the plan, and I said it was splendid."
"I s'pose we will accept, eh?" asked Anne Mason, anxiously.
"Accept! Well I guess yes!" retorted Jane.
"Chump Mark for Jenny!" laughed Elena.
"Humph! Slang is imperative under such exciting conditions!" replied
Zan, glancing sympathetically at Jane.
"Never mind that talk--wasting good time--hurry up and compose an answer
to the doctor's letter!" cried Hilda.
"I'll take it home and hand it to Dad to save time," added Zan.
"I suppose Elizabeth will go with us--shall I telephone Mrs. Remington
and find out?" asked the Guide.
"If Fiji and Bob and Jack Hubert are going--as I s'pose they are--we
ought to invite Fred and Billy Remington, too," suggested Zan.
"I think your mother has already attended to that. We will find out,"
and Miss Miller took up the receiver.
Then the girls learned that everyone at Mossy Crest had been invited,
but Mrs. Remington had an important Woodcraft Council that Friday night
and could not accept, but Elizabeth was delighted to go with Wako Tribe.
"Now that's settled we can say 'yes' to the invitation," said Jane,
impatiently.
It took but a few moments to write the note to Dr. Baker and then the
girls chattered excitedly again.
"Got everything ready for the Gift Ceremony?" asked Zan.
"I have," came from many, and "Most done," from others.
And from the Guide: "I followed an original idea that promises to give
some fun but will not be a part of your ceremony. No need to ask
questions of me, as I do not intend to speak of my secret until the time
arrives."
Thus warned beforehand, the girls giggled but asked no questions that
would bring down a significant silence upon them.
Friday was a perfect October day and at four o'clock sharp the cars
filled with happy Woodcrafters left Dr. Baker's house. The ride through
the lovely country glowing in Autumn colours, and the mingled odours of
drying hay, woodsy scents, and late flowers made everyone feel good.
Arrived at Wickeecheokee Farm, Mrs. Baker and the party of boys were
left at the house while the members of Wako Tribe continued on the road
that ran over the Big Bridge and passed Bill Sherwood's cottage. Here
the Woodcrafters jumped out and started for the Bluff that could be
plainly seen from the road.
Bill and his wife, the resident farmers, welcomed the girls and the
former declared: "Looks like the good old Summertime wid all you'se
girls here again."
"Chump Mark for your slang, Bill!" laughed Zan.
And genial Bill, not knowing what a Chump Mark meant, grinned and
replied: "Ya'as, Miss San, it sure was a fine camp!"
That night after dishes were cleared away, the boys brought the
chestnuts they had found and everyone crowded about the glowing embers
of the camp-fire and roasted the delicious nuts. Then the boys sang
glee-songs and the girls told Folk Stories till time for bed.
"Now don't oversleep, girls," shouted Fiji, as the boys followed Mrs.
Baker away from the Bluff.
"If you're not ready to start when we call in the morning, we'll just go
on without you," added Fred Remington.
"We want to get bags and _bags_ of chestnuts in the morning, 'cause
we've got other things to do in the afternoon for the party to-morrow
night," explained Jack Hubert.
"Oh say! Don't talk as if we were the sleepy-heads that you boys are!
Don't we know _you_!" scorned Jane, as Zan and she exchanged glances
which said as plain as could be: "Trying to pose with their sisters
present!"
And so it proved. The girls were ready and impatiently calling or
signalling before the boys appeared on the trail coming through the
woods from the farm-house.
That morning a great harvest of hickory nuts and chestnuts was gathered
and by the time the hunters were back at camp they were half-famished
from the crisp, cold air and bracing exercise.
Fiji had seen some rabbits during the morning, and the moment he was at
the house began:
"Mumsie, Fred brought his rifle and we're going hunting this afternoon.
The other little boys can do that work for you."
"Indeed you're not! Rifle or no rifle, Fred is my guest and he will not
use the fire-arm while I have anything to do about it."
"Oh pshaw, Mum! He knows everything about a gun! He and I won't go near
anyone else, and you know you can trust _me_!" coaxed Fiji.
"Fred, get the rifle for me, please. I will return it when we get back
to the city. I know too much about promises to be careful. I think it is
perfectly safe for you to use the gun when you are with experienced
hunters or alone, but not with a party of boys who never held a rifle in
proper position before. This Winter I propose having the boys take
lessons in a shooting gallery I know of, and then it will be different."
