notified over the telephone. A merry evening was enjoyed with dancing
and singing and most of the girls were sure the French Folk Song could
be mastered for a private exhibition on Saturday if they had one more
evening's practise.
"To-morrow is Thursday and some of us are booked to go to those
Burton-Holmes Lectures, but we might all meet again on Friday night?"
suggested Zan.
"Some of us could meet to-morrow and practise, and then all meet
Friday," added Hilda.
"Where do you want to meet Friday--come to my house," invited Jane.
As the Huberts had a large house with a splendid living-room, it offered
excellent facilities for dancing, so the girls gladly accepted the
invitation.
Shortly after nine o'clock Friday night, while the Woodcrafters were
cooling off and talking about their successful dancing lesson of the
French song, Mrs. Hubert opened the door and peeped in.
"When you finish dancing maybe you'll come to the kitchen and help me
make some fudge?" hinted she.
"We're all through!" cried Zan, jumping up and running for the door.
"So we are when there's fudge on the programme," laughed Elena.
But fudge was not the only candy made that night. As Saturday morning
was a "lazy day" for school-girls, they could sleep an hour later than
usual. So there was no haste to get home and to bed that night.
"Mrs. Hubert, you always promised to give us the recipe for your
fudge--it is so good!" exclaimed Elena.
"Why, I'll tell you right now, and you can watch me make it, too,"
replied Mrs. Hubert.
"Lena, write it down to enter in our Tally," said Zan.
As Mrs. Hubert itemised the ingredients for Elena to write down, she
measured out the quantities for the candy.
"One cup of granulated sugar, one cup of powdered sugar, one and a half
cakes of Baker's chocolate, a lump of butter about the size of a walnut,
two-thirds of a cup of milk, and any flavour desired. I shall use
vanilla to-night as most girls like that.
"Now I boil the milk and sugar, stirring all the time from when it is
first placed over the fire. When it fairly hardens so as to form a ball
when dropped in cold water, I remove it from the stove and add the
chocolate which must be shaved very fine, or even grated as it is
to-night.
"Next I add the vanilla, and the butter last. Quickly then, I beat it
until it thickens but it must not sugar. Pour it in buttered tins and
when it is partly hardened we can cut it into squares.
"In case any of you do not have powdered sugar in the house you can use
granulated but the powdered sugar makes it creamy and there is less
danger of crystallising while beating."
The fudge was made and declared the finest ever tasted.
"Oh, but you girls say that every time I treat you," laughed Mrs.
Hubert.
"It's true, and that shows how you improve in candy-making every time
you cook it for us," retorted Zan, quickly.
"Which interpreted means: 'Be sure and give us fudge every time we visit
you,'" laughed Mrs. Hubert.
"You'd hear no kick coming from the Woodcrafters," added Jane.
"Jane! There you go again with your slang! I thought Miss Miller was
curing you girls of that pernicious habit," said Mrs. Hubert.
"We were cured, Mother, but you see our brothers were still ill with the
despised complaint and we caught it again, didn't we Zan?" said Jane,
appealing to her competitor in slang.
Zan's mouth was too full of fudge to reply but she nodded her head
vigorously to express her feelings about slang.
"Dear, dear, such girls!" sighed Mrs. Hubert, taking a recipe book from
the shelf and turning to a page of candies.
"Girls, shall I show you how to make nougat?" asked she.
Naturally they cried "yes" and Elena prepared to make another entry in
the Tally.
"Always blanch the almonds or other nuts to be used. I generally keep
some on hand so we won't have to take time for that work to-night. Now
some of you girls skin these nuts and some of you can chop them very
fine.
"For the nougat, I melt some powdered sugar, using a dessert-spoonful of
lemon juice to every pound of sugar. It takes double the weight of sugar
in almonds. We have a pound of sugar, so I use two pounds of chopped
nuts. They must be hot before dropping them into the sugar-syrup.
"We ought to have regular nougat moulds like confectioners use, but not
having them, I have to take the flat tin we use for ginger-bread. That
is why I had you chop the nuts very fine--so that the nougat when it is
spread in the tin, can be cut with a knife.
"Into this buttered tin, I press the nougat with the lemon skin until it
is all smoothed out flat. Then I quickly cut the bars so they can be
broken apart when it is cold. If we had regular moulds we could use the
nuts in much larger pieces."
"I always thought that nougat was a dreadfully hard candy to make, but
it is as simple as rolling off a log," declared Hilda.
