The Woodcraft Girls at Camp

Nita began crying, and begged Miss Miller not to send her home. She wanted to stay at camp. Her mother and father were dreadfully strict with her and she would have a wretched summer in the city if she went home.

"Then I should think you would take the same interest in camp as the others do – if you are sincere in wishing to remain. You have shirked every given task and made things very unpleasant for all of us, since we came to camp," said the Guide.

"Well, please, do not send me back and don't write! I'll explain everything to mother!"

"Sit down and begin. I will have to attend to supper and will look over the letter afterward."

Miss Miller returned to the fire where the girls were busy concocting some food that Hilda and Zan said they could cook. As the Guide joined them, Hilda laughed and said, "I think I'll resign in favour of some one who can bring something appetizing out of this mess!"

Nita took the pad and pencil from her folio and sat down on a stone just outside of her tent. "Just as I begin having a lovely time with Jack Everton! I wonder if that mean old snoop thinks I will let mother know about my beau! I'll write two letters: one she'll read and approve for me to mail, and the other I'll hide until she gives me back the first. Then I'll slip the real one in an envelope and tear up the other! Mother'll answer and say everything is all right; that she's glad I'm here, and that she don't want me to come home!"

Nita chewed the end of the pen for a few moments, planning a letter that would bring back a desirable reply from her mother. The epistle written, she began the second letter which was to be approved by Miss Miller, but the call for supper came before she had half finished writing it.

Nita went over to the group about to sit down and took her place without a word of apology for not having assisted in the preparation of the supper.

The silent prayer period was filled with grateful hearts communing with the Great Spirit, but Nita sat and looked sneeringly at one and the other of her companions. Not that Nita was irreligious, or that she scorned to pray, but she was in a mood that would have refused to obey in anything, no matter how divine.

Immediately after the meal, Nita returned to her letter and Miss Miller joined her later. When the writing was concluded the Guide read what had been written and was delighted to find that Nita had confessed fully the mistake of the afternoon. Miss Miller folded the letter and turned to address Nita more kindly.

Nita was scowling and, at the Guide's words, flounced into the tent. "Hateful spy! What right has she to send that letter?" muttered the girl.

Miss Miller stood silently pondering the sudden change in Nita. Then, having had wide experience with girls at just this critical age, she nodded her head comprehendingly, and went inside.

"Nita, do you object to my mailing this letter now?"

Nita refused to reply, but buried her face in the pillow.

"I was wondering if you had any reason for mailing it yourself. If you have, I will leave it here."

Nita was trying to figure out whether the teacher heard her mutter or not. Then, realising that she must pretend to be penitent, she said, "I don't care, Miss Miller, one way or the other! Only, a girl doesn't like to feel that she isn't trusted to send her letter to her own mother!"

"Very well, then, I'll leave it on your trunk and you can attend to it!" replied Miss Miller, leaving it and going out.

It was the work of a minute for Nita to tear the letter into small bits and then insert the one she had first written. This done, the envelope was addressed and stamped.

Long after the girls had gone to bed and were asleep that night, Miss Miller sat by her little stand and wrote a long letter to Dr. Baker, telling him all about their camp-life and the various things the girls had already accomplished. Then she mentioned the episode of Nita's afternoon and asked what he would advise her doing in the matter. She also said that Nita had sent a letter to her mother and naturally, she (Miss Miller) would await a reply before taking further steps.

This letter was carried down to Bill's early in the morning before the girls arose, and Bill promised to place it in the mail-box with one Elena had given him for the postman.

Miss Miller heaved a deep sigh as she returned to the Bluff, for she was a conscientious Guide and felt her responsibility to the five girls. She also made all allowances for Nita, and realised that the present environment was just the right antidote for her advanced ideals of company and pleasure.

CHAPTER NINE

WICKEE AND CHEOKEE JOIN THE CAMP

Nita carried her letter to her mother down to the post-box and mailed it herself. She was not eager to return to the Bluff at once, so she followed a faint path through the fields and found herself on the border of the farm-land where the stream broadened out into a sluggish shallow pond near the bridge. Here, she found great cat-tails and rushes growing, while birds and bees flew about in great numbers. She sat down on the fallen trunk of a tree and enjoyed the peaceful scene, and for the first time since her arrival at the farm, the full beauty of the place appealed to her higher self.