The wild dreams of bringing a deer or grizzly bear to camp, or at least
a small harmless rabbit, vanished for Fiji. Consequently, he was moody
when the other boys started out to gather the long creepers and branches
of brilliant Autumn leaves meant to decorate the house for the evening's
entertainment.
But the effect of invigorating air and scrambling over ledges of rock
could not long keep anyone in a moody or sulky spell, and Fiji was the
liveliest of the lively boys before he returned home laden with the Fall
harvest of the woods.
Mrs. Baker was invited to attend the afternoon Birthday Council, and at
three o'clock the Chief opened the meeting with the usual prayer and
other ceremonies. After Tally Reports were read, and _coups_ awarded to
some of the new members and a few of the old ones of the Band, the
feature of the Council began.
"O Chief!" commenced the Guide, standing and saluting Zan. "I suggest
that we perform the Gift Ceremony of the Zuni Indians in distributing
our gifts. Mrs. Remington loaned me the sacred otter skin for this
purpose and Elizabeth knows the rite by heart, so I propose that she act
the principal part with Zan as second."
"How!" approved the Council members, so the Chief took up the tomtom.
Sitting at one side of the Circle, dressed in her ceremonial robes, Zan
beat the tomtom while Elizabeth, also gorgeously arrayed in beaded
costume, representing Wako Tribe for that time, entered the Ring
hop-stepping, and followed by the other members. As each girl passed the
tomtom she paid tribute to the sacred instrument by an obeisance to the
East for reverence, to the South, playfully, to the West with awe, and
to the North for protection from all cold. Then they all sat in their
places about the Council Fire to hear the Guide speak.
"To-day the braves of Wako Tribe won a great victory. The warriors of
another Tribe, dwelling in the camp made by White Men, over-slept and
were late on the war-path. But my Braves, led by our great Chief, were
ready with paint and weapons to fight the as yet unseen enemy.
"With bags and baskets, we followed the trail which led to the sometime
hidden chestnuts, or again some were found lying in ambush in the long
wild grass. Many captives were made to bring back to camp for the fire
and feast which celebrate the victory to-night. Hidden rascals, so
surrounded by the sharp arrow points sticking from the chestnut burrs
that we had many a finger-wound from them, were finally scalped--their
burrs cracked open and the prisoners taken away.
"Some of our warriors were struck on the head by falling shells from
hickory trees where the nuts had grown and awaited this opportunity to
drive away assailants. But with the very act of striking us with shells,
they also burst open, fell to earth, and thus were captured.
"We left many empty worthless shells on the battlefield, but the
prisoners shall be roasted at our war-dance to-night!"
As the Guide sat down a chorus of laughing "How's!" came from the girls
for the extemporaneous war-talk.
At a signal sounded on the tomtom, Elizabeth came from the shelter of a
huge tree-trunk and entered the Council Ring in solemn manner. She
carried the Ceremonial Blanket which was upheld high with both hands in
front of her. This blanket was spread out upon the ground, the four
corners being four-square to the four imaginary corners of the earth and
the four winds.
Standing on the rear edge of the blanket, Elizabeth bowed to the East,
then to the South, next to the West, and fourth to the North; last, to
Wakanda and to Maka Ina.
She then took the peace-pipe from the Chief and wafted its smoke to the
four winds and placed the pipe on the blanket parallel to its front edge
near the circle of Woodcrafters, and near the front edge of the blanket.
The Chief then brought the Sacred Otter Skin and placed it over
Elizabeth's out-stretched hands. This was presented to Wakanda and Maka
Ina, then a magic circle was woven all about the outside of the blanket
to ward off all evil spirits.
This motion was done by waving the otter skin, as if swimming, holding
it about two feet above the ground, being careful to keep the skin
extended horizontally on top of the hands, which were held about
eighteen inches apart. The circle woven, the otter skin was placed upon
the blanket next to the pipe and parallel with it.
The Chief then brought and presented to Elizabeth the bowl of Sacred
Corn Meal. This was lifted up and presented to Wakanda and Maka Ina,
then corn meal was sprinkled on the pipe and otter skin, Elizabeth
kneeling on the blanket and moving on her knees to accomplish this
ceremony.
"This magic circle now woven and complete may not be crossed by anyone
holding evil intentions," said Elizabeth solemnly.
Now came the ceremony of distributing the gifts which were brought in
baskets or upon large grass mats and left near the blanket where the
Chief could reach them. As each gift was taken up, the Chief handed it
to Elizabeth who called out the name written on the package. Then the
receiver came up, bowed low before the blanket, and received the gift.
