A DAY OF EXCITEMENT
"Get back!" commanded Crazy Jane, pushing a crowd of girls away. "Do you
want to smother the poor child?"
"We must get her into one of the tents," declared Mrs. Livingston.
"Wait till she comes to," answered Jane, turning Harriet over on her back
so that the rain, which was falling in a fine drizzle now, might beat on
the face of the unconscious girl.
Now Harriet began to move her head from side to side to avoid the drizzle
that was beating into her face. Soon her eyelids began to quiver. Her
breathing became stronger. Mrs. Livingston was kneeling beside her,
chafing the girl's hands and smoothing back the tangled hair from her
white forehead.
"I think she should be carried in to one of the tents now," said the Chief
Guardian.
"Sure," agreed Jane, gathering Harriet into her arms and staggering away.
She shook her head vehemently as half a dozen girls sprang forward to help
her with her burden.
Harriet struggled from the friendly arms of Jane.
"I--I can walk," she said weakly. Jane threw an arm about her waist and
led her into the nearest tent, followed by Mrs. Livingston and more than
twenty Camp Girls.
"You had better all go to your tents, dry yourselves and get into bed,"
advised the Chief Guardian. "We don't want any of our Camp Girls to become
ill, you know. Miss Burrell will be all right now, I think."
The Camp Girls obeyed reluctantly, though Harriet's chums asked and
received permission to remain with their fellow Meadow-Brook girl. Upon
entering the tent Jane saw the tousled head of Patricia Scott above the
blankets of another girl's col Patricia had crawled into the first cot she
came to.
"Get up, young lady, and give Harriet a chance," ordered Jane.
Patricia merely stared, then her black eyes snapped. She made no move to
rise. Crazy Jane did not repeat her order. Instead she strode up to the
cot, grasped the edge of it and turned it over. Patricia went sprawling.
Harriet had sat down heavily on the floor of the tent as soon as her
friend released her. Jane patted down the quilts and stepping over to her
companion assisted her to the suddenly vacated cot.
"Get in, honey," smiled Jane.
Patricia had scrambled to her feet, her eyes snapping menacingly, her
hands clenched so tightly as to show white ridges at the knuckles. Then
she caught sight of the Chief Guardian about to enter the tent and brought
up abruptly in her charge on Crazy Jane who had not deigned to look at
Patricia after dumping her out of the cot.
"You may go to my quarters and lie down, Miss Scott," ordered Mrs.
Livingston. "The rest of you may do the same when you feel equal to it."
Patricia flung herself out of the tent angrily. Cora remained a few
moments, acting as though she wanted to say something. However, instead of
doing so she finally followed Patricia and went through the rain to Mrs.
Livingston's tent.
"Ith--ith Harriet better now?" questioned Tommy in a hesitating voice.
"Yes, dear, we hope so. She will be as well as ever by to-morrow morning.
Miss McCarthy, do you know what she did to save those girls?"
"No, Mrs. Livingston, I don't know. She saved them all right. That's as
much as I care to know. Has any one a wrapper? Harriet is soaking wet."
Hazel and Margery immediately began rummaging in the tent. They failed to
find a kimono or dressing gown, because the girls who occupied the tent
were wearing their own. Mrs. Livingston thereat, removed Harriet's torn,
dressing gown, wrapping her in dry blankets, Harriet protesting all the
time that she was not in need of all these attentions. One of the regular
occupants of the tent was sent to another tent where she slept on the
floor for the rest of the night. She had offered no objection to giving up
her bed, nor would she have done so had she found Patricia there, as
Patricia Scott well knew. Jane declared that she would not leave Harriet.
In the meantime, Miss Partridge, who now was Mrs. Livingston's Chief
Assistant, was making hot tea for the girls who had been caught under the
falling tree. Mrs. Livingston remained with Harriet for a little time,
leaving soon after Miss Partridge came in with the tea. Shortly after that
she might have been seen, enveloped in a hooded raincoat tramping about
the camp with Jasper, examining the trees to learn if there was further
danger from any of them. Having satisfied herself on this point and making
a final round of the tents to see that her girls were all comfortably
settled for the night, Mrs. Livingston returned to her own tent.
Morning dawned bright and beautiful after the storm. It was not until then
that the Camp Girls realized what a narrow escape Harriet Burrell and the
three other girls had had. There was nothing to be seen of the tent save
here and there a white patch of canvas observable under the mass of limbs
and foliage. Jasper was at work stoically chopping away, both for the sake
of clearing up the mess and providing some excellent wood for the
campfire. After dinner enough of the wreckage was cleared away so that the
girls were able to catch a glimpse of the four cots drawn up close
together, though they were now crushed down and lay in confusion on the
floor of the tent.
Harriet had gotten up shortly after the usual hour. Her eyes were bright,
but her face showed the effect of the trial through which she had passed.
It still bore scratches. The girl was so lame that every step she took
gave her pain and her back was so stiff that she stooped considerably when
walking. Mrs. Livingston had tried to get the story of Harriet's saving of
their lives from the three girls. Patricia and Cora were uncommunicative.
Tommy had no very clear idea of what had occurred, except that she "wath
thmothered almotht to death." But Mrs. Livingston was not to be put off so
easily. She found an opportunity to speak with Harriet early in the
afternoon. The first question she asked was why the cots had been placed
in the middle of the tent floor.
Harriet smiled as she told the Guardian that they had been dragged there
so that their occupants might escape the rain.
"What followed?" urged Mrs. Livingston.
