Mr. Ames brought the chickens and hens early in the morning, and so
interested was Natalie in Janet's stock-investment that the vegetable
gardens were quite forgotten for a few days. Sunday she had spent at
camp with the Girl Scouts; Monday she and Janet had gone to the Corners
and enlisted girls to join them in a new Patrol, and in the afternoon
they had picked cherries; then on Tuesday the chickens came, and some
sort of a house had to be built for the pigs, as well as for the hens.
So three days had passed by and she had not had time to inspect her
gardens.
Farmer Ames acted huffy because the cherries had all been gathered when
he drove up to the kitchen door in the morning. So he merely delivered
the crate containing the hens and young chicks, and having handed Rachel
the basket of eggs for the setting hen, drove away again.
"Dear me! I wanted to ask him how big a pen to build for three pigs!"
sighed Janet, when she heard he had gone.
"No 'count why he hes to tell yuh that! I rickon anyone like me, what's
borned and brought up on a farm in Norf Car'liny, kin help dat way,
better'n an ole grumpy farmer in Noo York state," announced Rachel.
"All right, Rach, I'll be thankful of your advice," replied Janet,
gazing down at the squirming pigs.
So Natalie and Janet occupied themselves most industriously in the
building of a pig-pen for the little porkers, and in mending the old
hen-house and chicken run. A separate coop was found where the setting
hen might brood quietly on the eggs, and the young chicks were given
their freedom of the place, because Rachel said they would grow much
faster if they could run about and scratch.
But this advice had dire results, as Natalie learned, too late.
By sundown the pigs were nicely housed, and the old hens and rooster
found comfortable roosts in a remodelled hen-house. The young chicks
clustered together in the chicken yard and were driven inside the house
by the persuasive "s-sh's" and waving hands of the concerned
farmerettes.
These important matters disposed of for the day and Rachel not having
announced supper, Natalie said: "Come with me to see my garden. I
haven't had a moment's time to visit it lately."
"I suppose the lettuce is large enough to pull, now," laughed Janet
teasingly.
"No, but I shouldn't be surprised if the radishes that were transplanted
from Ames's garden were big enough to use."
The two girls went arm-in-arm down the pathway and when they reached the
old box hedge that divided the vegetable beds from the back lawns, they
stood for a moment listening to the echo of merry laughter coming from
the woodland down by the river.
Then Natalie came to the first garden bed.
"Oh, oh! Look,--Janet! What has happened to my beans?" cried she
shrilly, as she stood gazing in horror at what she saw.
Janet gazed, too. The tiny green things that had looked so fresh and
pert a few days before were out of the ground in many places, and the
soil was unevenly scattered in small heaps. From this havoc, Natalie
quickly looked over at the lettuce bed.
"Oh, oh! How dreadful! Look at that garden bed! Why, all the lettuce is
cropped off close to the ground. _What_ could have done it, Janet?" her
eyes filled with tears and her voice threatened an imminent howl.
"Goodness me, Nat! I don't know what has happened!" said Janet, deeply
concerned for her friend.
The two then hastily visited the other beds, and found the radishes and
potato plants undisturbed, but the corn was dug up in spots and the
remaining blades half-eaten.
Without a thought for the tender green still remaining, Natalie suddenly
collapsed upon the corn hills and gave vent to a heart-breaking cry.
Once the flood-gates were down, she wept and wailed and would not be
comforted. Finally Janet ran to the house and summoned relief.
Mrs. James and Rachel hurried after her to soothe the crying damsel in
the corn field; but Rachel understood what had taken place in that
garden, even as she raced past the half-destroyed vegetable beds.
She knelt down beside Natalie and tried to pacify her by endearing
terms, but the amateur farmer was too sorry for herself to pay any
attention to Rachel. All she could gasp forth was: "If I ever find out
who did this, I'll kill them!"
Rachel sent Mrs. James a knowing look, and nodded toward the barnyard.
Thus the lady gathered that the hens and chicks had feasted on the
tender greens and had dug up the soft rich soil in seeking for
earthworms when they had been turned loose that day.
Darkness slowly crept up from the river banks and the four finally
turned to go in to supper. As they reached the box hedge, Rachel
remembered the boiling potatoes that were almost cooked when she was
summoned hastily by Janet.
"Oh, laws! I betcher they am all black as cinders by this time!" cried
she, making a leap to escape over the hedge and reach the kitchen in a
hurry.
A dense smoke was seen issuing from the open door of the kitchen, and
Rachel's three followers forgot their recent troubles in this new
disaster.
