows. 

"I guess so, " she said. "They meant to come aboard the train at Cantonand try to get hold of you and Zara. But I don't see why--"

"Why they should pick out Canton rather than any other station where thetrains stop along the line?"

"That's just it, Bessie. Why should they?"

"That's the whole point, Dolly. Look at this map. Do you see the stateboundaries? For just a little way this line is in the state Canton isin--and Canton is in the same state as Hedgeville!"

"Oh!" gasped Dolly. "You were right, Bessie, I _was stupid_! I mighthave thought of that! That's why they had Jake there, and what histelegram was. But how clever of you to think of it! How did you everguess it?"

"I just happened to think that if we did go into that state, it would beeasy for them to get hold of Zara and me, if they only knew about itbeforehand. Because, you see, in that state Farmer Weeks is legalguardian for both of us, and he could make us come with him if he caughtus there. "

"Well, I think it was mighty clever of you. Of course, when you had theidea, it was easy to see it, once you had the map so that you could makesure. But I never would have thought of it, so I couldn't have looked itup to make sure, because I wouldn't have thought there was anything tolook up. "

"What I'm wondering, " said Bessie, "is what Miss Eleanor did to keepthem from getting Zara. If you ask me, that's the really clever thingthat's been done to-day. I was dreadfully frightened when I decided thatwas what they were up to. "

"Well, your telegram helped, " said Dolly. "If it hadn't been for that, they'd have been taken completely by surprise. Just imagine how theywould have felt, if they'd looked up when their train stopped at Canton, and had seen Farmer Weeks coming down the aisle. "

"It would have been dreadful, wouldn't it, Bessie? Do you know, MissEleanor wasn't a bit anxious to have us stay behind? She was afraidsomething would happen, I believe. But it's certainly a good thing thatyou thought of doing it, and had your way. "

"I was afraid they'd try to play some sort of a trick, Dolly. That's whyI wanted to wait. I couldn't tell what it would be, but I knew that ifJake was there it wouldn't do any harm to watch him and see what he did. I didn't expect to get him on our side, though. Before I talked to him, of course, I was really only guessing, but he told me all he knew aboutthe plan. They hadn't told him everything, but with what I had guessedit was enough. "

"No one trusts him, you see, Bessie. It's just as I said. "

"Well, do you know, I shouldn't wonder if that was one reason for hisbeing so untrustworthy, Dolly. Maybe if he finds that we are going totrust him, it will change him, and make him act very differently. "

"I certainly hope so, Bessie, but I'm afraid of him. I'm afraid thatthey will find out what we've done, and try to use him to trick us, nowthat we think he's on our side. "

"We'll have to look out for that, Dolly, of course. But I don't believehe's as black as he's painted. He must have some good qualities. Perhapsthey'll begin to come out now. "

At Bay City, where they arrived comparatively early in the afternoon, they had a surprise, for Miss Eleanor and all the girls were at thestation to meet them, including Zara, who looked nervous and frightened. 

"Oh, I'm so glad you've come here safely, Bessie, " said Eleanor, flinging her arms about Bessie's neck. "Your train came right through, didn't it?"

"Yes, and we saw Mr. Holmes and the rest of them on the platform atCanton, " said Bessie, laughing. "Did they get aboard your train?"

"Did they?" cried Eleanor. "They most certainly did, and when theycouldn't find either you or Zara, they were so angry that I was afraidthey were going to burst! I don't believe I ever saw men so dreadfullydisappointed in my life. "

"How did you manage to hide Zara?"

"That was awfully funny, Bessie. I found some friends of mine were onthe train, travelling in a private car. As soon as I got your telegram, I went back to see them. They had a boy with them, who is just aboutZara's size. So Zara dressed up in a suit of his clothes, and she wassitting in their car, with him, when they came aboard to look for her. "

"Did they look in that car?"

"Yes. They had a warrant, or something, so they had a right to goeverywhere on the train--and they did!"

"I should think the people who didn't have anything to do with us musthave been furious. "

"Oh, they were, but it didn't do them any good. They searched throughthe whole train, but Zara looked so different in boy's clothes that theynever even seemed to suspect her at all. She kept perfectly still, yousee, and after they had held us up for nearly an hour, we came on. "

"Oh, how mad they must have been!"

"You ought to have seen them! It made us very late getting here, ofcourse, and we missed the train we were to take to Green Cove. But Ithink we would have waited here, anyhow, until you came. I was veryanxious about you, Bessie. What a clever trick that was! If it hadn'tbeen for you, we would have been caught without a chance to do anythingat all. "

"Bessie's made friends with Jake Hoover, too, " said Dolly, disgustedly. "Tell Miss Eleanor about that, Bessie. "

"You did exactly the right thing, " said Eleanor, when she had heard thestory, much to Dolly's disgust. "I agree with Dolly that we will have tolook out for him, just the same, but there is a chance that he may dowhat he promised. Anyhow, there's a lot to gain and very little tolose. "

CHAPTER XII

PLUM BEACH

On the way to Plum Beach, on the little branch line that carried thegirls from Bay City to Green Cove, Eleanor was very thoughtful, andBessie and Dolly were kept busy in telling the other girls of theirexperiences. They wanted to hear from Zara, too, just how she hadescaped. 

"I don't see how you kept your face straight, " said Dolly. "I know Iwould have burst right out laughing, Zara. "

"You wouldn't think so if you knew Farmer Weeks, " said Zara, making awry face. "I can tell you I didn't want to laugh, Dolly. Why, he waswithin a few feet of me, and looking straight at me! I was sure he'dguess that it was I. "

"He always looks at everyone that way--just as if they owed him money, "said Bessie. "Nasty old man! I don't blame you for being nervous, Zara. "

"Oh, neither do I, " said Dolly. "But it was funny to think of his beingso near you and having no idea of it. That's what would have made melaugh. "

"It seems funny enough, now, " admitted Zara, with a smile. "But, yousee, I was perfectly certain that he did have a very good idea of whereI was. I was expecting him to take hold of me any moment, and tell theconstable to take me off the train. "

"I wonder how long this sort of thing is going to keep up, " said MargeryBurton, angrily. "Until you two girls are twenty-one?"