As is natural with any one, particularly at the age of Nita, the change from one state of consciousness to another is sudden when conditions and environment are such as to support it. Consequently, the soothing of Nature's quiet had its effect on the emotional senses of the girl. From the appealing scene of the spot and the musical zum of insects, it was but a step to the next upward thought.

"I did just as I wanted to yesterday – I had a stroll and met a rich young fellow, but why is it that this simple spot gives me more real pleasure than the ride and acquaintance yesterday?" wondered Nita, never realising that outdoor life and wholesome association was changing her likes and character, slowly but surely.

Had Miss Miller but heard the girl's admission, how relieved she would have been, but Nita kept her thoughts to herself.

During the girl's absence, the other girls indulged in gossip, as is most natural with a group at that age. Miss Miller was in her tent planning some work for the afternoon while the girls were busy making sets of rubbing-sticks after the model used by the Guide.

"Say, girls, did you ever hear of anything so nervy as Nita's going off like that?" exclaimed Jane, looking toward the Guide's tent to ascertain where Miss Miller was.

"Hum! If my mother dreamed of such things she would make me come right back home!" added Elena.

"I s'pose Nita thinks it is perfectly all right! You see she was brought up that way and can't gauge actions as we do," said Hilda, in apology for the absent one.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Hilda, because my Daddy asked me as a personal favour to him to bear as much as I could from Nita and do everything possible to wean her from her habits of the past by helping her to look at things as we do! I'll confess, she tries me awfully, sometimes, and I haven't much patience with her weaknesses, but I've given my word to Dad!" said Zan, flushing at the thought of her shortcomings in the ordeal.

"How do you suppose she ever met that boy?" asked Jane curiously.

"She just was brazen enough to invite acquaintance! Why, Nita'd flirt or dance with any one – as long as he had on fine clothes and was an easy mark to her glances!" scorned Elena.

Miss Miller had come from her tent unobserved and overheard the latter words. She felt distressed at the attitude the girls took and sat down beside them.

"I heard what was just said, girls, and I feel that I must add my opinion to yours. I shall be greatly relieved to know that this is the last we will hear of the discussion over Nita's short-comings. I am not reckless enough to permit her to continue this conduct without having deeply considered every phase of the matter. I am merely giving her, as one might say, rope enough to hang herself! That is, to let her find herself and the real enjoyment of camp-life, or let her rush on until she is too far in to recover her footing with us. I have every hope now, that she is finding herself and will be one of our best Woodcrafters!"

To this the girls had nothing to add, so the Guide concluded by saying, "Please do not discuss this again, and try not to think of it either. Just leave the case to me and let me handle the situation as I am advised to do. I am not alone in this plan of regenerating the child, and it was with the sense of my obligations that I promised to do all I could."

Miss Miller went slowly back to the tent to get the papers for a Council and left the girls bending low over their work but no more was said about Nita's short-comings.

Before the Council convened, Nita came back to the Bluff and took her place in the semi-circle. After the opening song and roll-call, the Guide looked over her honour roll.

"Nita, I'm sorry but we will have to give you a demerit for absence at Council yesterday, and also defer giving you any coup for following a trail accurately as we did. I know you can soon catch up in this but it is more fun when we all work together," said Miss Miller.

Nita said not a word and controlled her features admirably at the mild reproach from the Guide. The marks were placed on the paper and Miss Miller looked up smilingly.

"Who can claim a reward for not chewing gum for three months?"

"I haven't chewed any since that day in school when you lectured the class, explaining what bad effects it had on the glands and throat, to say nothing of the waste of saliva!" said Zan.

"How long was that?" asked the Guide.

"Oh, that must have been more than three months ago, Miss Miller. I haven't chewed since then either!" cried Hilda.

It turned out that not one of the girls had indulged in gum-chewing since that day when they heard how the habit hurt one's health eventually. So Miss Miller was proud to give credit where it had been won.