"I just love it, don't you?" said Elena, sniffing the odour that rose
from the pan of candy.
"You love any kind of candy. Your mother says you have a 'sweet tooth,'"
laughed Nita.
"I'll show you how to make one other kind of candy and then it will be
time for you to go home. It is ten o'clock now," said Mrs. Hubert.
"Put a cupful of powdered sugar in a bowl and add about a quarter of a
teaspoonful of cream, or at least enough to stir the spoon about in the
mixture easily. Be careful not to use too much cream, though, as that
will make it run and not cream itself. Now add a teaspoonful of lemon or
vanilla. We will use the latter for this cream. Next stir the mixture
well until all lumps are worked smooth like a paste.
"Here, Jane, stone these dates but do not break them asunder.
"Now girls, as the dates are stoned, you take enough cream to fill the
opening made by the stone. Then you stick the edges of the date together
again and roll in powdered sugar. They are then placed on an oiled paper
to keep from sticking while drying."
The creamed dates were soon made and tasted. Some of the Woodcrafters
said they needed a much larger taste than a single date offered, and
Mrs. Hubert laughed. While the girls were away from the kitchen to find
their hats and coats, the hostess divided the candy left and gave each
amateur confectioner a package to take home with her.
Saturday with its weekly Council found each girl, except Eleanor, more
than elated with the finished article of carpentry work to exhibit at
the meeting. Of the entire collection the bead-loom, tabouret, and chest
were considered the best.
"I declare, girls, it is marvelous how neatly you have fitted the
corners and finished the edges of the work. May's chest is as pretty and
well-made as any I have ever seen. The hinges and clasp are original and
hand-made, too, I see. Did you originate the design alone, May?" said
the Guide, after admiring the objects placed in a row on the table.
"Yes, and the copper hinges and clasp are cut and hammered out of an old
sauce-pan mother threw away a long time ago," replied pleased May.
"And does the key turn easily?" inquired Miss Miller, lifting the lid of
the chest and examining the key-hole carefully.
"I haven't found a key to fit yet!" laughed May.
Then the Guide's attention was given to an investigation of the
elaborate bead-loom made and decorated by Zan as her contribution to the
contest.
"Does it work, Zan?" queried Miss Miller.
"Not unless it is supplied with motive-power!"
"Then you must have tried it out with a bit of your tremendous energy,"
retorted the Guide, smiling at the girl's bright face.
"Not only tried it but finished a strip of bead banding that takes the
cake! I have decided to make enough trimming to decorate a new
ceremonial costume that will turn every Woodcraft girl green with envy,"
bragged Zan.
"That is a boast indeed! Did you include the Tribes of other
Woodcrafters in that challenge?"
"Yep, everybody but Elizabeth Remington. She certainly has the loveliest
beading I ever saw, but then she has had two years' designing at the
School of Art," replied Zan.
After many comparisons and due deliberation, it was decided to present
May Randall with the prize for that contest. As May was a beginner and
the chest was her first piece of work, it won a point above Zan's loom,
which also was a fine piece of work. Both of these objects were
excellent bits of cabinet-work and so neatly finished and beautifully
decorated that it was a draw. May flushed with happiness when she heard
that Zan awarded the prize to her.
"I think the plan of awarding prizes for best work is a good one but we
should decide upon the prize before the contest is started each week.
What have you for May to-day?" said Miss Miller.
"Well, this week we were going to present the winner a solid gold loving
cup but our Wampum Keeper reported a state of bankruptcy so we had to
sacrifice our wishes to conform with the exchequer," said Zan, solemnly,
while the girls giggled.
"I suggested that we take a picture of May, so I brought my camera. It
can be pasted in the Tally Book and mentioned as the winner of the
carpentry contest," said Elena.
"And I thought the film could be enlarged to a size that will correspond
with our cash on hand, and present it to May," added Hilda.
"If we make a picture each week of the prize-winner and article made it
will add greatly to the beauty and interest of the Tally," ventured the
Guide.
"Come on, May, and pose over by the log scenery to have your picture
taken," called Elena, starting for the Council Ring.
"Oh wait, Lena! Don't let's have an indoor picture. It will look so much
better if posed out-doors," cried Nita.
"Let's go over to the fence-corner next to our back yard where the group
of pines will make a pretty back-ground," suggested Frances Mason.
"That's fine! And we'll stand May on some of our logs and have her look
happy while holding her chest!" exclaimed Anne.