"I hope not, " laughed Bessie, and then she went on, more seriously, "Ireally do think that if Jake Hoover sticks to what he said, and takesour side, Mr. Jamieson is likely to find out something that will givehim a chance to settle matters. You see, we've been fighting in the darkso far. "

"I don't see that we've been fighting at all, yet, " said Margery. "Theykeep on trying to do something, and we manage to keep them from doingit. That's not my idea of a fight. I wish we could do some of thehitting ourselves. "

"So do I, Margery. And that's just what I think we may be able to donow, if we have Jake on our side. He must know something about whatthey've been doing. They couldn't keep him from finding out, it seems tome. "

"But will he tell? That seems to be the question. "

"Yes, that's it, exactly. Well, if he does, then we'll know why they'redoing all this. You see, Mr. Jamieson can't figure on what they're goingto do next, or how to beat them at their own game, simply because hedoesn't know what their game is. They know just what they want to do, while we haven't any idea, except that they're anxious to have Zara andmyself back where Farmer Weeks can do as he likes with us. "

"Well, it would be fine to be able to beat them, Bessie, but right nowI'm more worried about what they will try to do next. This is a prettylonely place we're going to, and they're so bold that there's no tellingwhat they may try next. "

"That's so--and they know we're coming here, too. Jake told them that. "

"They would probably have found it out anyhow, " said Dolly. "And there'sone thing--he didn't try to warn them that you knew about what theymeant to do at Canton, Bessie. "

"No, he didn't. And he could have done it very easily, too. Oh, I thinkwe can count on Jake now, all right. He's pretty badly frightened, andhe's worried about himself. He'll stick to the side that seems the mostlikely to help him. All I hope is that he will go to see Mr. Jamieson. "

"Do you think he will?"

"Why not? Even if they get hold of him again, I think there will be timeenough for him to see Mr. Jamieson first. And I've got an idea that Mr. Jamieson will be able to scare him pretty badly. "

"All out for Green Cove, " called the conductor just then, appearing inthe doorway, and there was a rush for the end of the car. 

"Well, here we are, " said Eleanor. "This isn't much of a city, is it?"

It was not. Two or three bungalows and seashore cottages were in sight, but most of the traffic for the Green Cove station came from scatteredsettlements along the coast. It was a region where people liked to livealone, and they were willing to be some distance from the railroad tosecure the isolation that appealed to them. A little pier poked its noseout into the waters of the cove, and beside this pier was a gasolinelaunch, battered and worn, but amply able, as was soon proved, to carryall the girls and their belongings at a single load. 

"Thought you wasn't coming, " said the old sailor who owned the launch, as he helped them to get settled aboard. 

"We missed the first connecting train and had to wait, Mr. Salters, "said Eleanor. "I hope you didn't sell the fish and clams you promisedus to someone else?"

"No, indeed, " said old Salters. "They're waitin' for you at the camp, ma'am, and I fixed up the place, too, all shipshape. The tents is allready, though why anyone should sleep in such contraptions when they canhave a comfortable house is more'n I can guess. "

"Each to his taste, you know, " laughed Eleanor. "I suppose we'll be ableto get you to take us out in the launch sometimes while we're here?"

"Right, ma'am! As often as you like, " he answered. "My old boat hereain't fashionable enough for some of the folk, but she's seaworthy, andshe won't get stuck a mile an' a half from nowhere, the way Harry Semmesand that new fangled boat of his done the other day when he had a loadof young ladies aboard. "

He chuckled at the recollection. But while he had been talking he hadnot been idle, and the _Sally S. _, as his launch was called, had beenmaking slow but steady progress until she was outside the cove andheaded north. Soon, too, he ran her inside the protecting spot of landof which Dolly had spoken to Bessie, and they were in such smooth waterthat, even had any of them had any tendency toward seasickness, therewould have been no excuse for it. 

In half an hour he stopped the engine, and cast his anchor overboard. Hewore no shoes and stockings, and now, rolling up his trousers, he jumpedoverboard. 

"Hand me the dunnage first, " he said. "I'll get that ashore, and thenI'll take the rest of you, one at a time. "

"Indeed you won't, " laughed Eleanor. "We're not afraid of getting ourfeet wet. Come on, girls, it's only two feet deep! Roll up your skirtsand take off your shoes and stockings, and we'll wade ashore. "

She set the example, and in a very short time they were all safelyashore, with much laughter at the splashing that was involved. 

"Mr. Salters could run the _Sally S. _ ashore, but it would be a lot oftrouble to get her afloat again, and this is the way we always do here. It's lots of fun really, " Eleanor explained. 

Soon they were all ashore, and inspecting the camp which had been laidout in preparation for them. 

"Real army tents, with regular floors and cots, these are, " saidEleanor. "Sleeping on the ground wouldn't be very wise here. And there'sno use taking chances. I'm responsible to the mothers and fathers of allyou girls, after all, and I'm bound to see that you go home better thanwhen you started, instead of worse. "

"I think they're fine, " said Margery. "Oh, I do love the seashore! Howlong shall we stay, Miss Eleanor?"

"I don't know, " said the Guardian, a shade of doubt darkening her eyes. "You know, Margery"--she spoke in a low tone--"that seems to dependpartly on things we can't really control. There seems to me to besomething really quite desperate about the way Mr. Holmes and hisfriends are going for Bessie and Zara. 

"Maybe they will make trouble for us here. It is rather isolated, youknow, and I can't help remembering that we're on the coast, and that afew miles away the coast is that of Bessie's state--the state shemustn't be in. "

"That's so, " said Margery, gravely. "You mean that if they managed toget hold of Bessie or Zara, and took them out to sea and then landedthem in that state they'd be able to hold them there?"

"It worries me, Margery. The trouble is, you see, that once they're inthat state, it doesn't matter how they were taken there, but they can beheld. If Zara's father gets free, why, he would be able to get her back, I suppose. Mr. Jamieson says so. But there's no one with a better rightto Bessie, so far as we know. I'm really more worried about her thanabout Zara. "

"We'll all be careful, " promised Margery, with fire in her eye. "And Iguess they'll have to be pretty smart to find any way of getting heraway from us. I'll talk to the girls, and I'll try to be watching myselfall the time. "

"I'm hungry, " announced Dolly. "Just as hungry as a bear! Can't we havesupper pretty soon, Miss Eleanor?"

"Supper?" scoffed Miss Eleanor. "Why, we haven't had our dinner yet! Butwe'll have that just as soon as it's cooked. I've just been waiting forsomeone to say they were hungry. Dolly, you're elected cook. Sinceyou're the hungry one, you can cook the dinner. "

"I certainly will! I'll get it all the sooner that way. May I pick outwho's to help me, Miss Eleanor?"

"That's the rule. You certainly can. "

"Then I pick out all the girls, " announced Dolly. "Every one of you--andno shirking, mind!"

She laughed merrily, and in a moment she had set every girl to sometask. Even Margery obeyed her orders cheerfully, for the rule wasthere, and, even though Dolly had twisted it a bit, it was recognizedas a good joke. Moreover, everyone was hungry and wanted the meal to beready as soon as possible. 

