CHAPTER XXII--CAMP LAFF-A-LOT
"O fiddle!" exclaimed Lillie squelchingly. "You have got scouts on thebrain! Where would a scout come from up here in these wilds?"
But Edith was not to be gainsaid and had flown post-haste up to theMorrows' bungalow to reappear a few moments later with a field glass.Raising it she began to yell triumphantly, "There, girls--I'm right--it isa scout! a real scout!" In a moment she was surrounded by a bevy ofgirls, each one begging for the loan of the glasses, but Edith waswhimsical, and refusing to comply handed the glasses to Helen, who,after a calm survey of the bank on the other side of the Lake, declaredthat Edith was right and that it was a scout.
"Oh, do you think--" exclaimed some one. But no one stopped to think, forat that moment the clear notes of the bugle announced supper, drivingall thoughts of scouts from the heads of the famished girls as with acheer of delight they made a swift rush for cup, plate, saucer, andheaded for the dining-room.
It was a tired lot of girls who, with sharpened appetites but dismayedfaces, gazed at the slim array of eatables that confronted them at this,their first camp meal. Nathalie made a wry face, but as she heardHelen's reminder that every one was to be satisfied even if she atetacks, she smiled in attempted contentment and started in on mush.
But tacks were not to be on the menu that night, for Peter suddenlyappeared, and with his best bow presented a big platter of cold chickenwith Mrs. Van Vorst's compliments. Everything now went as merrily as awedding feast. Really, it was surprising how that chicken lasted, forthe girls had attacked it with grim determination. Nathalie halfsuspected that Peter had a secret supply hidden under the table, forevery one had all she wanted and still there was more.
Supper was soon over and, then after each girl had washed her owntable-ware and laid it in its place, they hied themselves down to thewater's edge. Here, in sweaters and caps--as the air was chilly--theylistened to the crooning melodies of nature, and watched for life on theopposite shore--reminded again of that scout--and talked, well, just thethings that a lot of happy girls would discuss with the prospect ofthree glorious weeks in the open before them.
A trill of song from a hermit thrush in the woods near-by stirred thehearts of the music-lovers and soon the campers were singing, "SuwaneeRiver," to Lillie's thrumming accompaniment on the mandolin. Then came"Tenting on the Old Camp Ground," "Oh, My Darling Clementine," and ahost of songs familiar and dear to the heart of youth.
As they ended the last line of "Bring Back My Bonnie to Me," every onesuddenly sat up and took notice, while an impetuous one called out, "Oh,what was that?"
"Some one is mocking us!" added another listener.
"Oh, nonsense," laughed Helen, whose ear for music was not keen, "that'san echo!"
But it proved to be no echo, for as the girls started in again to singthey found that if they stopped suddenly, the voices, which they nowrecognized as coming from the other shore, would continue with the song.This created no end of laughter among the girls, and their surprise andamusement increased as they recognized that their friends on the otherside of the Lake laughed when they laughed, as if in mockery.
"I'll tell you what we'll do," suggested Kitty, "let's give the Pioneeryell and see if they answer." This was no sooner suggested than it wasdone, but not a sound was heard, no, not even an echo in reply.
"Well, they can't be scouts," said an Oriole, "or they would answer insome way."
"Let's sing, 'We're Pioneers,' and then they'll know who we are,anyway," some one proposed, a little more cheerily.
This proposition met with favor, and the girls were soon singing with azest and verve that deserved a reward, but as before a dead silencegreeted their efforts.
The campers felt inconsolable, for some of them had already begun todream of the fun they would have if there were some jolly scouts about,especially if they proved as chivalrous and as manly as the scouts atWestport. As the girls discussed ways and means of making these strangeneighbors reveal who they were, suddenly from the other shore came instentorian tones, evidently through a megaphone, "Be prepared!" Thisstartling announcement was immediately followed by a chorus of malevoices singing with hearty gusto, "Zing-a-Zing! Bom! Bom!" to theaccompaniment of a loud sound, as if every one was pounding on a tinpan.
The girls sat stunned with surprise for a moment and then Edith cried,"Why, they can't be scouts after all, for that is not the salute used bythe Westport Scouts."
"Huh! but that is just what they are--scouts," cried one of the Oriolesquickly, "for that is the national salute. My brother has a Scout bookand I have seen their call."
"Well, they're not Westport Scouts, that's one sure thing," voiced oneof the girls who had been dreaming.