"When folks see May holding her chest in the picture, they'll think she
had a bad cold," came from Zan, quickly.
Everyone laughed but Anne added: "Oh, you old tease, you know what I
meant."
"All right, come on and show us what you meant!"
"I wish to goodness we had a ceremonial costume here to dress May and do
the picture up in a truly artistic manner," sighed Elena.
"Hilda and May are about the same size--why not run Hilda home to get
hers?" suggested Jane.
"It won't take more'n ten minutes, Hilda, if you jump on a trolley!"
added Nita, when Hilda frowned down the proposition.
A honking from an automobile horn was heard just then, and Zan jumped up
to run to the door, saying: "Sounds like your machine, Jenny!"
"If it should be Jack, he could drive Hilda over for the dress," replied
Jane.
Before Zan reached the door of the gymnasium, however, the tousled head
of Fiji Baker appeared at the opening and he called out ingratiatingly:
"Don't stop the show for _me_; 'let joy be unconfined' as I just dropped
in for a second to see Miss Miller. Jack is out front tying the bouquets
we wish to throw at the famous dancer!"
Nita laughed for she had confided in the boys and told them about the
new dance scheduled for that Council Meeting.
"Oh, Fiji, you came in answer to our prayers, I'm sure. We need someone
to hustle Hilda over home for a most important package she forgot, and
now Jack can fly while you talk with Miss Miller," explained Zan,
pushing Hilda towards the door as she spoke.
"You'll win a _coup_ on this for 'first aid,'" said Jane to Fiji.
But Fiji paid no attention as he was deeply concerned over some secret
he was whispering to the Guide. Meantime Hilda was urged to order Jack
to drive as fast as he dared so she could be back with the costume
before the sun went down.
Before Fiji and Miss Miller had finished their engrossing conversation,
Hilda returned and the girls adjourned to the scenic-screen-room to
dress the prize-winner in a befitting costume.
May was posed first in one attitude, then in another, till everyone had
satisfied her artistic sense of the picture to be, and perhaps they
would all have had another trial had not May sighed, and cried:
"I'll be so glad when you really click that trigger! This box grows
heavier and heavier every minute. I'm sure it weighs a ton by this
time."
Several snap-shots were taken and May placed the "ton" prize-winner on
the ground and stretched her arms. Then the Woodcrafters filed back to
the gymnasium, where Miss Miller explained the reason of Fiji's visit.
"Doctor Baker invites the Band to join the boys in a week-end camp
near-by the city. Fiji said he and the other boys have been scouting
about for some days trying to find just the right kind of a site where
girls would be comfortable." Miss Miller paused here to allow the
announcement to sink in.
"Huh! I guess Dad wants our Band to act as sort of a brake on those
boys' speed," commented Zan, nevertheless pleased at the invitation.
"Won't it be fun?" cried Jane.
"Where will it be, Miss Miller?" asked Nita.
"Why, Fiji says they have found a wonderful place on the sea-side of
Staten Island. 'The woods almost meet the beach,' he said."
"Oh, can't we try that aqua-planing Elizabeth Remington told us of?"
eagerly questioned Zan.
"We haven't any to try with," replied Jane.
"Fred Remington told Fiji the other day that it was the easiest thing to
make. Just one, two, three! and it is done!" declared Zan, snapping her
fingers with each count.
"I have it! Let's invite Elizabeth to join us in camp and then add, as
an after-thought, how nice it would be if she brought her plane,"
exclaimed Nita, showing that there were still some undestroyed
self-motives in her character.
"Even so, there wouldn't be any motive-power unless Zan supplied some of
her boundless energy," laughed the Guide.
"It won't work in deep water, Miss Miller," retorted Zan.
"If Elizabeth is invited for the plane why not ask Fred and Billy for
their launch?" now suggested Jane.
"Sure enough! You tell Jack to, will you?" chorused some of the girls.
After a lively Council Meeting, the Woodcrafters started eagerly
homeward for they were anticipating the camp and wanted to hear what the
boys had to say about the plane and launch.
But it happened that Fiji and Jack had already thought of the launch and
had invited Fred and his younger brother before the girls spoke of it.
The plane was another matter and they agreed to see Elizabeth about
joining them.
The campers intended starting for the trip immediately after school on
Friday afternoon. Three automobiles--the Bakers', Huberts', and
Remingtons'--would carry them and their luggage to the place selected.