"There's good water at the top of that path, " said Eleanor, pointing toa path that led up a bluff that backed against the tents. "I think maybewe'll build a wooden pipe-line to bring the water right down here, butfor to-day we'll have to carry it from the spring there. "

"Is there driftwood here for a camp fire, do you suppose, the way therewas last year, Miss Eleanor?" asked one of the other girls. "I'll neverforget the lovely fires we had then!"

"There's lots of it, I'm afraid, " said Eleanor, gravely. 

"Why are you 'afraid'?" asked Bessie, wonderingly. 

"Because all the driftwood, or most of it, comes from wrecked ships, Bessie. This beach looks calm and peaceful now, but in the winter, whenthe great northeast storms blow, this is a terrible coast, and lots andlots of ships are wrecked. Men are drowned very often, too. "

"Oh, I never thought of that!"

"Still, some of the wood is just lost from lumber schooners that areloaded too heavily, " said Eleanor. "And it certainly does make abeautiful fire, all red and green and blue, and oh, all sorts of colorsand shades you never even dreamed of! We'll have a ceremonial camp firewhile we're here, and it is certainly true that there is no fire half sobeautiful as that we get when we use the wood that the sea casts up. "

"Don't they often find lots of other things beside wood along the coastafter a great storm, Miss Eleanor?"

"Yes, indeed! There are people who make their living that way. Wreckers, they call them, you know. Of course, it isn't as common to find reallyvaluable things now as it was in the old days. "

"Why not? I thought more things were carried at sea than ever, " saidDolly. 

"There aren't so many wrecks, Dolly, for one thing. And then, in theold days, before steam, and the great big ships they have now, even themost valuable cargoes were carried in wooden ships that were at themercy of these great storms. "

"Oh, and now they send those things in the big ships that are safer, Isuppose?"

"Yes. You very seldom hear of an Atlantic liner being wrecked, you know. It does happen once in a great while, of course, but they are much morelikely to reach the port they sail for than the old wooden ships. In theold days many and many a ship sailed that was never heard of, but youcould count the ships that have done that in the last few years on thefingers of one hand. "

"But there was a frightful wreck not so very long ago, wasn't there? TheTitanic?"

"Yes. That was the most terrible disaster since men have gone to sea atall. You see, she was so much bigger, and could carry so many morepeople than the old ships, that, when she did go down, it was naturallymuch worse. But the wreckers never made any profit out of her. She wentdown in the middle of the ocean, and no one will ever see her again. "

"Couldn't divers go down after her?"

"No. She was too deep for that. Divers can only go down a certaindistance, because, below that, the pressure is too great, and theywouldn't live. "

"Stop talking and attend to your dinner, Dolly, " said Margery, suddenly. "You pretended you were hungry, and now you're so busy talking thatyou're forgetting about the rest of us. We're hungry, too. Just rememberthat!"

"I can talk and work at the same time, " said Dolly. "Is everythingready? Because, if it is, so is dinner. Come on, girls! The clams first. I've cooked it--I'm not going to put it on the table, too. "

"No, we ought to be glad to get any work out of her at all, " laughedMargery, as she carried the steaming, savory clams to the table. "Isuppose every time we want her to do some work the rest of the timewe're here, she'll tell us about this dinner. "

"I won't have to, " boasted Dolly. "You'll all remember it. All I'mafraid of is that you won't be satisfied with the way anyone else cooksafter this. I've let myself out this time!"

It _was_ a good dinner--a better dinner than anyone had thought Dollycould cook. But, despite her jesting ways, Dolly was a close observer, and she had not watched Margery, a real genius in the art of cooking, invain. Everyone enjoyed it, and, when they had eaten all they could, Dolly lay back in the sand with Bessie. 

"Well, wasn't I right? Don't you love this place?" she asked. 

"I certainly think I do, " said Bessie. "It's so peaceful and quiet. Ididn't believe any place could be as calm as the mountains, but I reallythink this is. "

"I love to hear the surf outside, too, " said Dolly. "It's as if it weresinging a lullaby. I think the surf, and the sighing of the wind in thetrees is the best music there is. "

"Those noises were the real beginning of music, Dolly, " said Eleanor. "Did you know that? The very first music that was ever written was anattempt to imitate those songs of nature. "

After the dishes were washed and put away, everyone sat on the beach, watching the sky darken. First one star and then another came out, andthe scene was one of idyllic beauty. And then, as if to complete it, ayacht appeared, small, but beautiful and graceful, steaming toward them. Its sides were lighted, and from its deck came the music of a violin, beautifully played. 

"Oh, how lovely that is!" said Eleanor. "Why, look! I do believe it isgoing to anchor!"

And, sure enough, the noise of the anchor chains came over the water. 

CHAPTER XIII

THE MYSTERIOUS YACHT

But, beautiful as the yacht undoubtedly was, the sight of it and thesound of the slipping anchor chains brought a look of perplexity andeven of distress to Eleanor's eyes. 

"That's very curious, " she said, thoughtfully. "There are no cottages orbungalows near here. Those people can't be coming here just for a visit, or they would take another anchorage. And it's a strange thing for themto choose this cove if they are just cruising along the coast. "

"There weren't any yachts here last year when we were camping, " saidMargery. "But it is a lovely spot, and it's public land along here, isn't it?"

"No, not exactly. It won't be used for a long time, I expect, but it hasan owner. An old gentleman in Bay City owns all the shore front alonghere for half a mile, and he has been holding on to it with the ideathat it would get more valuable as time went on. Probably it will, too. "

"Well, he lets people come here to camp, doesn't he?"

"Oh, yes. He's glad to have people here, I think, because he thinks thatif they see how lovely it is, they will want to buy the land. I supposeperhaps these people on the yacht have permission from him to come here, just as we have. But I do wish they had waited until we had gone, orelse that they had come and gone before we got here at all. "

"Perhaps they will just stay for the night, " said Margery. "I shouldthink that a small boat like that would be very likely to put inovernight, and do its sailing in the daytime. Probably the people onboard of her aren't in a hurry, and like to take things easily. "

"Well, we won't find out anything about her to-night, I imagine, " saidEleanor. "In the morning we'll probably learn what their plans are, andthen it will be time to make any changes that are necessary in our ownarrangements. "

"Do you mean you wouldn't stay here if they did, Miss Eleanor?"

"I won't say that, Margery. We don't know who they are yet. They may bevery nice people--there's no way of telling to-night. But if they turnout to be undesirable, we can move quite easily, I think. There areplenty of other beaches nearby where we'll be just as comfortable as weare here. "

"Oh, but I don't believe any of them are as beautiful as this one, MissEleanor. "

"Neither do I, Margery. Still, we can't always pick and choose thethings we do, or always do what pleases us best. "

On the yacht everything seemed to be quiet. When the anchor had gonedown, the violin playing ceased, and, though the girls strained theirears to listen, there was no sound of conversation, such as mightreasonably have been expected to come across the quiet water. Stillthere was nothing strange about that. It might well be that everyone onboard was below, eating supper, and in that case voices would probablynot come to them. 