"What difference does that make," cried Lillie, "as long as they arescouts? But don't you think we girls ought to make some return, hadn'twe better sing our Pioneer--" But before the girls could answer theyheard the scout salute again. As they clapped an encore, the Sportblowing the bugle to add to the demonstration of praise, their neighborsbroke into song.
"Oh, it is a song to us, a serenade!" ejaculated one of the girls; andthen as each one grew silent they heard:
"Welcome! Welcome! sisters dear, As we round our fire's cheer We wish you luck in camp so fine Sweet with birch and wooded pine. Pleasure and joy attend each day, As by the Lake you make your stay!"
"Oh, isn't that just dandy?" "If we could only tell who they were!" Butthese exclamations came to an end as Nathalie cried, "Girls, let's shoutour new call, don't you know the one we made up so as to salute thescouts? Now, ready!" and with a "One! two! three!" the girls' voicesrang out over the water as they chorused:
"Ragglety! Pagglety! Rah! Rah! Rah! You're welcome scouts with a Ha! Ha! Ha! Comrades and friends, we'll make the woods hum When you to Camp Laff-a-Lot come. For your wishes we'll give you three cheers, Hurrah for Scouts and Girl Pioneers!"
"Why, Nathalie, you changed the words!" cried one or two slow ones asthey perceived that the girl had substituted certain words that weremore appropriate to the occasion than the ones they had learned.
Nathalie only laughed, and waved her hand for silence as the littlecompany of merry, fun-loving girls listened to the noise their neighborswere making. Certainly it was a medley of sounds, for it appeared as ifhorns, tin pans, and just about everything capable of making a rackethad been called into service in their appreciation of the fair ones'ready reply to their song.
Mrs. Morrow appeared at this moment with the announcement that it wasnine o'clock, and according to camp rules all Pioneers were to be in bedby that hour, so the girls sounded a parting cheer and then hurried totheir tents. The few who loitered, as if reluctant to leave theirfriends across the lake, heard an old-time good-night song with one ortwo variations in words that added to its charms ring out clearly:
"Good-night, campers, Good-night campers, Good-night campers, We're going to leave you now! Merrily we roll along, roll along, roll along; Merrily we roll along, o'er the dark blue sea."
A few moments before six the next morning Nathalie opened her eyes,yawned drowsily, and then rolled over to see Helen staring at her fromthe opposite bed with wide-open eyes.
"Oh, I have had such a delicious sleep," she cried. "I don't believe Iwakened from the time I touched the pillow. Helen, isn't it just toolovely up here in these woods? Did you hear that whippoorwill toot justafter we got into bed? And these bough beds, aren't they the coziest--"
"Well, you'll get coziest with a vengeance, Blue Robin," was Helen'sterse reply, "if you don't get into your bathing-suit--" Helen ended witha shrill scream as the bugle's blast sounded with startling clearness inthe still morning air.
But Nathalie was already half-way into her suit. The last button wascaught. "There, I'm ready before you, Miss Poke!" she taunted gleefully,as the second call sounded. The two girls tripped lightly across theopen space in front of the tents thickly strewn with pine needles andthus on down to the boa
thouse pier.
Just a moment and a slim figure was seen leaping through the air, thenNathalie arose like a mermaid from the sea, blowing and puffing thewater from her mouth as she floated for a moment on her back and swamgracefully back to the bank. As she reached shallow water she stood upand waved her hand to a group of shivering ones on the bank crying, "Oh,come on, kiddies!
"Sure, it's cold!" she nodded to a faint remonstrance from a timorousone, "but you'll get heated if you'll take the plunge!"
Out from her dip, with the wish that it could have been longer, shehurried to her tent; after a rub came the dressing, the picking up ofher clothes, the putting her bed to air, and then the call forbreakfast.
After this meal came the event of the day, the naming of the camp, thetents, and the boats. Camp duties were soon disposed of and then therewas a general stampede to Mrs. Morrow's bungalow, where the Sport, aschairman of this committee, stood waving the Stars and Stripes on theroof of the veranda.
A cheer arose a few moments later when its bright colors flutteredgently to and fro in the morning wind from the flag staff that had beenhoisted over the Director's abiding-place, and the girls, quicklyforming in line, gave the flag salute. The Star Spangled Banner was thensung with a heartiness that found its echo in the woods, the very leaveson the trees seeming to rustle in reverence to the country's honoredemblem.
The campers now gathered before Mrs. Van Vorst's bungalow, where, from ahigh flagstaff erected by Peter, a white flag fluttered gracefully tothe breezes, disclosing in red letters the words, "Camp Laff-a-Lot."Beneath this flag curled a smaller one, also white, bearing in blueletters, "The Girl Pioneers of America."