Fred, Billy, and Bob Baker would go in the launch, while Fiji and Jack
planned to paddle their canoe around the Island to the beach where the
camp was to be.
The canoe owned by the two boys was kept on the lake in Branch Brook
Park when the boys were in the city, but during their vacations they
usually took it with them. It now had to be transported across the city
to the Passaic River. Here the boys arranged to meet the express-man and
sail it from that point to Staten Island Sound, thence to the
sea-beach-shore of the Island.
Fred Remington planned to sail the launch along the same route but he
would start later in the day. The canoemen would start in the morning if
clear. The girls in the cars would leave directly after school in the
afternoon, and all expected to meet about the same time on the woodland
site chosen by the boys.
The days preceding Friday afternoon were an anxious time for the
Woodcrafters for they feared it might rain yet hoped that the weather
would be glorious.
The camera picture of May and the chest was developed and printed and
proved to be a great success. It was named "The Prize-winner," and the
film was sent away to be enlarged. Meantime, the Woodcraft Chest had
been left on Miss Miller's table in the gymnasium as she wished to show
it to the scholars who were becoming interested in Woodcraft.
Tuesday afternoon, when she wished to lock the chest in her private
closet, it was not to be found. She sought everywhere, asked the
janitor, and telephoned the girls, but no one had seen or heard a thing
about it.
Miss Miller worried herself ill over the loss, not so much because of
the value of the chest but because it proved there was a dishonest
scholar in that school! May was heart-broken too, as it was her first
accomplishment in Woodcraft and she was so proud of it, that she had
invited all her friends to be sure and call to see it as soon as it was
home in her possession. And now it might never be heard from again!
CHAPTER SIX--THE LOST CAMPERS
In spite of pessimistic prognostications about the weather, Friday came
and it was a perfect Autumn day. Fiji Baker and Jack Hubert were up at
day-break as their express-man carted the canoe from the Park that early
so it would not interfere with his regular calls and cartage for the
day.
Fred and his crew started at noon in their launch, and at three o'clock
the merry Woodcrafters stood about the gymnasium door waiting for the
three automobiles which would have the luggage and other equipment
packed in them before stopping for the girls.
While waiting, Nita showed the girls a new Flower and Butterfly dance
she had invented. It was most graceful and the girls applauded heartily.
Miss Miller smiled as she said:
"Nita, there is no use in trying to train you for aught else than a
dancing flower in a wandering breeze, or a charming little humming-bird
that lightly caresses every blossom in passing."
"Miss Miller should have a _coup_ for spontaneous poetry," laughed Nita,
well-pleased at the Guide's sincere praise.
"Yes, the Tribe must hand it to its Guide for finding something
religious or poetical in any prosaic thing she finds. Not that Nita is
prosaic by any means, but there have been times when Miss Miller's muse
has been inspired with nothing more to base its flight upon than an
ordinary dust-cloth or common potato!" laughed Zan.
The sound of approaching automobiles caused poesy and dancing to end and
soon the girls were gayly seated in the cars. Such chattering and
laughter as sounded from the passengers as the machines sped swiftly
cross-town and reached the ferry where they had to take the boat to
reach Staten Island!
"Miss Miller," asked Anne Mason, as they waited for a ferry-boat to
dock, "can we new members start to collect flowers and do some tree
lessons, or birds and star knowing, to catch up with your five founders
of the Band?"
"Yes, you can, but why not leave those studies and do them at odd times
when the older members have other things to do? We might all work
together at this camp to find many interesting things to start new
collections. For instance, the shells and other marine objects."
"I never thought of that," replied Anne.
"The new members are so anxious to have individual Tally Books, you see,
Miss Miller," explained Zan, "and they haven't any pressed flowers or
blue prints or other things to record as we have in ours."
"If only you would wait until we catch up with you," sighed May Randall.
"You can soon do that, girls, by using every spare moment when not
otherwise engaged, to learn about the stars, find flowers and insects,
and study trees and Nature in the Park. Then we can witness and sign
your honour claims at a Council," added the Guide.
"You new girls haven't made your Tallies yet," said Hilda.
"That is one of the things we want you to tell us about," said Frances
Mason.
"I think I have enough pieces of tanned leather to give each girl a
cover," now offered Zan.
"And we have enough thong and beads to bind the books and tie the
pages," added Elena.
"Then the girls ought to buy the page paper and make their Tallies at
once, so everything can be entered in proper order," advised the Guide.
"Miss Miller, maybe we can try for the degree of canoeman while we camp
near the water," ventured Jane.