"I'd like to own that yacht, " said Dolly, gazing at her enviously. "Whata lot of fun you could have with her, Bessie! Think of all the placesone could see. And you wouldn't have to leave a place until you gotready. Steamers leave port just as railroad trains pull out of astation, and you may have to go away when you haven't half finishedseeing all the things you want to look at. "

"Maybe they'll send a boat ashore soon, " said Margery, hopefully. "Icertainly would like to see the sort of people who are on board. "

"So would I, " said Eleanor, but with a different and a more anxiousmeaning in her tone. 

"I wish that man with the violin would start playing again, " said Dolly. "I love to hear him, and it seems to me it's especially beautiful whenthe sound comes to you over the water that way. "

"Music always sounds best over the water, " said Eleanor. "He does playwell. I've been to concerts, and heard famous violin players who didn'tplay a bit better--or as well, some of them. "

And just at that moment the music came to them again, wailing, mournful, as if the strings of the violin were sobbing under the touch of the bow, held in the fingers of a real master. The music blended with the night, and the listening girls seemed to lose all desire to talk, so completelydid they fall under the spell of the player. 

But after a little while a harsh voice on the deck of the yachtinterrupted the musician. They could not distinguish the words, but thespeaker was evidently annoyed by the music, for it stopped, and then, for a few minutes, there was an argument in which the voices of two menrose shrilly. 

"Well, I guess the concert is over, " said Dolly, getting up. "Who wantsa drink? I'm thirsty. "

"So am I!" came in chorus from half a dozen of those who were sitting onthe sands. 

"Serve you right if you all had to go after your own water, " saidDolly. "But I'm feeling nice to-night. I guess it's the music. Come on, Bessie--feel like taking a little walk with me?"

"I don't mind, " said Bessie, rising, and stretching her armsluxuriously. "Where are you going?"

"Up the bluff first, to get a pail of water from that spring. Afterthat--well, we'll see. "

"Just like Jack and Jill, " said Bessie, as they trudged up the path, carrying a pail between them. 

"I hope we won't be like them and fall down, " said Dolly. "I suppose I'dbe Jack--and I don't want to break my crown. "

"It's an easy path. I guess we're safe enough, " said Bessie. "It reallyhardly seems worth while to fix up that pipe-line Miss Eleanor spokeabout. "

"Oh, you'll find it's worth while, Bessie. The salt air makes everyoneterribly thirsty, and after you've climbed this path a few times itwon't seem so easy to be running up and down all the time. There are somany other things to do here that it's a pity to waste time doing thesame thing over and over again when you don't really need to. "

"I suppose that's so, too. It's always foolish to do work that you don'tneed to do--I mean that can be done in some easier way. If your time'sworth anything at all, you can find some better use for it. "

"That's what I say! It would be foolish and wasteful to set a hundredmen to digging when one steam shovel will do the work better and quickerthan they can. And it's the same way with this water here. If we can putup a pipe in about an hour that will save two or three hours of chasingevery day, whenever water is needed, it must be sensible to do it. "

They got the water down without any mishap, however, and it was eagerlywelcomed. 

"It's good water, " said Margery. "But not as good as the water at LongLake and in the mountains. "

"That's the best water in the world, Margery, " said Eleanor. "This iscold, though, and it's perfectly healthy. And, after all, that is asmuch as we can expect. Are you and Bessie going for a walk, Dolly?"

"We thought we would, if you don't mind. "

"I don't mind, of course. But don't go very far. Stay near enough sothat you can hear if we call, or for us to hear you if you should happento call to us. "

Dolly looked startled. 

"Why should we want to call you?" she asked. 

"No reason that I can think of now, Dolly. But--well, I suppose I'mnervous. The way they tried to get hold of Bessie and Zara at Cantonto-day makes me feel that we've got to be very careful. And there is nouse taking unnecessary chances. "

"All right, " said Dolly, with a laugh. "But I guess we're safe enoughto-night, anyhow. They haven't had time to find out yet how Bessiefooled them. My, but they'll be mad when they do find out whathappened!"

"They certainly will, " laughed Margery. "I wouldn't want to be in JakeHoover's shoes. "

"I hope nothing will happen to him, " said Eleanor, anxiously. "It wouldbe a great pity for him to get into trouble now. "

"I think he deserves to get into some sort of trouble, " said Dolly, stoutly. "He's made enough for other people. "

"That's true enough, Dolly. But it wouldn't do us any good if he gotinto trouble now, you know. "

"No, but it might do him some good--the brute! You haven't seen him whenhe was cutting up, the way I have, Miss Eleanor. "

"No, and I'm glad I didn't. But you say it might do him some good. That's just what I think it would not do. He has just made up his mindto be better, and suppose he sees that, as a reward, he gets himselfinto trouble. What is he likely to do, do you think?"

"That's so, " said Margery. "You're going off without thinking again, Dolly, as usual. He'd cut loose altogether, and think there wasn't anysort of use in being decent. "

"Well, I haven't much faith in his having reformed, " said Dolly. "It maybe that he has, but it seems too good to be true to me. I bet you'llfind that he'll be on their side, after all, and that he'll just spendhis time thinking up some excuse for having put them on the wrong trackto-day. "

"I think that's likely to keep him pretty busy, Dolly, " said Eleanor, dryly. "And that's one reason I really am inclined to believe that he'llchange sides, and go to Charlie Jamieson, as Bessie advised him to do. "

"Well, if he does, it won't be because he's sorry, but because he'safraid, " said Dolly. "If he can be of any use to us, why, I hope he'sall right. I don't like him, and I never will like him, and there isn'tany use in pretending about it!"

Everyone laughed at that. 

"You're quite right, Dolly, " said Margery. "When you dislike a personanyone who can see you or hear you knows about it. I'll say that foryou--you don't pretend to be friends with people when you really hatethem. "

"Why should I? Come on, Bessie, if we're going for a walk. If we stayhere much longer Margery'll get so dry from talking that we'll have togo and get her some more water. "

"Let's go up the path and get on the bluff again, " said Bessie. "I likeit up there, because you seem to be able to see further out to sea thanyou can here. "

"All right. I don't care where we go, anyhow, and it is more interestingup there than on the beach, I think. "

The night was a beautiful one, and walking was really delightful. Belowthem the beach stretched, white and smooth, as far as the cove itself. At each end of the cove the bluff on which they were walking curved andturned toward the sea, stretching out to form two points of land thatenclosed the cove. 

"They say this would be a perfect harbor if there was a bigger channeldredged in, " said Dolly. "Of course it's very small, but I guess it wasused in the old days. There are all sorts of stories about buriedtreasure being hidden around here. "

"Do you believe those stories, Dolly?"

