THEIR CAMP
They were seated along the edge of the lake, six girls and their two
visitors. The water was a still, dim blue reflection of the sky with
one deep shadow from the hill of pines. Away from the hill and the
lake stood the forest of beechwood trees.
In an open space on a little rise of ground half within, half without
the forest, lay the summer camp of the Girl Scouts of the Eagle's
Wing.
A little brown house built of logs was almost entirely covered with
vines, a tangle of woodbine and honeysuckle and wistaria. Only from
the windows and the door had the vines been cut away. The house looked
extremely ancient, older than the slender beeches that formed a
semicircle to the rear and left. Beyond the door, thick with deep
green shade on this midsummer morning, towered a single giant beech
which appeared to have moved out a few yards from its forest shelter
to act as a sentinel for the log cabin.
The cabin had been erected so many years before that no one in the
vicinity remembered its origin. Finding the location an ideal one for
their camp, the little house had been restored, the chimney to the
single fireplace made over, the glass added to the window frames, open
spaces between the logs replastered.
The log house formed the center of the camp.
On each side at irregular distances were three tents, one row
advancing from the forest, the other receding into it.
To-day there was an unusual stillness about the camp itself at an hour
of the morning ordinarily a busy and active one.
Now and then some one appeared, hastily accomplished whatever the task
and vanished.
Even the little group on the shore of the lake continued unusually
quiet. When any one did speak it was with a lowered voice.
Five of the six girls were occupied. Only Tory Drew's hands were idle.
They moved frequently with unconscious gestures characteristic of her
temperament and the fact that she had lived a number of years in the
Latin countries where the hands are used to communicate one's meaning
as well as speech.
She made a sweeping movement of her hand at this instant, appearing to
include the lake, forest, hillside and the small group of tents about
the evergreen cabin.
"You have not yet said, Don, that you consider our camp superior to
yours, when I am perfectly convinced that it is, without having laid
eyes on yours. Lance has given me the impression that he agrees with
me. He has not exactly said so in any words I can recall, but he can
be tactful when he likes. You are always so tiresomely silent, Don,
whether you think a thing true or not true. I always know when you are
most silent your opinion is the strongest one way or the other."
Don was silent. Yet he knew the group of girls were awaiting his reply
with almost as great interest as Tory.
Finally he smiled in a handsome, good-humored fashion.
"Don't see why you should object to my not talking a great deal, Tory,
when it gives you and Dorothy and Lance more opportunity."
He turned around, however, studying the little camp in the shadow of
the old forest with careful scrutiny. Donald McClain did not think
quickly nor could he express his point of view until he had given a
subject serious consideration.
"I don't see any comparison between your Girl Scout camp and our own,
Tory," he returned at length. "The two camps are not in the least
alike. In the first place, you tell me that you have only fourteen
Girl Scouts and we have nearly forty boys. Of course things look
neater and more picturesque here, with girls one expects this. Our
problem is different. I have an idea we have more discipline and do
more hard work."
Tory Drew looked annoyed.
Dorothy McClain took up the defense.
"I am not so sure of the work and the discipline, Don. We do
everything at our camp, the cooking, washing and cleaning. We have
been pretending that we were members of Penelope's household. If you
have never read the 'Odyssey' you won't know what I am talking about.
Joan Peters we sometimes call Penelope. She is everlastingly at her
weaving, but does not unravel her web at night that she has woven in
the daytime. She is not troubled by Penelope's importunate suitors.
Tory at present is the Princess Nausicaa, the daughter of the King
Alcinous, who conducts the family washing as a part of her work. I
won't bore you with all our distinguished titles.
"As for discipline! I don't mean to be rude and I am glad you did not
wish your Troop of Scouts to descend upon us like a band of Indians on
a group of pioneer women. Still, I would scarcely be proud of such
discipline."
"See here, Dorothy, what is the use? You know you are reflecting upon
me, not upon old Don. But with my well-known amiability I forgive you.
Whose idea was it that you pretend to be Greek heroines as well as
American Girl Scouts?" Lance inquired in the tone that nearly always
brought peace.
"Oh, we have not gone into the idea seriously," Joan Peters returned.
Her head was bent over the square frame she held in her lap, her
fingers busy with the strands of flax. "Miss Frean comes to camp every
few evenings and reads aloud to us. She insists that we are too
frivolous in our own summer reading and wishes to read us something we
ought to remember."
Joan Peters liked Lance McClain. She was a great reader and perhaps
because of his more delicate health Lance did not feel the same scorn
of books that Donald affected.
With a swift movement Tory arose suddenly. Apparently she forgot the
group of friends close about her. She clasped her hands tightly
together, her eyes suddenly looked larger and darker, her lips
twitched.
The Girl Scouts of the Eagle's Wing had chosen silver and gold as
their camp colors.
Near the spot where Tory was standing lay two canoes. One was golden
in color with an eagle's wing in silver on the bow, the other the
opposite color scheme. Tory's own khaki costume looked golden in the
sunlight. The water was now silver.
Don had a fleeting impression that Tory intended to jump into one of
the canoes and disappear from sight.
Now and then she affected him curiously. He never knew what she
intended to do or say. She thought so quickly, moved so swiftly, and
he was stupid and slow.
At the present moment he was puzzled and troubled by her sudden look
of intense unhappiness. The instant before she had been arguing the
respective merits of the two camps and had appeared cheerful as usual.
"What is the matter, Tory? You are the most startling person! You
upset one," Teresa Peterson protested.
She glanced toward Donald and then toward Lance McClain for their
attention or approval.
Teresa was unlike the other Girl Scouts. She was extremely pretty with
dusky hair that curled about a low forehead and soft rose colored
cheeks. She gave one an impression of sweetness and yet one could not
be sure of her actual character. She seemed always anxious for
attention and the approval of other people. Several of the girls in
her Patrol felt that Teresa was unnecessarily self-conscious before a
masculine audience.
At this instant Tory Drew returned her glance. Her face showed
bewilderment.
"Why, Teresa, how can you ask what is troubling me? Is one of us
thinking any other thought? Of course we have had to talk of other
things, but nothing matters except what Dr. McClain may at this moment
be deciding about Kara. You know we all care for her more than any
other girl at camp. She has had so much more to contend with than the
rest of us even before this.
"She thought first of our camp in Beechwood Forest and we used to talk
of it when it did not seem a possibility. The day of her accident Kara
told me the past few weeks had been the happiest of her life."
Tory walked away from the others.
"I have been trying to keep my word and stay here with you until after
Dr. McClain had seen Kara. Now I cannot wait any longer. I am sure
something more dreadful than any of us realize has happened."
Margaret Hale rose and slipped her arm inside the other girl's.
"We will go back together. You are more nervous over Kara than need be
because of the strain of last night."
They moved on a few yards.
Coming out of the cabin they could see Dr. McClain, Miss Frean and
Sheila Mason. Dr. McClain, assisted by the two women, was bearing Kara
in his arms.
Before Margaret and Tory reached them, he had placed Kara in his motor
car and they were driving away.