inches below the surface of the nearby pool, you know."
He dug deeper and soon the well began filling with muddy water. "There,
now I've got it!" said Dick.
"Do you expect us to drink _that_!" scorned Joan.
"No, but wait." Dick hurriedly baled out the well until it was almost
emptied. Then he allowed it to fill again.
He baled it out a second time, and permitted it to fill again. The third
time the water was almost clear, so he baled once more, and this time
the water filtered in as clear as crystal.
He stooped, drank from it, and said: "It's cold and pure!"
Then the girls drank, and found it most refreshing to their parched
tongues and throats.
"Well, I never knew that before! We've learned two things by being lost
with Dick as guide," said Julie frankly, and Dick was delighted to hear
such nice things about himself.
"Shall we try to circle this fen and get across, or go back again?" now
asked Dick.
"It's hard to tell just what is best to do," murmured Julie, puckering
her brow in thought.
Suddenly two shots echoed down the mountainside, and after an interval
of six seconds a third shot rang out.
"There! Alec's seen our smoke. His signal means 'Where are you?' What
shall we do?" cried Dick, excitedly.
"How can we answer them?" wondered the girls.
"We'll have to back-trail to our clearing. That's where the shots
sounded from," said Dick.
"Dear me, if only we had waited there, they would have found us,"
complained Judith.
"But we didn't, so the next best thing to do is to get back as soon as
we can, or they'll go away again," declared Julie.
They climbed, scrambled and tumbled up the rugged slope, keeping as far
as they could to the rough trail they had made in coming down. When they
thought they were near the clearing, they shouted with all their
lung-power, and the welcome sound of answering calls soon greeted their
ears.
"Oh, Dick, give that cat-call again so they will know we're on our way,"
asked Julie, anxiously.
So Dick gave his ear-splitting whistle by placing his fingers between
his lips and blowing through the crevices. In less than ten seconds
afterwards, two shots sounded in quick succession.
"That means they've heard us and are waiting," cried Dick. "Come this
way,--that echo is misleading."
So the girls followed their young guide, and soon they broke through the
fringe of great trees into the clearing where the rest of the party
stood. Alec gave them no time to explain. He was angry, and no mistaking
it!
"Dick, can you tell me of any concession made to you that allows you to
start two fires and then go away and leave them to work their will in
these forests? If we had not found the fires you left, what might have
resulted to this area of mountain land?"
The girls and Dick stood amazed, for they had forgotten all about the
fires started as smoke signals.
"When I broke through the underbrush into this clearing, the fires were
blazing away like fury. They had encroached upon all the brush and handy
leaves, and were eating a way to the timber-line. In half an hour more
those same _little_ fires would be raging over the crest and destroying
acres and acres of forest-trees, to say nothing of causing the work all
the farmers and forest-rangers would have in trying to control it. Just
because a brainless scout _forgot_ his duty!" The scorn in Alec's last
words was cutting.
Dick began to apologize, but Alec held up a hand. "No apology will
answer for such a thing." Then he turned to Ned and said: "Put Dick down
for penance at camp."
"We ought to be punished as well as Dick," said Julie. "We never
remembered the fires, either."
"That's up to your Captain,--I am merely doing my duty to _my_ Troop,"
returned Alec.
"Had anything to eat?" asked Anne, who always felt sorry for any one who
was hungry.
"We ate the mushrooms we found," meekly replied Joan.
"Then come back and eat what we left for you. We had fish and greens and
biscuit," said Hester.
While they were munching the cold food, Alec questioned them further.
"Why didn't you use what scout-sense you had? You know you could have
found the way you came through those woods by looking for broken cobwebs
across the bushes; by overturned stones with the damp under side
showing; or by broken twigs and crushed blades of grass; and last, but
hardest, you might have looked to see where leaves on trees and bushes
were turned awry from your brushing against them. They do not right
themselves immediately, you know."
"We never heard of that before," admitted Julie.
"But Dick has, even though he has forgotten it," said Alec. "He had to
learn it from the Manual--what he would do in case of being lost in a
forest."
"But even if you knew nothing about that, you all knew it would simplify
things for us if you were to blaze a way to guide us the way you went.
You could easily have broken twigs and left them hanging, or piled
little heaps of stones along the trail you took."
"Oh, for goodness sake! Let up on us now, and wait until _you_ are lost,
will you?" cried Julie, placing her palms over her ears.
"Yes, it's so easy to tell the other feller what to do!" was all the
retort Dick made.
