Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe, Emmy and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
The Outdoor Girls On Pine Island
OR
A CAVE AND WHAT IT CONTAINED
BY LAURA LEE HOPE
AUTHOR OF "THE OUTDOOR GIRLS OF DEEPDALE," "THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS,"
"THE BOBBSEY TWINS," "BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE," ETC.
_ILLUSTRATED_
NEW YORK
GROSSET & DUNLAP
PUBLISHERS
BOOKS FOR GIRLS
By LAURA LEE HOPE
* * * * *
12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume, 50 cents, postpaid.
=THE OUTDOOR GIRLS SERIES=
THE OUTDOOR GIRLS OF DEEPDALE
THE OUTDOOR GIRLS AT RAINBOW LAKE
THE OUTDOOR GIRLS IN A MOTOR CAR
THE OUTDOOR GIRLS IN A WINTER CAMP
THE OUTDOOR GIRLS IN FLORIDA
THE OUTDOOR GIRLS AT OCEAN VIEW
THE OUTDOOR GIRLS ON PINE ISLAND
=THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS SERIES=
THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS AT OAK FARM
THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS SNOWBOUND
THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS UNDER THE PALMS
THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS AT ROCKY RANCH
THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS AT SEA
=THE BOBBSEY TWINS SERIES=
For Little Men and Women
THE BOBBSEY TWINS
THE BOBBSEY TWINS IN THE COUNTRY
THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT THE SEASHORE
THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT SCHOOL
THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT SNOW LODGE
THE BOBBSEY TWINS ON A HOUSEBOAT
THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT MEADOWBROOK
THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT HOME
GROSSET & DUNLAP, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK
COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY GROSSET & DUNLAP
* * * * *
THE OUTDOOR GIRLS ON PINE ISLAND
[Illustration: THEIR CLOTHES WERE PICTURESQUE AND EACH ONE CARRIED A
HUGE BUNDLE.
_The Outdoor Girls on Pine Island._ _Frontispiece_ (_Page 172_)]
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I THE RUNAWAY CAR 1
II A LUCKY ESCAPE 8
III FORTUNES 14
IV THE GYPSY ENCAMPMENT 23
V THIEVES IN DEEPDALE 32
VI A WONDERFUL OUTING 41
VII CLOSED FOR REPAIRS 50
VIII THE JET NECKLACE REAPPEARS 60
IX PINE ISLAND AT LAST 70
X BRIGHT AND EARLY 79
XI A JOLLY TRIP 88
XII "WHERE THERE IS SMOKE----" 96
XIII THE GATHERING OF THE CLANS 105
XIV A VICTORY FOR BETTY 113
XV A SPLENDID CATCH 120
XVI NOT A MOMENT TOO SOON 129
XVII BENEATH THE MOON 141
XVIII WATER SPRITES 151
XIX A MARVELOUS DISCOVERY 160
XX DANGEROUS VISITORS 171
XXI THE LOST TRAIL 179
XXII MOLLIE WINS 191
XXIII HIDDEN TREASURE 202
XXIV LYING IN WAIT 212
XXV GLORIOUS NEWS 221
THE OUTDOOR GIRLS ON PINE ISLAND
CHAPTER I
THE RUNAWAY CAR
"The boys will be here in five minutes!" cried Mollie Billette, bursting
in upon her friend, dark hair flying and eyes alight. "You'd better get
on your hat."
"What boys and why the hat?" returned Grace Ford who, pretty and
graceful, as always, was provokingly calm.
"I'll answer any and everything if you will only get ready. Oh, have you
got to go upstairs? Hurry then," and Mollie swung her feet impatiently
as Grace detached herself from the great chair slowly and gracefully and
started out into the hall.
"If you will come upstairs with me, Mollie," Grace suggested, "perhaps
you will deign to tell me why you rush in here like a whirlwind and
insist on my putting on my hat to go goodness knows where."
"Oh, all right, if you will only hurry," cried Mollie in desperation,
and jumping from her chair she propelled her friend in most undignified
haste up the broad stairway--Grace protesting at every step.
"Here's your coat. Now don't talk--act!" Mollie was commanding when
Grace took her firmly by her two shoulders and backed her up against the
wall.
"Now listen here, young lady," she said, looking sternly down into her
friend's laughing eyes. "It's my turn to talk. I refuse to budge another
step until you have explained, to my perfect satisfaction, the cause of
all this rush."
"Well, since you feel that way about it," laughed Mollie, "suppose you
let me--sit down."
"Will you tell me about it if I let you go? Promise!"
"Uh-huh," said Mollie, and so she was released. "There isn't much to
tell anyway," she went on. "Betty and I met Frank Haley and Will a few
minutes ago and Frank happened to remark that it was a splendid day for
an auto ride. We agreed with him--that's all."
"Fine--but where's Betty?" and Grace adjusted her tiny toque with care
before the huge mirror.