Miss Miller said nothing to this but smiled and shook her head. She
wondered if the girls understood the experience necessary before winning
a degree of that kind.
Jim, the Bakers' chauffeur, and Alfred, the Remingtons' chauffeur, had
each been given concise directions how to find the camp-site. Bob had
drawn a road-map for Jim, and Fred had sketched a rough plan of where to
turn. So Jim led the three cars as they left the ferry.
After travelling several miles, he consulted Bob's map.
"I don't seem to quite get this clear! Master Bob's got here 'Good
woodland road,' but all I can find is this swamp and that wood-cutters'
trail on the far side!" said Jim.
The other two cars came up, and Alfred said: "Can you make head or tail
out of the map, Jim?"
"I was jus' sayin' that Master Bob must have been dreamin' about this
'good woodland road,'" returned Jim.
"Let's take this road--it looks fine--and see if we come to a woodland
road further on," suggested Miss Miller.
So the opposite direction was taken, hoping they might find the good
road mentioned on the map. After riding for twenty minutes more, the
chauffeurs suddenly found the sign-post marked on both maps.
"Now ain't that funny! It's the post all right, but we never came by
that woodland road!" declared Jim.
"Let's be thankful we found one land-mark they put down for us to
follow!" grumbled Alfred, where-upon everyone laughed.
In vain did they seek for other land-marks or objects to correspond to
those marked on the maps. They found good roads but nothing to lead them
to believe they were following directions. Finally, as they all halted
for another conference, Alfred stood up and looked about. He scratched
his head back of the ear as if in a quandary.
"Let's hear it, Alfred," laughed Elizabeth.
"Well, I was thinkin'! Your maw came this very road last Spring when she
camped her Tribe on Decoration Day. Why not go this way and trust to
luck to bring us to the boys' camp?"
"It would be all right for us but what about the boys?" asked Zan.
"They have to pass by your site on their way up the shore and you can
hail them," suggested Jim.
"It's growing late, girls, and we have to pitch tents, get ready to cook
supper, and lots of other work," warned the Guide.
"Then let's follow Alfred's advice and take a chance on finding the
boys," agreed Elizabeth.
As they started again to cross the Island to find the camping place Mrs.
Remington had used that Spring Elizabeth told them what a Paradise it
was. Woods, beach, cliff for diving, spring of fine water, and
everything a Woodcrafter could wish for.
Finally Alfred turned in on the hard sandy beach and in a short time
stopped by a small promontory of sand that ran out like a finger into
the sea. On top of this cliff and as far back as one could see, were the
woods, with a clearing in the foreground that Alfred said had been used
for the tents when Mrs. Remington camped there.
The Woodcrafters exclaimed in surprise at the place that seemed made to
order for them, and Zan added: "Fiji's discovery can't be better than
this!"
The chauffeurs helped carry the outfits to the clearing on top of the
cliff, and when all was done, Alfred said: "I ought to be goin', Miss
'Lizabeth, 'cause your father comes in on that six o'clock train, you
know, and it takes a full hour to get there from here!"
"Oh, it can't be five o'clock yet, Alfred," cried Elizabeth, surprised.
"It is five of five," replied Miss Miller, consulting her watch.
"Good gracious! Where are those boys?" cried Zan.
"We surely must be at the wrong site, but we will remain where we are
for to-night, anyway," added Jane.
"Jim, if Fiji 'phones home to ask where we are try and direct him how to
find us, will you?" said Zan.
Shortly after the automobiles left, Elizabeth spied a fleck of white out
on the water, and with her experienced eye saw it bob up and down.
"Zan, bring the glasses! I'm sure I see the white launch," cried she,
keeping her eye on the distant spot.
"Where? I can't see a thing but some white-caps," said Zan, handing the
glasses to Elizabeth.
"That's because you never spent your Summers on an Island off the Maine
coast like I have," laughed the girl, focussing the glasses.
"It's Fred and his crew, all right!" cried Elizabeth, passing the
glasses to Zan.
"Oh yes, I can see them now, but aren't they going very slow for a motor
launch?" called Zan.
"Maybe something broke down and they can't get in," said Eleanor Wilbur,
who had been more than pleasant and obliging all that week.
"No, they are labouring against wind and tides, I guess," remarked
Elizabeth, who was busy with a long strip of linen which happened to be
packed with the stores when Mrs. Remington made up the hamper.
"What are you doing?" asked one of the girls.