"Well, children, after all I have my inning!" declared Mr. Gilroy,
chuckling.
"What's that?" demanded every one.
"I wanted you to come home and dine with me, but no! you must stop to
cook in the woods. Now you'll all be glad enough to hurry home and come
to my party. And the dinner won't be slighted, either, from so much
overeating up here!"
CHAPTER SEVEN
A LITTLE BUSINESS
At breakfast the day following the "Lost Scouts'" adventure, Mrs. Vernon
remarked: "Girls, yesterday's experience taught me an important thing,
and that is, we need a set of rules for camp, so that every member of
Dandelion Troop will have her proper share of work and duty to perform.
"We have been keeping house in a haphazard way, with no responsibility
attached to any one but Julie and me. Now, each day there must be some
sort of regulations and punishments, if duties are neglected. The fire
yesterday showed me that that system was good."
"Your idea is all right, Verny, but what will the rules cover, and why
have punishments?" asked Julie.
"Because every day will probably bring new problems to us, so that set
rules will not do, but each day must have added rules. If these rules
are not obeyed, the scout who is negligent ought to be made to pay for
her lack of obedience."
"Have you formulated any plan to begin with?" asked Joan.
"I thought that Julie, as Scout Leader, could consult with me about
that. Although I think we ought to select a new orderly for each day, to
see that the other scouts do what is required of them. If we begin with
Ruth, Betty next day, and so on through the new membership, one each
day, it brings us to the eighth day. Of course Julie, Joan and I will
not be orderlies. But the Leader and Corporal are over the Orderly, and
the Captain over all of you."
"What do you expect the Orderly to do, Verny?" asked Joan.
"She will read the rules for the day immediately after breakfast. Every
scout must take turns in being cook for camp one day. One must be
wood-gatherer, one must see that food supplies are on hand, some must do
the fishing, and so on through the entire housekeeping list. This trains
every one alike, and no partiality will be shown one who is a fine cook
or one who is an awful one!"
The girls laughed, and the Captain continued: "Then, we don't expect one
to do all the heavy work while another goes free, and by partitioning
the work and control each one does her bit. In case of any gross
negligence or breaking of rules, the Officer of the Day, the Corporal
and the Leader will decide the punishment. Should need arise, the whole
Troop may act as a jury to judge the matter."
After the Captain had finished speaking, the scouts sat down and
compiled a set of Camp Rules, and Ruth was asked to print them neatly
on cardboard, because Ruth was the artistic scout of the group.
This business disposed of, Julie said: "Now what shall we do to-day,
girls?"
"But you haven't chosen an Orderly for the Day!" called Judith.
"Oh, that's so! Well, it lies between Ruth and Amy, as they are the more
experienced scouts, to act the first day."
"Don't choose me. I've got my work cut out already, if you expect these
rules nicely printed," declared Ruth.
"All right, then; it's Amy. No partiality meant, girls," Julie reminded
them.
"More like 'malice aforethought,'" giggled Joan.
"Why? Isn't it an honor to be the Orderly?" demanded Julie.
"It may _seem_ like an honor, but when it is thoroughly investigated it
turns out to be just plain old hard work!"
"Sure, Julie! Don't you see, all the other scouts go scot free for the
day, while the Orderly has to see that everything is done properly and
then take the blame if nothing is right," laughed Judith.
"Well, Amy is able to carry the burden, and it is only for a day; then
another one has to do it," said the Captain.
When the weighty business of selecting rules and deciding on a
recreation for the day was over, Mrs. Vernon said, "Which did you decide
to do first, hike or swim?"
"Is Mr. Gilroy coming over to visit us to-day?" asked Ruth.
"He invited himself to supper to-night, but I doubt if we see him before
that time. Why?" answered the Captain.
"Because if he was coming, he would hike with us, and we'd rather wait
for him, and swim first. But it doesn't matter now."
"We'll go for the hike first, and when we get back a fine, cool swim
will feel good," suggested the Orderly for the day.
"Verny, do you know of any places one might choose for an objective on a
hike?" asked Joan.
"Yes, Mr. Gilroy gave me a county map that shows every good trail within
twenty miles of here. I'll get it and we'll look it over." So saying,
the Captain went to her tent for the paper.
They all sat about Mrs. Vernon as she studied the map and read aloud of
various trails that sounded interesting. At last she said: "Here's one
that seems inviting. It is named 'River Bend,' and the trail winds along
one of the streams that is an outlet of our lake. The description says
the blazes are old but distinct, and no one can miss the may. Shall we
try that trail?"