"Now, girls, Jane and Zan have won a coup for fire-making with rubbing-sticks and material of one's own gathering, but no one has aspired for a grand coup in this line. I should think it to be a simple matter to practise until the fire could be made in one minute – try for it and see! At this meeting we will fill out and sign the claims for fire-making coups." Miss Miller then took a number of printed Honour Claims from her leather case and the two girls each received a coup claim duly witnessed, and a duplicate to paste in her Tally Book, while the original would be filed at Headquarters when the Band was registered.

"I am going to try for a degree in swimming, Miss Miller. I'd love to have the right of being called Shingebis as you are," said Zan, eagerly.

"Good! I like to hear that, Zan. And I don't see why Jane couldn't try, too. The other girls are learning fast and will soon be able to swim correctly and begin to practise fancy swimming."

"Shall we swim now?" asked Hilda, eagerly.

"Hardly!" laughed the Guide. "I wanted to have the others make the rubbing-stick fire and at least do a Test for the Degree of Gleeman, then take a walk over to the garden and find out how many of you can identify vegetables and fruit trees without being told."

"That will take all morning!" pouted Nita, who was becoming very expert in swimming.

"Yes, I know. Then we will have lunch and finish sewing on our suits. Later we will take our daily swim," replied Miss Miller, preparing to bring the Council to an end.

The Fire Tests were completed and the Band started across the woods toward the garden. They reached a section of the corn-field where the beautiful stalks were almost ready to tassel. Between straight rows of the green corn thick-stemmed vines crept in and out. Here and there a deep orange flower lifted its head.

"Aren't those yellow lilies a queer kind?" said Nita, stopping to examine one.

Zan laughed merrily. "They're not lilies, Ninny! They're pumpkin blossoms!"

Even Nita smiled at the wide difference between the two flowers, although the form was so similar.

"I never knew pumpkins grew like this!" said Elena.

"There's lots of things you girls don't know now, but you will before we leave this farm!" retorted Zan.

"I don't see what you folks need so many pumpkins for! Just look at all the vines," said Jane, waving a hand at the large expanse of field where yellow spots of colour showed.

"Oh, Mrs. Sherwood cans lots of them, and we keep lots in our cellar through the winter. Dad sends lots to Homes and the boys use dozens for Hallowe'en night. Last Fall Fiji had over a score sent to the boys at the Y. M. C. A. for their party."

"If I had a lovely place like this, I'd just love to make others happy by giving away the things like Zan's folks do," murmured Hilda.

"Yes, and when you think of all the money we spend on visiting summer-resorts and paying high prices for travel, then compare it to cost of maintaining a farm like this one, it would about balance each year, and soon pay for the first cost of a farm," said Miss Miller.

"That's just what Dad said before we took this one. We used to pay exorbitant rents each Summer for cottages in the big mountain-resorts or at the sea-shore and only have a few weeks' good out of it. Dad only paid as much for this farm as it cost him for two Summers' outing previous to coming here. And will you believe it, Muzzer kept strict account of everything that year to satisfy herself of the truth, and we really had more first-class food produced at the farm, and for next to no cost, to say nothing of the different times we used to come down and spend week-ends all Fall and Winter, and paid off the cost besides!" said Zan.

By this time the Band reached the fence between two fields. Here was a new kind of a vine that looked like the pumpkin vine.

"Oh, and see the cute little pumpkins already forming!" exclaimed Hilda.

"That's summer squash! Anybody like squash?" said Zan.

Miss Miller had been the last member of the party, for she had stopped here and there to inspect growing things. She came up to the girls at Zan's question and replied, "Yes, I like it when it's fresh, and I know how to cook it, too."

"Then we can have some squash, pretty soon. Bill can pick it when it's ripe – he knows the right time," said Zan.

"Seems to me, Zan, that the squash vines haven't enough soil to nourish the roots during the demand made upon its strength by the ripening fruit," commented Miss Miller, examining the stem where it entered the earth.

"We'll speak to Bill about that," replied Zan, watching the Guide with interest.

Having passed through the corn-field, the Band reached the general vegetable garden. The first plants they found needing attention were the tomato vines. They had been trained on trellises but many of them had slipped and fallen with the weight of their own fruit and foliage.

