AT BEAR CAMP
"Talk about the old-time coaching days!" remarked Dave. "I don't believe
they were any worse than this."
"Oh, Dave, you mustn't find fault!" cried Jessie. "We'll soon be there,
I hope."
"Providing we don't go down in some hole and break off a wheel," put in
Roger. "Say, this road is some rough!"
"I'll have it rolled down for you the next time, Roger!" cried Phil,
gaily. "Just imagine yourself in the wild West, in one of the old-time
overland coaches, with the Indians in full pursuit. How about that,
Belle?"
"It sounds good enough for a dime novel," answered the girl from the
West. "Personally I never saw any Indians in pursuit of a stage-coach or
anything else. The Indians around Star Ranch were as peaceable as one
could wish."
Over the rough and rather narrow trail bumped the two stage-coaches. Our
friends frequently found themselves bounced off the seats, and more
than once they were in danger of cracking their heads against the roofs
of the turnouts. It was growing dark, and the only lights the drivers
had were their smoking lanterns. Inside of the stage-coaches the boys
had their hand flashlights, which they used occasionally to illuminate
the scene.
"Never mind! Don't you care!" cried Phil, and then added: "What's the
matter with a song?"
"Let's give them our old Oak Hall song!" exclaimed Dave, and a moment
later he started their old favorite, sung to the tune of "Auld Lang
Syne."
"Oak Hall we never shall forget,
No matter where we roam,
It is the very best of schools,
To us it's just like home.
Then give three cheers, and let them ring
Throughout this world so wide,
To let the people know that we
Elect to here abide!"
"Oh, how splendid!" was Belle's comment. "Please sing it again," and
they did.
Then they followed with a number of familiar songs. The sound was caught
up by those in the second coach, and soon they too were singing lustily.
"Gosh-all-hemlock!" was the comment of the stage-driver of the forward
coach. "That there singin' is better'n a nigger minstrels!"
"Better join in," suggested Dave, and then started up with "The Suwanee
River," and to the surprise of all the old stage-driver broke in with a
heavy bass voice which really balanced the others quite well.
The storm was a thing of the past, and as night came on the thin
crescent of the new moon and numberless stars showed themselves.
"O my, look!"
"Isn't that perfectly grand!"
"I don't wonder they call it Mirror Lake!"
Such were some of the cries from the girls as the first of the
stage-coaches rolled out on the edge of the sheet of water by which the
bungalows were located. Here, at a certain point, they could gaze down
the full length of the lake. In spite of the rain that had fallen the
surface of the water seemed unusually smooth, and it glistened in the
light of the moon and the stars like silver.
"Oh, it's just too splendid for anything!" exclaimed Jessie, as she
clapped her hands in delight. "What a beautiful place to come to!"
"I don't see how it could be any prettier than it is," added Laura.
"Why, it's just like a scene from fairyland!" declared Belle. "Oh, I
know I'm going to have just the nicest time ever while I'm here!"
"I see the bungalows!" cried Roger, and he pointed to a number of lights
twinkling between the trees.
"I told Mary, the hired girl, to light up so we could see where we were
going," said Mrs. Wadsworth.
"This is about as far as we can go with the stages," announced the
driver of the first turnout, as he came to a halt. "You'll have to walk
the rest of the distance. Bill and me will help you with the traps."
Soon the other stage came up, and all on board alighted. The two
stage-drivers took the heaviest of the suitcases, while the boys and Mr.
Porter and Mr. Basswood carried the others. Mr. and Mrs. Wadsworth led
the way along a trail that was still somewhat wet and slippery.
"It's right in the woods, that's sure!" declared Roger.
"What do you think of it?" asked Dave, as they approached the two
bungalows, which stood only a short distance apart.
"Oh, I like it very much. I think we ought to have a dandy time here,
Dave."
"Just what I was thinking."
Their approach had been noticed by the servant girls, and this couple
came out to meet them. Then the two drivers were paid, and they returned
to their stages and started back for Carpen Falls.
"I'm glad that journey is ended!" remarked Jessie, as she sank into a
rustic rocking-chair. "My! but it was quite an adventure; now wasn't
it?"
"It certainly was, Jessie," answered Dave. "I don't suppose you'll want
to go back by automobile?"
"Not unless you guarantee the weather, Dave," she answered, with a
smile.
The Basswood family, along with Shadow and Luke, had gone off to the
second bungalow, leaving the others at the one over which Mrs. Wadsworth
was to preside. The lady of the bungalow showed the girls and the boys
the various rooms which they were to occupy. As all of the other baggage
had arrived from the railroad station two days before, the tourists lost
no time in getting rid of their damp garments and donning others more
comfortable. After that all made an inspection of the bungalow, and then
trooped over to the other building.
"Say, this suits me down to the ground!" said Luke. "It couldn't be
better."
"I noticed a number of canoes and rowboats at the dock," said Shadow.
"We are bound to have some fine times out on that lake."
"And did you notice the bath-houses?" added Ben. "That means good times
swimming."
"Providing the water isn't too cold," said Phil. "In some of these lakes
among the mountains it gets pretty cold, don't you know, especially if
the lake happens to be fed by springs."
"Oh, pshaw! who's afraid of a little cold water?" cried his chum,
disdainfully.
"Any danger of a bear coming to eat us up?" queried Luke.
"Oh, don't say bears again!" cried Jessie. "I don't want to hear of
them, much less see them."