"Where does it end?" questioned Hester.
"How long is it to anywhere?" asked Anne.
"It's seven miles, and forks when one reaches the hut of an Indian
canoe-builder. One fork runs to River Bend village, and the other to a
ravine that is said to be most picturesque."
"We'll take that trail and decide which place we prefer to see, the
village or the ravine, after we have hiked a while," said the Orderly.
"Why not take a little flour and fat and catch some fish at noon, and
sup while on the trail?" asked Julie.
"Why not carry our dinner stuff and have a _regular_ meal while we are
about it," said Anne, who could not forego a dinner.
The other scouts laughed, and Mrs. Vernon replied, "All right, it sounds
inviting."
So each scout carried a tin cup and platter, while the Orderly saw to it
that each one carried part of the dinner material. It fell to the
Captain's lot to carry the frying-pan, and to Anne to carry the
two-quart pail; the others had the flour, bacon, potatoes, etc.
River Bend trail led down to the end of the lake, where the stream
started. It wound in and out, as it followed the uneven edges of Little
Moose Lake, running over mossy knolls, through rivulets, past
waterfalls, and around impassable obstructions. Thus the detouring added
greatly to the distance the map had vouched for.
The scouts had paper and pencils in case they wished to sketch anything
interesting, but most of the paper was used in writing notes along the
way, to be entered later in their records. They had gone about two miles
when Julie stopped short and held up a warning hand.
"Verny, listen! I heard a baby crying pitifully over in those high
bushes."
"Mercy me! Do you suppose there can be any gypsies here?" cried Amy, the
timid.
"Gypsies--nothing! But how could a baby get in that jungle?" retorted
Joan.
Then they distinctly heard the plaintive wail, as of a very young child
in fear and distress. Even Mrs. Vernon turned pale at the picture that
presented itself to her thought.
"Girls, we've got to investigate this. It doesn't seem plausible that
any one would bring a kidnapped child to this wilderness to lose it, but
one can never tell!" declared Julie.
"It's a baby, that we know, so it's up to us to save it," added Ruth.
"The poor little dear!" wept Betty, the tender-hearted.
So the scouts began cutting a way through the almost impenetrable growth
that divided the trail from the place whence came the cries. But as they
went deeper in the jungle and got nearer the spot they were aiming for,
the cries ceased.
"Dear, dear! I hope the little thing isn't past aid?" murmured the
Captain, anxiously.
That urged the scouts to greater endeavor, and finally Julie broke into
a tiny clearing of about three feet across, and saw a little grey
rabbit, which had been caught in an old mesh-wire trap set by some one
long before and forgotten.
"Oh, you poor little creature!" cried Julie, falling upon her knees to
rescue the soft little thing.
"Is it alive, Jule?" asked a chorus of anxious voices.
"Yes, but it is awfully afraid of me. I can't do anything for it."
"Maybe it will bite you--do be careful, Jule!" called Amy, deliciously
thrilled at this fearful risk her friend was taking.
"Bite!" scorned Julie. "It's starved, and too weak to even nibble."
"Wait, Julie! Let me throw my hat over it so it won't see what we are
doing. Then it won't feel so frightened. Remember the 'Boulder' we all
saw, and when it moved we had a panic? Well, our sense of sight was all
that caused that fear. It is the same now--what the rabbit doesn't see
it won't fear," explained Mrs. Vernon.
While it was hidden under the broad-brimmed scout hat, the rabbit was
not aware of the willing rescuers, and soon Julie had the snare open,
and Mrs. Vernon held the little creature in her hat.
"Shall we let it go now?" asked some of the girls.
"It may have an injured leg where the trap caught it. I think we will
carry it home and feed it well, and then if it is all right, it can run
away. It is sure to be caught by some larger animal if it is unable to
jump or run," said the Captain.
"This will make a dandy story to write down in our record book, Verny,
won't it?" asked Ruth, eagerly.
"Yes, but it will also show how inexperienced we are in wildwood
sounds,--to mistake the rabbit's cry for a child's wail."
"But it _did_ sound exactly like a baby, there's no denying that!"
exclaimed Julie, frowning as she realized how they all were caught
napping.
"This reminds me of a story Alec told us yesterday when we were waiting
at the campfire for you lost scouts," said Hester. "He and his Troop
went on a three days' hike in the country last year, and at night they
found an old abandoned barn where they decided to sleep. The floor was
in good condition, with a bit of hay piled up in one corner. But the
loft overhead was in such bad condition that in many places the flooring
was broken down completely. As there was no ladder or stairway to reach
it, the boys concluded there was no use in examining it--no one would be
up there!