"They seem to be all green leaves!" said Hilda.

"What do you call this – and this here!" exclaimed Zan, exultantly displaying a cluster of bright green tomatoes.

"They must be late tomatoes, Zan, aren't they?" asked the Guide.

"Yes, the others are down by the barn – we can pick some of them to-day if you like. Bill says there are lots of them."

"Look, girls! All the cabbages over there. Who'll ever eat them?" called Hilda.

"Bill sends all we need for winter, and lots that are left over are fed the cattle. Pigs like cabbage, and all the cows and horses eat it. Even the chickens cluck over a handful of leaves and peck for hours until nothing but the heavy vein in the centre is left," explained Zan.

"Zan, you're a real farmer! We never knew how much you understood about these things!" said Miss Miller.

"I just love the country and everything in it – that's why!" exclaimed Zan vehemently.

"Well, girls, there's plenty of work for us to do, if you want to do it. I see lettuce all ready for the table, but the weeds are thick about it so that you can hardly tell which is lettuce or which is chick-weed. We ought to clean that out!" suggested the Guide.

Without waiting for consent, Miss Miller carefully stepped between rows of growing things and reached the lettuce patch. Here she stooped and began pulling handsful of green weeds that were just beginning to show a tiny white flower on its head.

Zan followed the Guide and also began weeding. In a few minutes, all of the girls were weeding out the chick-weed and in a short time the lettuce bed presented a very different appearance.

"My, how nice it looks! And how much better the lettuce seems to be already!" cried Jane.

Miss Miller was delighted at the interest manifested by her charges, and from the lettuce bed she led them to the radishes.

"Oh, the dear little buttons!" laughed Elena, dropping on one knee and digging up one of the red balls.

"What a small bed – doesn't any of your family like radishes?" queried Nita of Zan.

"This is only one seeding; Bill plants some seed at different times so all of the radishes won't be ready at the same time. They're not fit to eat after they are too large and pithy. These are the second planting. We have had radishes sent to the city all spring and summer, thus far."

"You are certainly to be envied, Zan – having all the fresh vegetables, eggs, butter and tender chickens you want!" exclaimed Miss Miller.

"More than we want – Daddy gives loads of farm truck to the Poor House and the Old Ladies' Home, of which he is the visiting physician."

"I suppose the poor things are as glad to have nice things to eat as anybody else – we're all human as far as eating is concerned," commented Miss Miller.

"We may as well pull some of these radishes for lunch, Miss Miller; they will soon be too pulpy to be good," said Zan.

"All right, but you must show the girls how to pull them out of the ground – so many smaller ones grow in the same soil and the roots often twine together. By pulling out one at a time and loosening the soil first, the younger one will remain safely and continue growing until large enough to use," advised the Guide.

Hilda had found an old basket near the tomato vines and this was taken for the vegetables that might be chosen for camp.

After taking the radishes wanted, the Band moved over to the other patches of vegetables. Miss Miller saw some young, growing beets, and turned to Zan, asking if she might cut off some tops.

"What's that for – fodder for Groutch?" laughed Nita.

"No, we will have some delicious beet greens for lunch to-day, besides the lettuce and radishes."

The Guide pulled some parsley, broke off the green tops of some young celery, and then sought for a few carrots and turnips. They were still very small but she selected the largest ones. These were placed in the basket with the other things, while the girls wondered what it was for.

"I believe I see some onions down by the barns," said Miss Miller.

"Yes, they should have been planted away off at the other end of the garden, as we all dislike onions and they smell horrid while growing!" replied Zan, pursing her mouth and wrinkling her nose.

"We'll take a few onions, then. I dislike them as a vegetable to eat, but they are a very necessary item for seasoning or flavouring many foods," said Miss Miller.

"I am curious to know why you pulled such a small quantity of parsley and other green things?" asked Hilda.

"I guess you forgot that to-morrow is the day the butcher wagon stops at Sherwoods'. Bill says that he stops every Tuesday and Saturday, and we will have to provide meat enough to last for the other days, or go without it. Personally, I should not miss meat, but you girls have been accustomed to it every day, and I thought we would learn to do without it gradually. I am going to give you your first dinner without meat to-morrow, but you will have a good soup instead. That is why I pulled these vegetables – for a splendid soup."