"Not I! If there was any treasure around here it would have been foundever so long ago. They're just stories. I guess those pirates spent mostof the money they stole, and I guess they didn't get half as much aspeople like to pretend, anyhow. "

"It would be fun to find something like that, though, Dolly. "

"Well, Bessie King, you're the last person I would ever have expectedeven to think of anything so silly! You'd better get any nonsense ofthat sort out of your head right away. There's nothing in those oldstories. "

"I suppose not, " said Bessie, and sighed. "But in a place like this itdoesn't seem half so hard to believe that it's possible, somehow. Itlooks like just the sort of place for romance and adventure. But--oh, well, I guess I'm just moonstruck. Dolly, look at that!"

Her eyes had wandered suddenly toward the yacht, and now, from theirhigher elevation, they were able to see a small boat drawing away fromher, on the seaward side, and so out of sight of the girls on the beach. 

"That's funny, " said Dolly, puzzled. "I should think that if they weregoing to send a boat ashore she'd come straight in. "

"Let's watch and see what happens, Dolly. "

"You bet we will! I wouldn't go now until I knew what they were up tofor anything!"

"It's going straight out to sea, Dolly, and it's keeping so that theyacht is between it and the shore. It does look as if they didn't wantto be seen, doesn't it?"

"It certainly does! Look, there it goes through the little gap in thebar! See? Now it will be hidden from the people on shore--and it's goingtoward West Point, too. See, I'll bet they're going to make a landingthere!"

They hurried along the bluff, and in a few minutes they saw the boatgraze the beach at the end of West Point. Three men jumped out andhauled the little craft up on the shore, and then they began to moveinland, toward Bessie and Dolly. 

"We'd better work back toward the camp, " said Dolly, excitedly. "Itwouldn't do to have them see us--not until we know more about them. "

"I wonder if they'll come back this way, toward the camp? And why do yousuppose they're acting that way? It seems very funny to me. "

"It does to me, too. I'm beginning to think Miss Eleanor had a goodreason for being nervous, Bessie. I don't believe that yacht is here forany good purpose. "

"It's a good thing we came up this way, isn't it?"

"It certainly is, if we can manage to find out something about them. Isay, do you remember where the spring is? Well, right by it there's amound, with a whole lot of bushes. I believe we could hide there, and bewaiting as they come along. "

"Let's try it, anyhow. Maybe there's something we ought to know. "

They found it easy to hide themselves, and when, a few minutes later, the three men came along, they were secure from observation. 

"Do you think it's Mr. Holmes?" whispered Bessie, voicing the thoughtboth of them had had. 

"It's just as likely as not! It's the sneaky way he would act, " saidDolly, viciously. "They're pretty careful about the way they walk--see?"

But then the men came into the range of their eyes, and the sigh ofdisappointment that rose from them was explained by Dolly's disgusted, "It's not Mr. Holmes, or anyone else I ever saw before. "

The men came nearer, and seemed to be looking down at the camp. 

"They're the ones! That's the outfit, all right, " said one of them. "Well, it's easy to keep an eye on them. "

CHAPTER XIV

A NIGHT ALARM

Bessie and Dolly looked at one another. Holmes wasn't there, but who butHolmes or someone working for him could have any such sinister interestin keeping an eye on the camp as was implied by that sly remark?Evidently luck had favored them once more, and they had stumbled againon early evidence of another coming attack. 

But they took little time--could take little time, indeed--to think ofthe meaning of what they had heard. It was too important for them tofind out as much as possible from these men. They dared not speak to oneanother; the men were so close that they were almost afraid that thesound of their own breathing would betray them. 

And, dark as it was, they could see that these were men of a type whowould stop at little if they felt they were in danger of failure. Theywere big, burly, ugly-looking men, rough in speech and manner, and, though they masked their movements, and went about their business, whatever it might be, as quietly as possible, their quietness wasfurtive and assumed and by no means natural to them. 

"They won't run away to-night, Jeff, " grumbled one of the men. "Youain't a-goin' to stay here and watch them, are you?"

"No, I'm not--but you are, " growled the one addressed as Jeff. "Seehere, my buck, the boss don't want any slip-up on this job--see? He'sbeen stung once too often. I'm goin' back to the boat, but you and Timwill stay here till daylight--right here, mind you!"

"Aw, shucks, that's a fine job to give us!" growled Tim. "Larry's gotthe right dope, Jeff. They won't run away to-night. "

"Listen here--who's giving orders here? What I say goes--do you getthat? If you don't, I'll find a way to make you, and pretty quick, too. I don't want none of your lip, Tim. "

"What's the game, Jeff?" asked the man Larry, in milder tones. "We'lldo as you say, all right, all right, but can't you tell a guy what'sdoin'?"

"I don't know myself, boys, and that's a fact, " said Jeff, seeminglymollified by this submission to his orders. "But the boss wants them twogals--and what he wants he gits, sooner or later. "

"Guess he does!" laughed Tim. "You said something that time, Jeff!"

"There's money in it, I know that, " Jeff went on. "Big money--though I'mblowed if I see where! But we'll get our share if we do our part. "

"I can use any that comes my way, all right, " said Larry, with asmothered laugh. "Always broke--that's what I am!"

"How about the morning, Jeff?" asked Tim. "We can't stay here when itgets to be light. They'd spot us in a minute. "

"Won't be any need then, Tim. We can keep an eye on them from theyacht. And the boss is apt to turn up here himself most any time. "

"Why not pull it off to-night, Jeff?" asked Larry. "It's a good chance, I'd say. "

"Ain't got my orders yet, Larry. As soon as the boss turns up there'llbe plenty doing. Keep an eye out for a red light from the deck. That'llbe a sign to watch out for anything that comes along. We may show it--wemay not. But if we do, be lively. "

"All right, " growled Tim. "But let's quit this nursemaid job as soon aswe can, Jeff. We're good pals of yours--and this ain't no game for agrown man, you know that. "

"'Twon't be so bad, " said Jeff, comfortingly. "Nights ain't so long--andyou can take turns sleeping. It's all right as long as one of you staysawake. "

"So long, Jeff, " said both the men who were to stay behind, then, inunison. 

"Good-night, " answered Jeff. "I'll have a boat at the point for you atdaylight. Good luck!"

And he went off, quietly, walking easily, so that the noise of hisfootsteps would not reach those on the beach below. 

From the beach the voices of the girls rose faintly. Words could not bedistinguished, but Bessie and Dolly could both guess that theirprolonged absence must be beginning to give Miss Eleanor and the otherssome uneasiness. 

They were trapped, however, although they were in no real danger. Themen who had been left on guard were between them and the path; theycould not possibly pass them without arousing them, and they did notcare to take the chance of making a wild dash for freedom unless itbecame absolutely necessary. 