"So they stretched out on the hay and were soon sound asleep. But some
time after that--no one knew how long they had been asleep--Ned nudged
Alec and whispered: 'Some one's in the loft!'
"Alec sat up and listened. Sure enough, he could hear a man snoring as
distinctly as he could hear Dick breathe.
"So he roused the other scouts, and they very quietly crept over to the
side where they could get a grip on the joists to help themselves up.
Each scout had armed himself in some way. One had an old pitchfork with
but one prong. Another had a rake handle, one found the curved handle of
a feed-grinder, and so on.
"When they got to the shaky, decayed floor above, the snoring had
stopped, so they knew the tramp was aware of their approach. They had to
be awfully careful, too, so as not to fall through any of the broken
places in the floor. But they each had their lanterns, and used them
before they took a step. Alec went first, and threw the light back and
forth to avoid a sudden surprise from the tramp.
"'There's something moving over on that pile of old burlap sacks!'
whispered Alec, the instant he saw a creeping movement there.
"Several of the boys then jumped and began beating up the sacks
violently. But as suddenly, a pair of wings flapped up in their faces
with a whirring sound, and a barn-owl began to screech madly as she
rose and flew through a hole in the roof."
Hester laughed as she reached this part of the story, and all the scouts
joined in. Julie, who had not heard it before, said:
"Thank goodness, we girls are not the only ones to be taken in, then!"
"Alec said there are lots of wild creatures that make sounds exactly
like human beings. And that owl snored just like a man."
By this time they had regained the trail, and Mrs. Vernon tenderly
adjusted the trembling rabbit. The hat so covered it that it could curl
inside and not see a thing to cause it any fear, and thus it was carried
along, to be cared for later on and then regain its freedom.
The scouts found many interesting subjects for discussion along the
trail, until they reached a wide shallow stream that came down the steep
mountainside and emptied into the river.
"It's not on the map, and it sure cuts off further progress," said the
Captain.
"It's shallow--we can wade it," suggested Julie.
"Let us go upstream and find a narrow ford, or some rocks that we can
cross on," added Mrs. Vernon.
They went up on the near side of the stream, but the banks became so
rocky and impassable that they found it was useless to try to climb
them. The scenery was wild and wonderful, so several good pictures were
taken of the tumbling waters and rocks, and then they all retraced their
steps.
"Now, it's wade or go back," declared Joan.
"Stuff your stockings down in your boots and sling them about your necks
by the strings," advised Julie.
This was done, and one after another the scouts waded through the
stream, shouting, screaming if one slipped on a stone, laughing when one
stepped in a hole and got wet to the waist, but having plenty of fun.
"How did bunny stand the voyage?" called Julie, the moment the Captain
stepped up on the bank.
"Bunny is curled up fast asleep, I guess," said she.
"I wish it was noon. Did any one hear the twelve o'clock whistle blow?"
laughed Joan.
"Why--are you hungry?" questioned Anne.
"Aren't you?" retorted the Orderly.
"Sure! I always am," laughed Anne, frankly.
"Then why not say it is dinner-time, Verny?" asked Ruth.
"You must be hungry, too!" declared Judith.
"I bet we all are, if Verny will take the count," asserted Hester.
"Well, we may as well stop here beside this stream and eat, as to go on
and fare worse," admitted the Captain.
"Some one's got to fish," said Judith.
"Why not all fish and the sooner catch what is needed?" advised Mrs.
Vernon. So this suggestion was followed out.
Four goodly sized fish rewarded the combined efforts of the fishermen
that time, and then two scouts were detailed to clean them, while two
went to build a fire. Others were tolled off to attend to other work,
and in half an hour a savory meal was ready.
When all signs of cooking and eating were cleaned away, Mrs. Vernon took
the bunny again and said they had best go on.
"Outdoor cooking and eating always makes me feel fine. I can walk a
hundred miles now, and feel it no more than if it were a trifle," said
Julie, taking a deep breath.
"All the same, we haven't gone five miles yet, according to Verny's map,
and there is still that walk home, so don't brag too much, Julie,"
advised Betty, seriously.
"We haven't voted yet whether we want to go on to the village or to the
ravine," now said Ruth.
"I'd like to visit the old Indian canoe-maker, and have a chat with
him," said Joan.