Some one was just about to mount a ladder placed against the flagstaffwhen Nathalie, with sudden thought, turned and whispered to Mrs. Morrow,who immediately signaled to Helen. Helen nodded as she listened to herDirector, and then stepping forward stood before Nita who, with hermother and Ellen, was a joyful spectator of this camp demonstration. Asudden look of delight overspread her face as she heard what Helen hadto say, and then after a hurried assent from Mrs. Van Vorst, Nita withthe help of Peter had mounted the ladder, holding a bottle of water inher hand.
A swing of the bottle, a crash of glass, a stream of water tricklingdown the pole, and Nita in a voice somewhat faint at first, but thatgrew louder as she caught Nathalie's eye, cried, "Summer camp of theGirl Pioneers of America, I name thee, Camp Laff-a-Lot!" Wild bursts ofapplause now broke forth, even Ellen and Peter doing their share, theformer tearing off her apron and flapping it vigorously, while thelatter brandished his hat hilariously, stopping every moment or so torub the back of his hand across his eyes. "Sure," as he afterwardsconfessed to Nathalie, "it was enough to make any one weep with joy tosee Miss Nita spilling all over with happiness!"
As the Pioneers hastened to the boat-house they saw a diminutive figurestanding on the top of its little square cupola. With many flourishes ofher bottle Carol--who had been elected to this honor--chimed jubilantly,"Boat-house, in memory of the ship that crossed the unknown sea to carrythe founders of this nation to its shores, I now name thee, 'TheMayflower'!"
And so the naming continued, the little log summer-house being honoredby the name of Ann Burras, a pioneer of the Jamestown colony, known asthe first white bride in America. The tent loaned by Mrs. Van Vorst wasdubbed "The Three Guardian Angels," in appreciation of the services ofAnn Drummond, Sarah Cottin, and Mrs. Cheisman, also of the Jamestowncompany, sometimes known as "The White Apron Brigade," as during theBacon rebellion they were placed in front of a trench where Bacon's menwere digging, to prevent Governor Berkeley from firing on the Fort.
The "Grub House" was to be known as the "Common House," a mostappropriate name, the campers declared, as it contained their food andammunition, just as the little log hut known by that name held thenecessities to sustain and defend the lives of the Pilgrims in thePlymouth settlement.
The doctor's army tent was named the "Three Margarets," to honorMargaret Brent of Maryland, the first woman suffragist, Margaret Draper,the first woman to publish a newspaper, and Margaret Duncan, the firstof her sex in the new world to engage in mercantile life. Helen andNathalie's tent was to be known as the "Two Anns," out of respect to AnnHutchinson, the first club woman, and Ann Bradstreet, the first Americanpoetess.
The boats were quickly honored with the names _Priscilla_, _MaryChilton_, _Annetje Jans_, and _Polly Prevoorst_, while shady retreats,lofty trees, and rocky coves were named anew to do homage to those womenwho helped their good sires build the foundation of this great Republic,by being faithful, enduring wives and mothers.
At eleven o'clock the girls assembled on the shores of the Lake for alife-saving drill. Forming in line at a given signal, each girl quicklyunfastened her red necktie, and turning swiftly to the right tied oneend of it in a square knot to her neighbor's. This red life-line wasthen thrown to the sinker--as the girls dubbed Edith, who was playing thepart of the person drowning. She hurriedly grabbed this necktie rope andwas drawn ashore by her comrades.
The girls found that this drill not only made them keen and alert,training them to keep cool heads, but helped to give them reliance aswell as courage, and--heaps of fun.
The bathers were now lined up for a swimming contest, each girl at thetoot of the horn making a wild dash for the water, and swimming out asfar as she could to the stake-boat, manned by the doctor, anchored somedistance from shore. This contest was to determine not only who couldswim, and the best swimmers, but those who had the greatest amount ofstrength and endurance, who would be able to train others not socompetent.
Nathalie, who had spent a number of summers at a seaside resort andtherefore was at home in the water, found to her surprise that she,Helen, and Edith were the three best swimmers of the campers. This wasas much of a surprise to her as to the Pioneers, for, supposing that shewas a swimmer of only average skill, she had never even told that shecould swim.
Drills and contests being over, the girls were allowed to do as theyliked, and so were soon gambolling about in the water, having themerriest time running races in the more shallow water, ducking oneanother, or teaching some more timid one to swim or dive.