"Sounds most appetizing just now, Miss Miller, for to tell the truth, I am starving!" said Jane.

"With all this stuff around you!" said Zan.

"But it's raw! I'd eat it quick enough if it was cooked!"

They had reached the part of the garden back of the barns and Zan ran over to the tomato vines and began turning over the thick leaves. Hanging down near the ground were many great red luscious tomatoes, and she pulled one off and took a deep bite. It looked as if it tasted good, and so the other girls followed Zan's lead. Soon, all were enjoying tomatoes the like of which they had never tasted before, as the ones city buyers get have been picked before ripe and shipped by freight. Transportation takes some days and the wholesale market uses a few days more before the grocer receives them, so they would rot if they were gathered when good and ripe.

"Um-mm! That was the best thing I've ever tasted!" said Nita, smacking her lips.

"Let's have another!" suggested Elena.

Miss Miller laughed and gave consent by helping herself to a second tomato.

"Some of these must go in that soup! And we will take a number of them for lunch and to-night," added the Guide, as the girls helped themselves.

"I see some delicious meals waiting for us this summer, as I gaze about this garden! With that rhubarb almost ready to cut, what pies and stews we can have! Then, those string beans in that patch of dwarf beans, and the peas hanging on the bushes – why, there is such an endless variety growing that we will have to turn regular cooks to be able to enjoy all that Nature has provided," exclaimed Miss Miller.

"We don't know how to cook, and you shouldn't spend so much time cooking for us," remonstrated Jane.

"I do not intend to. I'm going to show you girls how to cook your own meals. The one who won't cook gets no meal!"

What turn the conversation may have taken can never be told, for at that moment a loud sound came from the barn.

"If I didn't know that Daddy sent our old horse to a pasture for the summer, I should say that noise was a horse!" said Zan, running past the others and along the path that led to the out-houses.

The others followed quickly, and were in time to see Zan stand in astonishment. They joined her and there, in the small enclosure by the side of the barn, stood a horse looking at them. At sight of Zan, the animal lifted his nose and neighed.

"Of all things! It's our old pet that we've had here every summer! Why, Cheokee, how did you get here?" cried Zan, racing over and throwing her arms about the horse's neck.

Cheokee nosed his little mistress affectionately, while the girls looked on. "I should think she'd be afraid to go so near a horse," said Elena, the timid.

"You wouldn't feel afraid of a little poodle, would you?" asked Miss Miller.

"But a little dog can't hurt you while a big horse might bite or walk all over you!" replied Elena.

"Not when he knows you, as this pet knows Zan. He is just a great big poodle – in a way; he is as tame and is as eager to please and be petted as any lap-dog!"

While they waited for Zan to rejoin them, Bill Sherwood came from the barn with a pail of water for Cheokee.

"Bill, when did Cheokee come here?" cried Zan.

"This mornin'. I got a wire from your pa sayin' he hed sent orders t' Hamilton t' leave th' hoss fur you-all t' use this summer. Hamilton's man came by whiles you'se was up in th' garden. Mebbe Cheokee wasn't glad t' be home!" said Bill, holding the pail for the horse to drink from.

"And maybe we're not happy to have him!" ejaculated Zan.

"That means we can take trips through the country, and at times go on a jaunt and stay all night! Would you girls like to camp out now and then?" said Miss Miller.

"Would we?" retorted Hilda.

"Just try us, and see!" added Jane, laughing.

The others also joined in the clamour for a trip and an all-night picnic, and Miss Miller laughed.

"You didn't know what you started, did you?" said Zan.

"Isn't that slang?" asked the Guide.

"Humph! Guess maybe it is – too bad," sighed Zan.

"We're all sorry to give you a mark but it will have to be done if this slang habit is ever going to be broken," said Miss Miller regretfully.

"Say, you two, why don't you do your part in deserving marks! You're a lot of quit – " Zan laughingly remonstrated and was just about to add another mark to her record, but she caught herself in time, before the last syllable was pronounced.