"Say, that puts me in mind of a story!" cried Shadow, eagerly. "Once a
bear got away from his keeper and wandered around a little New England
village until he came to a cottage where an old lady lived. All of the
villagers were scared to death, and some of them started to get their
shotguns and rifles with which to kill Mr. Bruin. But the old lady had
her own idea of what to do. She grabbed up a broomstick and began to
hammer that bear right on his nose, and would you believe me? Mr. Bruin
got so scared that he ran away and then went straight back to his keeper
and allowed himself to be chained up again!"
"Shadow, is that a true story or a made-up yarn?" asked Laura.
"It was told to me down East, and they said it was absolutely true," was
the answer. "They even gave me the name of the old lady."
"Say, Shadow, it was a wonder they didn't give you the name of the
broomstick," said Dave, and with that there was a short laugh.
Dave, Roger, and Phil had been given two rooms between them. One was
considerably smaller than the other, and this Dave occupied. On the
other side of a little hallway were the girls, while Mr. and Mrs.
Wadsworth and Dunston Porter occupied large chambers next to the
living-room. In the rear were two tiny rooms for the hired help. At the
other bungalow Ben and his friends occupied three little rooms, while
Mr. and Mrs. Basswood had a large apartment off to one side. At this
bungalow there was an extra large living-room in which was placed, among
other things, a small upright piano, somewhat out of tune but still
usable.
"Now don't you boys dare to play any tricks to-night!" said Laura, when
she and her girl friends were about to retire. "You just keep your
tricks for some other time."
"All right, Laura, I'll make Roger and Phil be good," answered her
brother. "I guess we are all tired enough to sleep soundly." And he
certainly spoke the truth as far as he personally was concerned, for
hardly had his head touched the pillow than he was off to the land of
dreams.
The boys were up bright and early on the following morning. It was a
beautiful day, with the sun shining brightly and a gentle breeze blowing
from the West. To be sure, the forest back of the bungalow was still
wet, but it had dried off down at the shore of the lake, and at the dock
where were located two rowboats and several canoes.
"Let us all go out for a row after breakfast," suggested Dave. "It will
limber us up."
The aroma of freshly-made coffee and of sizzling bacon filled the air
between the bungalows, and soon the young folks who had gone down to the
dock to look at the lake and the craft on it, came trooping back for
their breakfast.
"Don't you think it would be more pleasant if we could all eat together,
Mrs. Wadsworth?" said Laura, while they were partaking of the repast.
"Perhaps so, Laura, and maybe we'll be able to arrange it," answered the
lady. "Mrs. Basswood spoke about it. They have a large living-room there
that might be utilized as a dining-room for all, and in pleasant weather
we might all eat out on our wide porch."
"That's the talk!" cried Dave. "I'd rather eat outdoors any time, if
the weather would permit."
"Oh, yes, let us eat on the porch!" cried Jessie. And so, later on, it
was arranged, the entire party eating indoors only when it was wet.
The canoes had been turned over and were perfectly dry, but the two
rowboats had to be bailed out. Various parties were made up to go out,
and presently Dave found himself in one of the canoes with Jessie as his
sole companion.
"Any particular place you'd like to go?" questioned our hero, as he
dipped his paddle into the lake, and with a firm sweep sent the long and
graceful canoe gliding away from the little dock.
"Supposing we go along the shore, Dave?" answered the girl. "I would
like to see how it looks beyond this cove."
"All right, I'll keep as close to shore as possible," he replied. And
then they set off, leaving the others to go where they pleased.
"You don't suppose there's any danger of our upsetting?" queried Jessie.
"We won't upset if you keep perfectly still," answered Dave. "I think I
can manage this craft all right."
On and on they went over the smooth surface of the lake, passing at
times close to the shore and under the overhanging branches of trees,
which at some points were very thick. In spots the water was shallow,
and so clear that they could see the bottom with ease and occasionally
catch sight of fishes darting in one direction or another.
"I think we're going to have some fine times fishing up here," declared
the youth, as a beautiful trout flashed by only a few feet away.
They were coming around a long curve of the shore. Just ahead was a high
point of rocks, on which somebody had erected a rude summer-house of
untrimmed tree-branches.
"What a cute little place!" declared Jessie, in delight.
"It must belong to some of the cottages around the bend," answered Dave.
"I believe there is quite a colony somewhere up here."
They passed around the point of rocks, and a few minutes later came in
sight of several rustic cottages set in a grove of trees. In front of
the cottages was a long, narrow dock, at which rested several craft,
including a fair-sized motor-boat.
"Hello, I didn't know there was a motor-boat on this lake!" exclaimed
Dave. "Whoever owns it must have had some job getting it here."
No one was at the dock or on the motor-boat, and passing that point,
Dave sent his canoe along another picturesque bit of the lake shore.
Then, as they made another turn, they came in sight of a log cabin which
had evidently been erected many years before.
"Well, I never! Dave, what in the world are those folks doing?"
The cry came from Jessie, and not without reason, for they had suddenly
come in sight of three or four men and several ladies, all stationed in
front of the old log cabin. One of the men was dressed in the garb of a
woodsman; and he held a large ax in his hands, raised over his head as
if to strike down one of the younger ladies. Then another of the ladies
rushed up, and fell on her knees with upraised hands in front of the
man.
"Hello, I know these people!" cried Dave, in astonishment. "They are the
moving-picture actors who were on board that burning steam yacht!"