It was then opened, admired, and gratefully acknowledged, before the
recipient stepped backward to her seat in the Circle.
When all the gifts were bestowed, Elizabeth bowed and lifted the sacred
otter skin and placed it across the bowl of corn meal. Next the pipe was
taken up and laid upon the otter skin and then all three were lifted in
both hands and held high above her head as she moved backward on her
knees to the rear edge of the blanket. There she rose to her feet and
departed with the bowl, otter skin, and pipe.
After many exclamations of delight, surprise, and thanks to the girls
who had worked so well on the gifts, it was found that not one gift had
been bestowed by Miss Miller. This was the proper time for the Guide to
speak.
"O Chief! If you and Elizabeth will accompany me to yon cabin I will see
that my share of the entertainment is finished."
Wonderingly, the two girls went with the Guide and carried many
suggestive packages from the cabin to the Council Ring. Miss Miller
carried an enormous bundle, but no one could gain the slightest hint of
its contents.
Laughing at the curious faces of the girls watching as the strings were
cut, the Guide unwrapped a red, white, and blue paper object that had a
long bamboo handle protruding from its midst of rioting colours.
"O Brother Warriors, what can it be?" laughed Zan, looking at the girls.
"O Chief, no one but Wakanda can answer that question!" retorted Jane,
creating a general laugh at her irreverent reply.
"But Wakanda gave me the idea to make this and I hold the power to
explain it," said Miss Miller, rebukingly, even as she smiled at Jane's
retort.
As she spoke she pushed down upon a wire and as the patriotic colours
spread out lo! there appeared a giant umbrella in the American colours.
The bamboo pole was the centre-rod and handle.
"Goodness gracious me!" exclaimed Zan. "How under the sun did you ever
get it so large and to work so easy?"
"I took an ancient umbrella for a foundation and then bound on the extra
reeds to the original ribs to make it longer and larger all round. Then
I glued the paper on the tops," explained the Guide.
"It makes a great American shade for us," giggled Elena.
"Ought to be labelled 'Made in America,'" added Jane.
"But what I want to know is 'Why-for and Where-for?'" said Nita.
"I see that no one suspects the plot, so I will have to tell," laughed
Miss Miller, sticking the bamboo handle in a wooden block having a clamp
to hold it upright--something like the tree holders at Christmas time.
But this holder permitted the upper section of the block to swing around
on a pivot fastened to the lower section-block.
When the handle was securely fastened Miss Miller gave the huge umbrella
a twirl to see if it worked well, and still the girls stood wondering
what it all was for.
"Now get busy, girls, and hand me the packages while I tie them on these
sticks," advised the Guide, attaching a small package as she spoke.
"The heavy ones that will drag the ribs down too far we will spread on
the grass and tie a card with the name of the owner on the stick instead
of the bundle itself," continued Miss Miller, as a large box was handed
her.
With many hands to help, the packages were soon in place, and then the
Guide said:
"We will all stand in a circle about the umbrella and as I swing it
about we sing:
"Merrily in this Council Ring,
Dancing gayly as we sing,
What will this umbrella bring
When we change to hippety-hop
And our Chief calls out to stop?"
"We can dance any step we like, but the moment I call out 'Change!' you
all have to change your steps to a hippety-hop step; then when Zan calls
out 'Stop' you have to stop short where you are. I will call a name from
my list and whoever is opposite that name removes it from the umbrella.
If it happens to belong to the one removing it from the stick, well and
good, but if the one who opens it is not the owner, she holds it up to
view and calls out the name of the owner. At the same time she starts to
run around the ring on the _outside_, and the owner to whom the package
belongs must catch her. If she has not caught her in three rounds about
the ring, the hunter pays a forfeit to secure the prize. At the end of
our game we will redeem the forfeits."
"What an original game!" exclaimed May.
"But so childish!" complained Eleanor.
"Pity we haven't more of the simple childlike pleasures," added Mrs.
Baker, who had overheard the remark.
"Now then, girls--ready?" called the Guide, ignoring the criticism from
Eleanor.
"Yes--all ready!" called most of the girls.
The umbrella was given a swift twirl and it spun around while the girls
sang the rollicking verse, but Zan forgot to call "Change," so they
concluded the song and the umbrella still whirled, the paper packages
flying out to the extreme end of the strings.