Just as they reached the steps of the back porch, Rachel rushed the
smoking pot out of the door and ran with it to the grass beside the
board-walk.
"Dere ain't no smell on eart' ner unner de eart' to beat dis smell o'
burnin' pertaters!" growled Rachel angrily, as she planked the blackened
cooking pot down upon the ground.
"Oh my! The kitchen is full of smoke!" exclaimed Janet, who had poked
her head in at the open door.
"Did you'se 'speck it to be sweet an' free as hebben?" snapped Rachel
scornfully.
Mrs. James said nothing but quickly drew the two girls aside to the
other door to permit Rachel to calm her perturbed nerves. Then Natalie
remembered her beloved garden.
"Jimmy, who could have been so mean as to do that?"
"Of course, I wasn't present, Natalie, dear. But I have heard that crows
love to dig up corn kernels in a newly-planted field, so that farmers
have to use scarecrows to keep them off. Maybe some sort of a bird found
the toothsome greens and called to all the family to hurry and feast
while there was time."
Natalie pondered this idea for a time, but it never occurred to her to
lay the trouble at the heels of the chickens. But she determined to lose
no time in dressing up the most frightful scarecrow that was
conceivable.
After the unscorched remainder of the supper was served, Rachel came to
the dining-room to make a suggestion.
"Ef we-all git up earlier than us'al to-morrer mornin' we kin git all
dem rooted-up plants back in the groun' afore sun-up. Mebbe it will rain
to-morrer, then no harm'll come of diggin' up all dem roots."
The mere possibility of rain made Natalie jump up from the table and,
quickly excusing herself, run out on the porch to study the heavens.
"Not a star out, and the sky looks awfully cloudy," cried she hopefully,
as she returned.
"Then we'll all get up at dawn and begin work in making amends in the
garden," said Mrs. James consolingly.
The little plants were replanted early in the morning and certain spots
where the soil had been scratched away were smoothed out again, so that
only a close observer would have seen that there were places here and
there where no vegetables grew.
About seven o'clock a fine drizzle began, and Natalie welcomed it with
sparkling eyes. "_Now_ the roots can have time to get freshened again
before a hot sun comes to dry things up."
A letter came that morning telling Natalie that Norma, Frances, and
Belle would soon be ready to leave the city. By counting from the date
of the letter, it was found that they would be at Greenville that very
day on the noon train. Probably the letter had been delayed in coming,
or had been overlooked in some way.
"We had better send word to Amity, by Mr. Ames, that he is to meet the
train they come on," suggested Mrs. James.
But the girls watched for Mr. Ames in vain that morning, and noon hour
came and still no word had been sent to Amity. Janet was out feeding the
pigs when she heard a shout from the road. She looked up wonderingly and
saw the three girls tramping along in the rain and mud, trying to manage
suit-cases and umbrellas at the same time, as they jumped puddles or
avoided a stretch of mud.
She ran to the house and called Natalie. In another moment, both girls
were out on the side-piazza waiting to take the luggage from the
bespattered girls.
"My goodness me! Why don't you move nearer the railroad station, Nat?"
complained Norma.
"That horrid hackman wouldn't give us a lift, although he was sitting at
Tompkins' store toasting his feet at a stove," added Belle, angrily.
"At a stove! In summer?" cried Natalie, wonderingly.
"Yes, but there was no fire in the thing. He was tilted back in a wooden
chair telling stories to some farmers, and his old horse was standing
out in the rain, patiently waiting for a bag of oats," said Frances.
Mrs. James joined the group now, and overheard the last words of
complaint. "I don't see why he could not drive you here, as long as he
was not engaged."
"That's exactly what Belle asked him, but he said: 'Can't you see I _am_
engaged? I must not interrupt this talk on polerticks. It's mos' votin'
time and we-all has to get facks afore we cast a ballot,'" laughed Norma
imitating Amity.
"Did you entice him with extra pay?" asked Janet laughingly.
"What was the good? He just ignored us, so we had to walk the rest of
the way here," Frances said. "But I made up my mind to one thing: If
that is the way the only cab-man of Greenville treats his trade, I'll
cut him out of it all, if I can manage to have _my_ way."
They were all in the living-room now, and had removed muddy overshoes
and wet coats and hats. Rachel was hastily brewing some hot tea to make
everyone feel more cheerful, so the girls sat and talked.
Natalie instantly asked Frances what she meant.