Bessie weighed the chances. It seemed likely to her that she and Dolly, taking the two men by surprise, could slip by them and reach the beachsafely. But if they did that, the men would know that their plans wereknown, and that their talk had been overheard, and that would be tothrow away half of the advantage they had gained. It would be better athousand times, Bessie felt, to wait, and take the faint chance thatboth men might go to sleep together, and so give them the chance toescape unseen. 

For some minutes the silence was unbroken save for the faint murmur ofthe voices from the beach. Then Larry spoke to his companion. 

"Say, Tim, don't think much of this game, do you?" he said. 

"Sure don't!" grunted Tim. "Just like Jeff, though. Takes the easy layhimself and don't care what he puts up to us. "

"Got any money?"

"About five dollars. Why? Want to borrow it? Just as soon you had it asme! Can't spend it here, anyhow. "

"No. Wouldn't do me any good. Got lots of my own out on the yacht. "

"Wish there was a place near here where I could get a drink. Seems likeI was choking to death. "

"Lots of water right by you, " said Larry, with a hoarse laugh. "Helpyourself--it's free!"

"Water--pah!" snorted Tim. "That's not what I want, and you know it, Larry. "

"Say, come to think of it, there's an elegant little roadhouse a waysback in the country here, Tim. About half an hour there and back, Ijudge. "

Tim grunted uneasily. 

"Think it's safe?" he queried. "If Jeff got on to us--"

"Shucks! What could he do? We ain't his hired hands. "

"The boss, though--suppose Jeff told him?"

"He wouldn't, and how's he goin' to find out, anyhow? Nothin's goin' tohappen to-night, you can bet on that. Come on, be a sport, Tim! We'vegot as much on Jeff as he's got on us, if it comes down to that, ain'twe?"

"I dunno. I'm kind of leery, when he told us to stick, Larry. "

"I thought you had more nerve, Tim. Didn't ever think you'd stand forno game like this. But, if you're afraid--"

"Come on!" said Tim, angrily. "I'll show you if I'm afraid! I guess it'ssafe enough. "

"That's more like my old pal Tim. I knew you had nerve enough. Let's bemovin'. The sooner we go, the sooner we'll be back. And we'll show who'safraid--eh, old sport?"

"That's the stuff, Larry! Guess there ain't no one big enough to tell uswhat to do. "

And, with linked arms, they moved off. Bessie and Dolly, hardly able tobelieve in the good luck that left the way to the beach clear, heldtheir breath for a moment. Then Bessie, seeing that Dolly was about torise, whispered to her. 

"Not yet, Dolly, " she said, tensely. "Wait till we're sure they can'tsee us. No use taking chances now. "

"All right, Bessie, but what luck! I was afraid we'd have to stay hereuntil daylight, and I was wondering what Miss Eleanor and the girlswould think!"

"So was I. I'm afraid they're worried about us already. But it wasn'tour fault, and it really is a good thing we heard them, isn't it? The'boss' they're talking about must be Mr. Holmes, don't you think?"

"I don't see who else it could possibly be. Come on, Bessie. I thinkit's time now, they're out of sight. "

Slowly and carefully, to take into account the off chance that Jeff, theother man, might have come back to see if his sentinels were faithful, they slipped across the path and made their way down. And at the bottom, as they reached the beach, Eleanor Mercer spied them, with a glad cry. 

"Oh, whatever kept you so long?" she exclaimed. "How glad I am to seeyou back safely! We couldn't imagine what on earth was keeping you. "

"You shouldn't have stayed so long, " said Margery Burton. "We were justgoing to start out to look for you. "

"You wouldn't have had very far to go. We've been right at the top ofthe path for three-quarters of an hour, " said Dolly, excitedly. 

"It wasn't our fault, really! We couldn't get here any sooner, " saidBessie. "You see--"

And, quietly, being less excited and hysterical than Dolly, sheexplained what they had discovered, and the trap in which they hadallowed themselves to be caught. 

"We thought it was better to wait there than to let them know we hadheard them, " she ended. "You see, they think now that we haven't anysuspicions at all, and that we'll be off our guard. Don't you supposeMr. Holmes must be coming on board that yacht, Miss Eleanor?"

"I certainly do, " said Eleanor, her lips firmly set, and an angry gleamin her eyes. "You did exactly the right thing. It was better for us tobe worried for a few minutes than to take any chance of spoiling allyou'd found out. "

"What do you suppose they'll try to do now?" wondered Margery. "Oh, I'dlike to find some way to beat them, so that they'd have to stop thisaltogether. "

"They'll go too far, some time, " said Eleanor, indignantly. "Mr. Holmesseems to forget there is such a thing as the law, but if he doesn't lookout he'll find that all his money won't save him from it. And I thinkthe time is coming very soon. My father has some money, too, and I'mpretty sure he'll spend as much as he needs to to beat these criminals. "

"Can't we go away from here to-night, Miss Eleanor?" asked Dolly. "Theysaid we'd never do that, and it might fool them. "

Everyone looked at Dolly in astonishment. It was a strange propositionto come from her, since she usually was the one who wanted to fight ifthere seemed to be any possibility of success. Now, however, she lookednervous. 

"I don't see how we can, Dolly, " said Eleanor. "And, really, I don'tbelieve there's any danger here. Mr. Holmes isn't on the yacht, andthese men won't do anything until he is there to direct them. I shalltelegraph to Mr. Jamieson in the morning, and he will probably comehere. He can reach here by noon, and I think we will be all right hereuntil then. "

Dolly said nothing more to her, but when she was alone with Bessie sheexpressed herself more freely. 

"I'm afraid of those men, " she said, with a shiver. "I think they're farmore dangerous than the gypsies were. Didn't you think, from the waythey talked, that they would do anything if they thought they would getwell paid for it?"

"Yes, but we're warned, Dolly. It isn't as if we didn't have any idea, as they believe, that there is danger here. So I don't think we need tobe afraid. "

On the beach, between the sea and the tents, the blaze of the camp fireflickered in the darkness, casting an uneven light on the beach. On theyacht all was still and peaceful. One by one her lights had gone out, until only the anchor lights, which she was required by law to show, remained. 

"They've gone to sleep on board the yacht, " whispered Bessie. "Thatlooks as if they didn't mean to do anything to-night, doesn't it, Dolly?"

"I suppose so, Bessie. But I'm not satisfied. "

Neither, wholly, in spite of her reassuring words, was Eleanor. Hadthere been any way of moving from the camp that night, she wouldprobably have taken it. But there seemed to be nothing for it but towait there until morning, at least. 

"We'll stay here, " she said, as good-nights were being exchanged, "butwe'll set a guard for the night. Margery, I wish you and Mary King wouldtake the first watch. You'll be relieved at one o'clock. You're not tootired, are you?"