"His time is money, so he will charge us for chatting," returned Julie,
grinning.
"I think Joan's idea of visiting the Indian a good one, girls; why not
go there instead of to either of the other places?"
The Captain's suggestion was agreed upon, and the scouts turned in at
the willow-arched walk that led to the Indian's hut. A wide brook ran
under the willows, and here they saw several canoes waiting to be used.
The pathway that ran alongside the brook was littered with rubbish of
all kinds,--the accumulation of years of slovenly housekeeping and lazy
carpenter work out of doors.
But it was evident that the Indian was neither slovenly nor lazy when it
pertained to making canoes. Every canoe there was a splendid example of
workmanship. When the scouts reached the door, the owner came out to see
them.
"Morn'," said he, bowing seriously to his visitors.
"Are you Mike, the Indian?" asked Mrs. Vernon, after acknowledging the
salutation.
"Me Mike--wan'da canoe?"
"No, we came to visit you. We are friends of Mr. Gilroy's," explained
the Captain.
"Huh! Mees'er Gilloy use Mike's canoes."
"So he told us. He says they are the finest anywhere," said Julie,
ingratiatingly.
"Bedder buy one," came from the Indian.
"Verny, we might _rent_ another one--we only have two in the lake, you
know, and we all prefer canoes to boats," whispered Joan.
"We can't afford any added expense," replied Mrs. Vernon.
But Mike understood the meaning of that whisper, so he wisely said:
"Come see fine canoes."
He led the way to his shop on the banks of the little stream and
displayed the various methods of his trade. The girls found it all very
instructive and interesting. Then he said:
"Mike take canoe to lake fer leddy--no charge."
"What do you mean by that?" wondered Julie.
"Mike give fine canoe--one week try; leddy not like, Mike come take him
home. No pay."
"But we don't want any more canoes. We have two now," asserted Mrs.
Vernon.
Mike shrugged his shoulders silently.
"How much you rent canoe for?" asked Julie, believing the Indian could
comprehend better if she used bad English.
"Mike no rent his canoe--sell him cheap."
"We can't afford to buy one, but we might rent it if you make a low
price," bargained Julie.
Mike shook his head decidedly. "No rent--onny buy."
"Come, girls! We must start on, now that we've had our visit," said the
Captain, turning to go.
The scouts reluctantly turned also, but Mike saw their faces, and also
knew that the lady was boss. So he seemed to reconsider.
"Mike got good fren' by Mees'er Gilloy. Mebbe fren's of him be fren's
of Mike. How much you give for rent canoe?"
Every one turned suddenly at that hope held forth.
"What do you ask?" countered Mrs. Vernon.
"Got money now to pay?" asked Mike, cutely.
Julie exclaimed, "Certainly!" But the Captain saw through the shrewd
bargainer, and said: "We'll have Mr. Gilroy do this business for us."
Now Mike had no idea of losing these customers, nor of having to deal
with a good business man like Mr. Gilroy, so he said guilelessly: "Solly
dese gals no paddle home in dis canoe."
Several of the scouts instantly wished to do so, but the Captain said:
"Corporal, see that your Troop does not fall for this enticing snare."
The scouts laughed when they comprehended Mike's intentions, and Mrs.
Vernon courageously walked away. But Mike followed.
"Canoe rent for four dollah week."
"What! that's sixteen a month! I guess not!" cried Julie.
"Fren's of Mees'er Gilloy get him fer tree dollah week."
"No sir-ee!" retorted Julie. "Mike, I'll pay you two dollah week--or six
dollah mont--or feefteen dollah season. What you take?"
All the scouts laughed, but Mike frowned. "Me tak feefteen dollah now to
Augus' furst," said he.
Every one hushed to get every word of this bargaining.
"We want him in Augus', too. Him worth feefteen dollah, no more, till
September ten," declared Julie, slapping her palms together to emphasize
her words.
Mike sighed audibly. "All light. But Mike no carry him an' lose day.
Gals mus' tak now an' pay down."
Then every one turned to every one else, and word ran round: "Who's got
any money?"
"I've got three dollars--that's all," said Mrs. Vernon.
"Mike, we got tree dollahs only. Come to camp and get rest," said Julie.
"You tak him along?" asked Mike, anxiously.
"Are you 'fraid to trust us?" countered Julie.
"Oh, no! Mike no wan' trouble carry him so far, da's all."
So the three dollars was paid down, balance to be paid when Mike called
for it; canoe to be taken along with no added work expected of Mike.