"Well, Daddy and mother are going out to Colorado for the summer, and
the machine will be put up in a garage, or I will have it out here to
use. Now I've been thinking over all Nat said about each one of us
earning some money this summer, and I couldn't think of a single thing I
could do. But that cranky old hackman gave me a cue: I'll use the car
out here for the people who wish to travel back and forth, or take a
drive to certain places. I ought to be able to save quite a sum before
fall," explained Frances eagerly.
"Frans, that will be fine! We will be your best customers," laughed
Janet, while the other girls all approved the plan.
"That seems like Frances' golden opportunity, but Norma and I haven't
found a thing to do, yet," added Belle.
"You will, never fear. Janet found her vocation the first day she was
here," laughed Natalie.
Then Janet had to tell about her stock-raising, and her friends laughed
heartily when they heard about the first night the piggies arrived at
their new home.
"The chickens are doing fine! I had to keep them shut up in the yard
to-day to get them thoroughly acquainted with their surroundings, so
they won't run away," said Janet, but she did not say that they were
kept locked up for fear they might wander over to the garden again and
create more trouble.
"I should think you would have a cow and sell milk," suggested Belle
laughingly.
"Cows cost a lot of money. I priced one of Ames's and when I heard the
sum, I lost interest in milk," replied Janet, causing the girls to laugh
at her explanation.
"But I am going to buy some ducks as soon as my new allowance is due.
There is plenty of water for them to swim in and ducks look so rural,
don't you know," added she.
"But they are difficult to raise, Janet," said Mrs. James.
"Why? If you let them swim about and give them enough feed, what more
can they want?"
"I don't know, but they take certain spells of sickness quicker than any
other fowl and, in a day or two, the whole flock droops and dies off.
Geese are much easier to rear and bring better prices in the market,
too."
"Oh, then I'll have geese. But I've heard they chase one, if they don't
like you," said Janet.
"They wouldn't chase you if you fed them; and should they take it into
their geese-heads to run anyone else out of the yard, it will be a
warning for others to keep away."
The drizzle stopped after luncheon, so that the girls put on raincoats
and oil-skin caps and started to visit the Scout camp. On the way, they
visited Natalie's garden and extolled her work and patience that had
brought forth such results.
Natalie beamed like a full moon at the deserved praise and explained how
wonderful the vegetables were before the dastardly birds dug everything
up.
"Yes, Nat, I know," remarked Belle. "It's almost like the wonderful fish
one just missed catching, isn't it?"
Everyone laughed at this, even Natalie joining in at her own expense.
"Well, I don't care! They _would_ have been much better if they had not
been interfered with," said she.
After leaving the garden, Natalie opened the subject of the Scout Patrol
that would be an offshoot of Miss Mason's first Patrol. This would give
both Patrols the opportunity to launch the Troop.
"Fine! How soon can we begin?" said Belle.
"Well talk it over with Miss Mason this afternoon. I haven't had time,
yet, to tell her about the Greenville girls who agreed to join us, as
Janet and I have had _so_ much to do since then," explained Natalie.
The girls were now near enough to the woodland to hear the sound of
singing. Mrs. James held up a hand for silence and they stood and
listened. It sounded very wonderful from the hillside where they were to
hear the blending of soprano and alto voices in the national anthem "Our
America." There was a martial impetus in the singing that spoke well for
the patriotism of the Girl Scouts.
"What does Miss Mason call her Patrol, Nat?" asked Norma, as they
resumed their way to the river.
"Now that you speak of it, Norma, I must confess that I never asked.
Isn't it funny that I never thought of it?" said Natalie.
"But we will ask now, and find out. Of course we will have to use the
same name if Miss Mason has already chosen one for a Troop," said Janet.
The visitors reached the camp site and found the Scouts holding a
council meeting. They had just finished the patriotic song and Miss
Mason was opening the meeting by an address. The unexpected guests were
invited to sit down on a huge log and hear the Leader's speech.
"The members of this Patrol know the reason for this council, but I will
explain to the newcomers, too," said Miss Mason, turning to Mrs. James
and the girls.
"We have decided to send to Headquarters in New York to ask to be
enrolled as a Troop, now that we have had more than a year's experience
with the organization. Because you girls wish to start another Patrol
and unite with our Troop, we think it urgent to be registered and
chartered by the National Headquarters, and be able to own a flag and
choose a title and crest for our use."
The visiting girls exchanged glances with each other, as the question
just asked Natalie was about to be answered now. Miss Mason did not see
their looks and proceeded with her explanation.