Everyone jeered at Zan for forgetting to call, and she promised to do
better next time. "I only did it that time to give you girls practise,"
said she, laughingly.
The chorus of denials might have deafened everyone had not the Guide
shouted: "Now, once again, girls! If Zan makes a second mistake she pays
two forfeits!"
"How! How!" followed this agreeable statement, and the umbrella whirled
again.
"Change!" shouted Zan at the word, and some of the girls did change the
step correctly while others were in doubt.
"Here--a forfeit from each one of you!" demanded Zan, and the punishment
made the game more exciting.
"The next time the same one mistakes she pays double!" added Zan,
placing the forfeits in a basket. But the girls were beginning to learn
how it was played, and the first game ended with everyone laughing or
jesting. Miss Miller had Mrs. Baker take a paper from a bag and read out
a name.
"Elena Marsh," read Mrs. Baker.
Everyone looked eagerly at the laden stick opposite her, and Jane
called: "Here it is, in front of me."
"Jane removes it and runs about the circle with Elena after her," added
Miss Miller.
Twice around the ring flew Jane, and Elena, fleet-footed, after her,
until in the third round the pursuer caught up and held her captive.
Great interest was shown as Elena opened the package and showed a small
box of French pastels.
"Oh!" sighed she in ecstasy, "I've wanted one of these ever since I was
born!"
Everyone laughed and Zan added: "I bet you daubed and designed through
many incarnations before this present one."
"Come ahead, girls! I want to see if Miss Miller gave me a new
riding-habit--I want one badly!" called Jane.
So with laughing and merriment, the second whirl began.
It happened to be Edith Remington's name that was chosen, and the
package stopped directly opposite the child, so with trembling fingers
she untied the string and found a box of water-colours and all the
accessories to work with.
"Oh, Miss Miller, I'm so much obliged to you!" exclaimed the delighted
little girl, making a quaint curtsey.
The game continued, some claimants having to pay forfeits and some
winning the award, until all were called out. The gifts were very
appropriate for each one and afforded much pleasure; but Zan had a
grievance.
"Miss Miller, I think you're real mean not to give us a chance to have
something on the umbrella for you, too."
"That wasn't my fault, Zan. I thought of the umbrella and made it, but
your mother insisted upon buying the gifts. She brought them to the farm
all wrapped and ready to distribute."
"It isn't like mother to forget anyone--Mumsie, where is Miss Miller's
gift?" shouted Zan, as she saw her mother returning from the cabin.
"Right here! It was so heavy it would have broken down the carefully
built up umbrella, so I left it for the last gift."
The large flat package was handed to the Guide, who took it with
amazement in her eyes, for she had not expected anything. Midst the
laughter of her girls, the Guide carried the heavy parcel to the rustic
table and began opening the outside paper.
She found another well-tied paper covering within and tried to unknot
the string. But it had to be cut, as it was so twisted and bound about
the package.
Inside this wrapper was still another, and Mrs. Baker cried: "That Fiji!
I told him to wrap the box up carefully and I shouldn't wonder but what
he used as many papers as he does on April Fool's Day!"
After more than a dozen wrappers, each tied well and knotted with heavy
twine, had been removed, the last paper was cut away. The Guide took out
a japanned-tin box and upon opening it the Woodcrafters all said "Ah!"
There was a complete set of pyrography tools, a roll of stencilled
Woodcraft designs (made by Elizabeth Remington), and transfer paper,
copying inks, etc.
"Not an item forgotten--even a bottle of alcohol for the fuel!" cried
Miss Miller, too surprised to remember to thank Mrs. Baker.
The girls watched and smiled in sympathy, and suddenly, as the Guide
remembered she had not expressed her gratitude, they all burst out
laughing at her expense.
After many apologies and profuse thanks, she added: "Such a teacher of
morals and manners to these girls!"
As usual, Nita was called upon to dance and the Storm Cloud was done so
gracefully by her that the audience said she should be given an extra
dish of ice-cream for dessert that night.
When the forfeits had been paid off it was time to cook camp-supper.
Before they were ready to sit and sup, however, the boys were heard
shouting in the woods, and Miss Miller said:
"Suppose we invite the boys to supper, as we are going to be their
guests to-night at the house?"
A merry group sat about the great flat rock that evening while Mrs.
Baker and the Guide waited on the hungry Woodcrafters. The girls told
about the umbrella and the boys of their mountain hike.