"Oh, she's coming, just as soon as she lets her mother know where she's
off to. We wanted Amy to go along too--stopped in there on the way
down--but Mrs. Stonington isn't feeling well and Amy thought she ought
to stay with her."
"I'm sorry for that. But would there have been room for all of us in
Frank's car, anyway?"
"Oh, yes, it's a big seven-passenger affair. Mr. Nelson says it is a
wonder. Just think! I can only squeeze five into mine," and Mollie drew
a long sigh at Fate.
"How ungrateful, Mollie--most girls would be glad of the chance to ride
around in a neat little machine like yours. Why, I'd even be thankful
for a tiny runabout."
"There it is now," Mollie said as a motor horn tooted insistently on the
drive below. "Don't let's keep them waiting."
"Hello, girls, we'd have been here sooner if Betty hadn't delayed us."
It was Frank Haley who spoke, a handsome young fellow, whose merry grey
eyes showed that he deserved his name--the first part of it, at least.
"Come, 'fess up, Betty," he added, turning to the bright-eyed,
rosy-cheeked girl beside him.
"I'm afraid I did keep them waiting, girls--about two minutes," Betty
Nelson admitted, then added in defense: "But I couldn't go looking the
way I was, you know."
"I don't see why not. I didn't see anything wrong."
"That doesn't prove a single thing, Frank," Grace retorted as he opened
the door for the girls. "Boys never do."
"Don't they though?" Frank objected. "Do you mean to say I don't know
that that little whatever-you-may-call-it in your hat is quite
considerable----"
"Class?" finished Will, who had been busy tucking in the robe about
Mollie's feet. "Personally I think we're a pretty fine crowd, take us
all together."
"Well, did you ever hear such--Frank, don't you think we'd better get
started before he says anything worse?" and Betty turned appealingly to
Frank.
"Just as you say," he answered obligingly, and at his words the great
car glided noiselessly down the drive and out into the street.
"Where to?" called Will from the tonneau. "How about a little spin in
the country, Frank?"
"Ask the girls," was the reply. "What they say goes."
"Oh, yes, let's," said Mollie eagerly. "It is just getting so green and
beautiful now. Summer is the only time in the year anyway."
"The winter didn't seem to bother you girls much last year," Frank broke
in. "If I could go to Florida every winter, the cold and wintry blasts
would have no more terrors for me."
"Oh, well, it was wonderful--in more ways than one," this last so low
that only Will heard it, as Grace squeezed his hand under cover of the
robe. You see, Will was her brother, and they were very fond of each
other, as well they might be.
"Whom did you wave to then, Betty?" Mollie asked, as the car swung off
into the country road. "I didn't see them till we were almost past."
"Alice Jallow and her friend, Kitty Rossmore. They're always together,"
Betty answered, then added: "By the way, Mollie, it seems to me you were
just saying you had something good to tell."
"My aunt has a bungalow out on Pine Island. It's a lovely place, the
bungalow, I mean, not the island, although if all they say is true, I
shouldn't wonder if that's all right too."
"But, Mollie, what has that to do with us?" Grace interrupted. "Is she
going to ask you to make her a visit?"
"No. It's lots better than that. You see Uncle James wants to take her
to Europe this summer and so----"
"Oh, Mollie!" Betty interrupted, her eyes sparkling. "You don't
mean----"
"Yes I do--exactly," and Mollie settled back with a contented sigh.
"I'm afraid I am very stupid to-day," Grace remarked.
"More than usual?" asked Will, the irrepressible, with a twinkle in his
eye.
"Why don't you see, Grace?" Betty's face was radiant. "Can't you see
Mollie means that we are to occupy that vacated bungalow this summer?"
"But please, girls, don't get your minds made up to it yet, for nothing
is really settled, you know. Perhaps I should have waited till I was
sure before I spoke of it." Mollie seemed to be doubtful.
"Oh, it's certain to turn out all right," said Betty, with conviction.
"Everything has that we have ever planned before, and there is no reason
why this should be an exception."
"And even if it doesn't, just think what fun we will have thinking about
it," added Grace, philosophically, at which they all laughed.
"Anyway you are a dear, Mollie, for having such lovely relatives,"
cried Betty gaily. "If I could only climb over this seat, I'd give you
two great big hugs, one for each of them."
"Nobody calls me a dear and offers to hug me, and I've got the loveliest
relatives in the world--you can ask them if you don't believe me," and
Frank managed to look very pathetic and forlorn.
All this time they had been getting farther and farther out into the
country and now Frank put on extra speed to ascend the rather steep
incline directly in front of them.
"Your car runs like a dream, Frank," Betty was saying as they reached
the top. "Look at that great big haystack down there--it must have taken
some time to gather it in. Why don't you slow down a little? Don't you
think--oh, what is it, Frank?" for she had noticed the set lines of his
mouth and the look of terror that had flashed into his eyes. "Oh,
Frank!" she cried again.
"Sit tight," he muttered through clenched teeth. "The brake won't work!"
On, on dashed the great machine, swaying from side to side and gaining
velocity with each second, while the girls, with terror tugging at their
hearts, sat still--and waited.