"We chose a name when first we started our Patrol but we have never
registered it, and there was a question whether we would care to change
it after a time. We called ourselves the 'Solomon's Seal Patrol' as
having so much meaning to the name. We think that the reflected glory of
Solomon's wisdom is better than none. So we have decided, now, to
christen our Troop by that name. We will vote on this later. At present
I wish to mention a few other points.
"I am now about to speak of a new Patrol, or new members, so it is
fortunate that our visitors arrived in time to hear all I have to say.
"I suppose every girl present has a manual: 'Scouting for Girls'?"
Everyone nodded in the affirmative, and Miss Mason continued:
"Then you will read on page 44, that every girl who wishes to enroll as
a Scout must be at least ten years old and must have attended meetings
for a month, during which time she will have passed her Tenderfoot Test.
During the first month she is known as a Candidate. When she knows the
meaning of the Promise and the Laws, and is sure she understands the
meaning of the oath she is about to take, and comprehends the meaning of
'Honor,' she is eligible to be a Tenderfoot.
"My Girl Scouts passed the Tenderfoot class last year, and then took the
Second Class Test, which was also passed successfully by them. We are
all ready to pass the First Class Scout Test, except that each girl must
present a Tenderfoot who has been trained by the candidate. This is our
opportunity, as you girls all wish to be Scouts, and my girls can train
you, thus giving them the privilege of being First Class Scouts.
"I was going to speak of other things, but since our visitors' arrival,
I wish Mrs. James to tell us how many girls she knows on whom we can
count for the new Patrol." Miss Mason turned to Mrs. James and waited.
"Natalie knows more about the matter than I, Miss Mason, as she and
Janet went about the Corners securing the candidates. Let her tell us
about it," replied Mrs. James.
Natalie was called upon to address the audience and so she got up and
spoke. "Janet and I called on Nancy Sherman and Hester Tompkins and
secured their promise to join our Patrol as soon as we were ready for
them. Then we went to Dorothy Ames's house and got her interested. With
these girls"--Natalie waved her hand at the four girls sitting on the
log,--"we will have eight applicants. Janet has a younger sister Helene,
who is not twelve yet, so we are not sure whether we want her to belong
to our Patrol. All of us girls are over twelve and it is more fun when
girls are nearer an age. I've been thinking that Helene might start a
Brownie Troop, a younger Patrol than ours. We might allow them to join
us, later on."
As Natalie sat down, the girls of Solomon's Seal Patrol showed their
delight at the progress made in the enlisting, and Miss Mason commended
the two who had visited the girls of Four Corners and had interested
them in the proposed plan.
"Mrs. James, have you thought of a Leader and Corporal for Natalie's new
Patrol?" asked Miss Mason.
"I fear I am not well enough versed in scouting to take such a
responsibility upon myself. I would prefer having you do it," responded
Mrs. James.
"I'd rather not be any officer, Miss Mason," exclaimed Natalie, "because
they always have to work while the others have a good time. I'll just be
an every-day Scout."
The girls laughed, as there was more reason than rhyme in the statement.
But Miss Mason said: "There's always one girl in a group who has the
knack of directing her companions. Such a girl ought to be an officer."
"Then, for goodness' sake, choose Janet for our manager," exclaimed
Natalie. "She always runs us and everything concerned with us."
The Scouts laughed, and Miss Mason nodded her head. "I always thought as
much, but you will confess, Natalie, that she makes a pretty good
general, eh?"
Janet blushed with pleasure at the teacher's praise, and Natalie smiled:
"Oh, _pretty_ good!" Then she grinned at her friend.
"Janet, will you act as Patrol Leader for your new Scouts?" asked Miss
Mason, turning again to Janet.
"I will, if Natalie will be my Corporal," returned Janet.
"Seeing that there are only two members in our Patrol as yet, I can't
see how I can get out of being either one or the other," laughed
Natalie.
"Oh, but we will have more members shortly, and this office of Corporal
must be considered as binding until a new election," explained Janet.
"Well then, Jan, if you can bear up under the arduous duties of a Patrol
Leader, I reckon I can survive the work of acting as your Corporal,"
retorted Natalie.
"All right. Then we'll enroll our Tenderfoot Scouts in a Patrol before
the next official meeting here, and begin training them in the path that
they should follow," agreed irrepressible Janet.
After this, many subjects that interest Girl Scouts were taken up and
discussed, and the girls from Green Hill Farmhouse were more deeply
impressed with the wonders of scouting than they had dreamed possible.
Each girl determined to do everything possible to learn as much that
summer as those Girl Scouts of Solomon's Seal knew.