The dishes cleared away, they all marched through the woods in the
gloaming, and reached the house ready for more sport. Many exclamations
of surprise and admiration came from the girls as they saw the way the
boys had spent their afternoon.
Brightly coloured foliage festooned the doors, window-casings, and
pictures of the large living-room. Pumpkins shed subdued light from the
candles within their grinning faces. Red peppers, golden corn on stalks,
and tall grasses formed decorations in the corners of the room. Black
paper witches, bats, and yowling cats swung from invisible threads from
the beams of the ceiling, and many other Hallow E'en ideas were carried
out.
Regular Hallow E'en games were played at first, then Fred called for the
Jack Horner Pie he had spied in the kitchen.
"Well, then, help me carry it in," laughed Mrs. Baker.
Shortly they were seen carrying in the galvanized wash-tub that had been
used for the pie-tin. A brown pie-crust fitted over the top of it, but
no one knew what was under the crust. "How under the sun did you bake
it?" wondered Zan.
"That's a culinary secret!" laughed Mrs. Baker.
"Tell us, so we can enter the recipe in the Tally," replied Elena, also
laughing.
"I made the pastry rather moist and rolled it out into a great sheet and
placed it on the wooden bread-board. The oven was very hot and after the
sheet of dough had been in it a few moments it baked and browned enough
to spread it over the tub. I pinched down the edges to the tin, and
there you are! Not to be eaten, however, for you will find it too
pasty."
The strings that came up through the pie-crust led to objects hidden in
the tub of flour. And as each player took a string to hold as his prize,
every string was soon claimed. When the crust was broken and the prizes
drawn from the flour, the players found many funny gifts. Great was the
Bedlam when tin horns, rattles, and "crackers" began sounding
everywhere.
The young folks then played other games and ended with a peanut hunt
that led and misled many hunters to every corner of the house in search
of a hidden peanut.
"It must be time for refreshments, Mumsie," said Bob, at last.
"All right, Son, call them all to the feast," laughed Mrs. Baker.
As the group of merry-makers sat about the room munching sandwiches,
Jane said, "Mrs. Baker, tell us how you made these delicious fillings.
We'll write it down and make some too."
"I took a can of salmon and chopped it well with soft cream cheese. This
I did at home and brought it here in a glass jar. It is very good on
butter-thins, as you just said.
"The speckled sandwich-fillings are made of cream cheese, chopped
olives, a bit of pimento, and seasoning. Thin slices of dark rye bread
are best for this filling.
"Of course, you all know the walnut and fig filling--you simply chop
nuts with cream cheese for the first kind, and chop figs, peanut butter,
and a bit of rich cream for the second kind." As Mrs. Baker concluded,
another girl called out:
"Tell us how you made this lemonade! I never tasted better."
"I ran the lemon peel through a meat-chopper with the lemon pulp. I use
about one-quarter peel and the pulp of one lemon to the juice of every
three lemons. If the juice of one orange and a lime is added to every
ten lemons, it flavours the product much better. Sometimes a bit of
Maraschino adds a peculiar flavour, but we never use it for the
children."
The party ended with fortune-telling, with apple-parings, sailing walnut
shells across the tub of water, risking noses and teeth at biting on
swinging apples, and other familiar games.
The next day being Sunday, the boys and girls hiked over the
mountain-side and Zan pointed out to the others the place where the
snake frightened the girls that Summer, and the road where Nita was
caught in a thunder-storm.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN--INDOOR WOODCRAFT ENTERTAINMENT
November ushered itself in with cold and penetrating fogs, so that the
girls found it pleasanter to hold meetings at each other's houses or in
the gymnasium, instead of out-of-doors. At the indoor meetings they
learned the application of Woodcraft ideas and principles to meet their
needs of everyday life.
Miss Miller had them take up knitting for the soldiers and required them
to do a certain stint every day. They also completed the bead bandings
for their ceremonial costumes. Nita loaned the Guide the pattern for a
dancing costume and each girl cut out, fitted, and made, of cheap cotton
crepe bloomers, blouse, and skirt for dancing.
Besides designing belts, banding, and costumes, the girls began regular
weekly lessons with Elizabeth as teacher, in sketching and designing.
Elizabeth attended a New York School of Design and could tell the girls
whatever she had learned. Many pretty patterns in cross-stitch and other
work were thus made and applied to use.
[Illustration: _ZAN'S CEREMONIAL COSTUME._]