"Everything happened. It seemed as if we were being slowly crushed to
death. Then Jane and Jasper came to the rescue."
"How did you get such a lame back?" asked the Chief Guardian suddenly.
"I think it was trying to lift the cots," answered Harriet, then she
blushed. "I mean when the cots----"
"I understand," smiled the Guardian. "You held up the cots so that your
companions might not be crushed."
"I had to do so," admitted Harriet. "But it was no more than I should have
done. You see the branches suddenly began pressing down on the cots
pinning the girls underneath them. I knew they never could get out if the
whole weight of the tree once settled down on them. Jane was near at hand.
I knew she would reach us in a very few moments. It was nothing, Mrs.
Livingston. I didn't wish to speak of it. Please don't say anything to the
girls about it unless you wish to embarrass me," added Harriet, laughing.
"I have been more conspicuous already than I like. You see they have not
forgotten the soapy soup."
"Nor have I," answered the guardian with a quick compression of her lips.
"That affair is being investigated, though I have now little hope of
fixing upon the guilty person. Perhaps this interruption may bring out
something however. That makes two mysteries for us to clear up. First the
hazing, then the incident of the consommé. There are one or more guilty
girls in this camp who must be found and dismissed. I am determined upon
that. Now about your sleeping quarters."
"Oh, yes, I was going to speak with you about that."
"The only tent we have is a small A tent with room enough for two persons.
Do you think you can get along with that, allowing one other girl to share
the tent with you, say for instance, Miss Kidder?"
"Oh, yes. But I rather thought I should like to sleep out of doors for a
few nights. May I?"
"If you think you are well enough. I would suggest that you place your bed
near the tent that we shall erect this afternoon, then if you wish to go
inside you will not have far to go. Why do you wish to sleep out of
doors?"
"I thought I should like to try for the 'honor' for sleeping out doors for
five consecutive nights."
"Oh, yes. That reminds me. You have some 'honors' coming to you as it is.
At dinner this evening I shall have something to say that undoubtedly will
please you. But we have a visitor. I must leave you."
The visitor was none other than Charlie Collier. He was alone and was
shaking hands with Cora when Harriet first caught sight of him. Harriet
Burrell's face assumed a thoughtful expression as she looked the young
man over. She had no particular fault to find with his appearance, but the
conversation she had overheard between Cora and Patricia outside the tent,
instantly recurred to Harriet. Mr. Collier was undoubtedly there to get
his answer regarding Cora's accompanying him to the dance at "The Pines."
"Oh, I hope she doesn't do anything so foolish," thought Harriet.
The guest was soon chatting with Mrs. Livingston, then after having paid
his respects to her, he walked with Cora, greeting the other girls to whom
he had been introduced on his previous visit. He glanced at Harriet and
she was positive that he asked some question of his companion concerning
her, for Cora turned quickly toward Harriet, then seeing she was observed,
shifted her glance.
"I wish she would introduce me. I know I could very easily spoil her
little plan," thought Harriet. However, she was not asked to meet Mr.
Collier. Very shortly afterwards, he bade the girls good-bye, saying that
he must be getting on as he was to have an active part in the preparations
for the dance at "The Pines" that evening. More than one girl in camp
wished that she might be numbered among those who were going to dance at
"The Pines."
Jane came running up to Harriet saying that Mrs. Livingston had said
Jasper was to fix whatever sort of a bed Harriet wished. Jane suggested
that they bring a cot out from one of the tents, and build a roof over it.
"That isn't the kind of bed I am going to sleep on," answered Harriet,
glancing up brightly. "Did you ever see a woodsman's bed?"
"Gracious, no!" exclaimed Crazy Jane. "What sort of a freak is it?"
"There comes Jasper. I will tell him what I want. He doesn't look
particularly happy, does he!"
Harriet told Jasper to cut two six-inch tree trunks and fetch them to the
site of the new tent. He brought some that had already been cut for a
Council Fire. Harriet directed him to place them on a level piece of
ground, parallel to each other and about four feet apart.
"Now bring me all the pine boughs you can get. I shall need a lot of
them," said Harriet brightly.
Jane herself carried a great many of these boughs to the spot. Harriet
broke them off to a length to suit her, after which she began sticking the
boughs in the soft earth, tops uppermost. Armful after armful was disposed
of in this manner until a fragrant green mound had been built up. On top
of this when she could find no more room to stick the sharp ends of the
boughs, the girl laid other boughs, being careful not to leave any sharp
ends projecting.
"Now, Jasper, if you will bring me my mattress, we will try the bed," she
said after completing and surveying her work critically.
Jasper did as she requested, for Harriet's lame back would not permit of
her lifting anything of weight. The mattress was placed on top of the
heap. Harriet pointed to it, nodding brightly to Crazy Jane.
"Try it, dear," she said.
By this time quite a crowd of girls had gathered about Harriet to watch
the making of the bed, never having seen anything of the kind before. Jane
very cautiously placed herself on the new bed. To her amazement it did not
break down with her. Instead she seemed to be lying on fragrant air. Jane
uttered a little cry of delight.
"How do you like it?" chuckled Harriet.
"Oh, girls this is simply great. I could just die on this bed."
"Please don't. I want to sleep on it to-night," answered Harriet
laughingly. "I didn't make it for you to pass your last moments on. I made
it to sleep on and I propose to have a real sleep there this very night."
However, as a matter of fact, Harriet Burrell was not destined to enjoy
her night's rest on the bed of pine boughs.
On the contrary she was destined to pass a most miserable night, in this
her first sleep in the open.