"No, indeed, " said both girls. 

"I think I ought to take the watch. This is partly on my account, " saidBessie. 

"Sleep first, and perhaps you can take the second spell, with Dolly, "said Eleanor. "You've had a harder day than the rest of us, and you mustbe tired now. "

Bessie and Dolly were, indeed, very tired. The fact that the camp wasnot to be left unguarded while they slept seemed to reassure Dolly, andshe and Bessie were soon sound asleep. Only the noise of the light surfdisturbed the intense stillness, and that had a soothing, musicalquality that made it far from a disturbance to those who slept. 

But that peace was to be rudely shattered before the first watch wasover. It was just after midnight when a wild tumult aroused the camp, and Bessie and Dolly, springing to their feet, saw that the beach was aslight as day--and that the light did not come from the camp fire. Confused and sleepy as they were, they saw the cause in a moment--thebig living tent, in which meals were to be eaten in case of rainyweather, was all ablaze, and the wind that had sprung up during thenight was blowing the sparks to the other tents, which caught fire asthe girls, frightened and almost panic stricken, rushed out. 

For a moment there was no concerted effort, but then Eleanor tookcommand of the situation, and in a moment a line had been formed, andpails full of water from the sea were being handed from one girl toanother. 

The yacht had sprung into life at the first sign of the fire, and now, as the girls worked, they heard the sound of oars, as boats werehurriedly pushed ashore. In a minute a dozen men had joined them intheir fight against the fire, and, thanks to this unexpected aid, one ortwo of the tents, which had been furthest from the one in which theblaze had started, were saved. 

The men from the yacht worked heroically, but their presence and theirshouts created a new confusion. And in the midst of it Bessie, a pail ofwater in her hand, saw a man seize Zara and carry her, struggling, toward a boat. She was just about to cry out when a hand covered hermouth, and the next instant she was lifted in strong arms, carried tothe boat, and pushed in. Then two men sprang aboard, and one held thegirls, while the other pulled quickly toward the yacht. They wereprisoners!

CHAPTER XV

DOLLY RANSOM MAKES GOOD

"Keep still, and you won't be hurt!" commanded the man who held them. Bessie had no choice in the matter for his hand covered her mouth, and, even had she wished to do so, she could not have cried out. 

In a moment, too, looking toward Zara, she saw that she had fainted, andher own predicament was made worse than ever, since the ruffian who heldher could now devote all his attention to her. So, utterly helpless, andalmost ready to despair, Bessie had to submit to being carried up thelittle companion ladder that ran to the yacht's deck. 

As soon as she was on deck a handkerchief was slipped over her eyes, and, though she could hear the low murmur of voices, and was almost surethat one was that of Mr. Holmes, her arch enemy, she could not bepositive. Her one hope now was that Dolly or some one of the others onthe beach would have seen her abduction. But, even if they had, whatcould they do?

"Suppose they did see, " poor Bessie thought to herself; "they couldn'tdo anything. It would take a lot of strong men to come on board thisyacht and get us off, and the girls wouldn't be able to do anything atall. "

She was not left long on the yacht's deck. Almost at once she wascarried below, and in a few minutes she found herself in a cabin, wherethe handkerchief was taken from her eyes. The cabin was a pretty one, but Bessie was in no mood to appreciate that. She hated the sight of itsluxury; all she wanted was to be back with the girls on the beach, nomatter how great the discomfort after the fire might be. 

Zara, who had not yet revived, was brought down after her and laid on asofa. Then she and Bessie were left alone with the big man who hadcarried Bessie from the beach. She thought that he was Jeff, the man whohad left the two faithless sentinels to watch the path from the cliff. And she noticed, to her surprise, that, though his speech and mannerswere rough, there was a look about him that was not unkindly. 

"Now, see here, sis, " he said, gently enough, "we don't aim to treat youbadly here. You've run away from home, and that's not right. We're goingto see that you get back to them as has the best right to look afteryou, but we don't want you to be uncomfortable. "

"How can I help it?" asked Bessie, indignantly. 

"Just you behave yourself and keep quiet, and you'll be all right, " saidJeff. Bessie was sure of his identity now. "You'll have this pretty roomhere to yourselves, and you'll have lots to eat. It'll be better foodthan you got with that pack of chattering girls, too. We'll up anchorand be off pretty soon, and then you can come up on deck and have a goodtime. But as long as we're here, why, you'll have to stay below. "

Bessie got her first gleam of hope from that speech. If they stayed inGreen Cove a little while, there was always the chance that somethingmight happen. 

"You see, sis, " said Jeff, with a grin, "after a while your folks therewill find you're missing, and, like enough, they'll suspicion that wedone it; took you off, I mean. 'Twouldn't make no great difference ifthey did know it, " Jeff went on. "But the boss thinks it's just as wellif we throw them off a bit--guess he wants to have some fun with them. "

"Who is your 'boss'?" asked Bessie, quickly. "I should think you wouldbe ashamed of yourself, treating girls who can't fight back this way! Doyou call yourself a man?"

"Easy there, sis!" said Jeff, with a roar of laughter. "You can't makeme mad. Orders is orders, you know, and you did wrong when you run awaylike you did. And I ain't tellin' you who the boss is. What you don'tknow won't hurt you--and that goes for your friends, too. "

He left them alone then, and a faint hope was left behind him. Now thatshe had the chance, Bessie turned her attention to Zara. There waswater in the cabin, and in a few minutes she had revived her chum, andwas able to tell her what had happened. Poor Zara seemed to becompletely overcome. 

"Oh, Bessie, we haven't got a chance this time!" she said. "I'll have togo back and work for Farmer Weeks, and you--will they make you go backto Maw Hoover?"

"Never say die, Zara! As long as the yacht stays in the cove there is achance that we'll be rescued. That man didn't know it, but he'll neverbe able to make Miss Eleanor believe we're not on this yacht. Listen--what's that?"

There was a sound of hasty footsteps outside, and Jeff came inhurriedly. He slipped back a panel at one side of the cabin, andrevealed a little closet. 

"In there with you--both of you!" he said. "And I'm sorry, but you'llhave to be quiet, and there's only one way. "

In a trice their hands and feet were bound, and handkerchiefs werestuffed into their mouths. Then they were pushed into the closet and thepanel was slipped back into place. They were helpless. Unable to speak, or to beat hands or feet against the thin wood, there was no way inwhich they could make their presence known. And in a moment they knewthe reason for this precaution. For, through the wood of the panel, wafer thin, they heard Miss Eleanor's voice. 

"You can't deceive me, sir!" they heard her say. "Those girls must be onthis yacht, and I warn you that you had better give them up. Kidnappingis a serious offence in this state. "

"You can see for yourself they're not here, ma'am, " said Jeff. "And Idon't take this kindly at all, ma'am. Why, when I saw the fire in yourcamp, I went ashore with my men to try to help you--and now you makethis charge against us. "

"I certainly do!" said Eleanor, with spirit. "I am quite sure that thisis the only place where my girls can be, and I mean to have them back. As to the fire, you helped us, it is true. But I am as certain as I canbe of anything that you had something to do with starting it before youtried to put it out!"

"There's no use talking to you, ma'am, and I won't try it, " said Jeff. "If you're crazy enough to believe anything like that, I could talk allday and you'd still believe it. Here's the yacht--you're welcome to goover her and see for yourself. You won't find the girls, because they'renot aboard. That's a good reason, I guess. "

"Then let me see Mr. Holmes. "

"There you go again, ma'am! Didn't I tell you on deck that there's nosuch party aboard, and that I never even heard of him? If you'resatisfied now, we'll be glad to have you go ashore, because I want tosail. I've got business down the coast. "

"I shall not go ashore until I have found my girls, " said Eleanor. Therewere tears of baffled anger in her voice, and Bessie thrilled withindignant sympathy at the idea that she was within a few feet of herbest friend without being able to let her know that she was there. 

"Then you'll be put ashore--gently, but firmly, as the books say, " saidJeff. "You're dead right, ma'am, kidnappin' is a bad sort of business inthis state, and I don't aim to give you a chance to say we carried youoff with us against your will. Sail we will--and you'll stay behind. This is my boat, and I've got a right to put off anyone that istrespassin'. "

"You brute!" gasped Eleanor. "Don't you dare to touch me!"

"Will you go of your own accord, then?"

"I suppose I must, " gasped Eleanor tearfully. "But you shall pay forthis, you scoundrel! You're tricking me in some fashion, but you can'tdeceive me, and you can't keep the truth quiet forever. "

Then there was the sound of retreating footsteps, and a few minuteslater Bessie and Zara were released by Jeff, who was grinning as if ithad been a great joke. 

"Well, sis, we're off now!" he said. "Come on! I don't want to be hardon you. Come out here in the passageway, and you can have a look at theshore as we go off. "

He led them to the stern, and to the little cabin, in which was aporthole. Looking out, Bessie saw the beach indistinctly. The ruinedtents were there, and several of the girls, in bathing suits. And, swimming slowly to the shore she saw a girl in a red cap, which, as sheknew, belonged to Dolly. How she longed to be able to call to her! ButJeff was at her side, and she knew that the attempt would be useless, since he was watching her as if he had been a cat and she a mouse. 

A bell clanged somewhere below them, and the next moment there was arumbling sound as the machinery was started. At the same moment therecame the grinding of the anchor chains as they were raised. But theyacht did not move! Even after the anchor was up there was no movementexcept the throbbing of the whole vessel as the engines raced in thehold! Jeff's face grew black, and he turned toward the passage with ascowl. 

"What's wrong here?" he shouted, going to the door. At the same moment, seizing her brief chance, Bessie gave a wild scream, and saw, to herdelight, that those on shore had heard it. In a moment she was pulledroughly from the porthole, and Jeff, his face savage and all thekindness gone out of it, scowled down at her. 

"Keep quiet, you little vixen!" he shouted. "Here, come with me!"

At the foot of some steps that led up to the deck he left the two girlsin the care of Larry, one of the two men she had seen the night before. 

"Keep them quiet, " he commanded, as he sprang up the steps. "What'swrong, Larry; do you know?"

"Something the matter with the propeller. Can't tell what, " said Larry. 

And above, on the deck, there was a wild rushing about now. Orders wereshouted to the engineers below; hoarse answers came back. The engineswere stopped and started again. But still the yacht did not move. Agrimy engineer came up and stood beside her. 

"Propeller's fouled, " he said to Jeff. "We'll have to send a manoverboard to clear it. "

"How long will that take?" roared Jeff. 

"Maybe an hour--if we're lucky. "

"You're a fine engineer, not to have the boat ready to start!" screamedJeff, mad with rage. "You'll lose your berth for this!"

"Guess I can get another, " replied the engineer calmly. "It's been doneon purpose and it's the business of the deck watch to keep the sternclear, not mine. "

With frantic haste a man was sent overboard. He dived and found thepropeller. Bessie heard his report. The screw was twisted around withrope--knotted and tied so that, even with a knife he would have to makemany descents to clear it. Without a diving suit it was impossible forthe man to stay under water more than half a minute at a time, and, asit turned out, he was the only man on board who could dive at all. 

Jeff raged in vain. The work of clearing the propeller could not behastened for all his bellowing, and the precious minutes slipped bywhile the diver worked. Each time that he came up for rest and air hereported a little more progress, but each time, too, as he grew tired, his period of rest was lengthened, while his time below the water wascut shorter. 

And then, when he had reported that two more trips would mend thetrouble, there was a sudden bumping of boats against the yacht, on theshoreward side, which had been left without watchers, it seemed, andthere was a rush of feet overhead. Bessie cried out in joy, and the nextinstant a dozen men tumbled down the steps and overpowered Larry. 

"Are you Bessie King?" asked their leader. "I've got a search warrantempowering me to search this yacht for you and one Zara Doe and take youashore. "

"We're the ones! Take us!" pleaded Bessie. 

And, sobbing with joy, she went up the steps to the deck. There Jeff, furious but powerless in the grip of two men, watched her go over theside and into a small boat in which sat Eleanor, who threw her armsjoyously about the recovered captives. Dolly was there, too, and shekissed and hugged Bessie as soon as Eleanor was done. 

"The men got here in time from Bay City, " said Eleanor. "Thank Heaven! Afew minutes more, and they would have been too late. I telephoned assoon as I could, and I knew the district attorney there was a friend ofCharlie Jamieson. He came at once with his men. "

"The propeller was fouled. That's why they couldn't get away, " saidBessie. "Wasn't that lucky?"

Dolly snorted. 

"Luck nothing!" she said, perkily. "I swam out with a rope, and theynever saw me! I was there, diving up and down, for half an hour. Ithought they'd have a lovely time getting it clear when the knots Imade had swollen up!"

"Yes, it was Dolly who saved the day, " said Eleanor. 

"Shall we row you ashore, ma'am, or do you want to see the rest of thefun on board?" asked one of the oarsmen. 

"Take us ashore, please. I'll hear all about it later, " said Eleanor. 

And in five minutes the Camp Fire Girls were reunited. 

+---------------------------------------------------+| Transcriber's Note || || Campfire as one word appears in the list of books || and title page, whereas two words have been used || throughout the rest of the book. Similar usage || has been retained in this e-book. |+---------------------------------------------------+