Nathalie and Helen had rowed out some distance from shore and werepracticing diving by jumping from the boat. "Now!" Helen would shout asthey stood poised in the center, "One! Two! Three!" The next instantthere would be a flash of pointed hands, a sweep of bluebathing-suits--like bluebirds skimming through the air--a splash, and thenfirst one head would appear and then the other, each one blowing andpuffing water from her eyes and nose like a porpoise.
"O dear," exclaimed Nathalie suddenly as the two girls sat sunningthemselves in the boat, "here comes the Sport. I wonder what she is upto now!"
But it was all in a morning's fun, and the three girls were soon havingfine sport as a diving team of three. Tired at last, they settled for ashort rest, Helen and Nathalie laughing merrily as they watched LillieBell trying to induce Carol to do something more than wet her feet.Suddenly there came a shove, and a second later the two girls wentsplashing head-foremost into the water!
A few moments and they bobbed up, not at all serenely, as they sputteredand gasped, struggling to eject the water from eyes and noses. Helen,seeing Edith disporting herself some distance away, demanded withflashing eyes, "What did you do that for?" while Nathalie, whose cheekswere sea pink, sputtered between gasps, "Edith, I think you are just asmean as you can be!"
But the Sport was off, waving her hand at them derisively as she swamrapidly towards shore. The girls by this time had righted theircockle-shell, which they found floating right side up with the tide, andafter clambering in Helen grabbed the oars, exclaiming wrathfully, "Oh,how I would like to get even with her for that!"
"So would I!" echoed her friend. "It does seem as if the imp himself wasin that girl sometimes. But wait, I'll get one on her yet, see if Idon't."
Full of the ozone of the forest and animated by that spirit ofexploration that always inspire
s one in a new place, directly afterlunch the Pioneers with staffs, knapsacks, and note-books, lined up foran afternoon tramp. To vary the adventure it had been decided to name ita salmagundi hike, which meant a tramp of observation, each girl aimingto see how many things she could observe, birds, animals, flowers, orleaves, in fact, anything that was to be seen in the field or woods.
Nathalie had prepared for the expedition in glad anticipation, beingparticularly anxious to get in touch with so many things that she lackedof nature's many lores, but when she caught sight of the disappointedface of Nita, who was not, as yet, equal to a hike her spirits sank tozero.
Somehow her conscience would not be downed as it urged her to atone insome way to Nita for the many things that she was forced to be deprivedof in her young girlhood. "No, I do not believe it is my place to staywith her," argued Nathalie's naughty self, "for I have already given upa great deal of time and fun in qualifying her to become a Pioneer. Andthen if I once begin by staying with her she will want me to remain allthe time, and I shall never have a bit of fun."
But after a short inward struggle Nathalie pleaded that she was tired,and declared she was going to remain at home and have a good cozy chatwith Nita.
The joy that shown on Nita's face at this declaration compensated herfor her sacrifice, and she was just trying to think what she could do tomake the time pass pleasantly for the girl when a sudden loud shoutsounded from the woods. Before the girls could question as to what itwas a chorus of boyish voices were heard shouting:
"Ready! Ready! Scout! Scout! Scout! Good turn daily. Shout! Shout! Shout!"
For one moment the girls stared in dazed amazement, why--oh! that was thesalute call of the Westport Scouts! But all thought came to an end aminute later as a troop of boys in brown suddenly appeared at a bend ofthe road leading from the woods. As they spied the Pioneers they brokeinto wild shouts and whistles, energetically waving handkerchiefs,staffs, anything they could muster, while the foremost one, no otherthan Dr. Homer, twirled his hat over his head hilariously.
In a few moments the scout mystery was solved as the girls stoodsurrounded by the Eagle Patrol of Westport, every one talking eagerly,some telling how they came to be there, while others were having greatsport as they teased the girls about how nicely they had fooled them. Itsoon developed that the doctor and his wife were in the secret; in fact,Mrs. Morrow said that the doctor had chuckled so when he saw howmystified the girls were when they heard the calls from across the Lake,that she feared he would spring the surprise before it was time.
Yes, the scouts of Westport, who had been thinking of a three weeks'tramp in some place not too far from the city, after hearing how Mrs.Van Vorst had invited the Pioneers to camp at Eagle Lake, had gone tothat lady, and after due inquiries had made their plans to camp at thesame time as the girls, only on the opposite shore of the Lake.
Finding that the girls were bound for a tramp, the scouts, through Dr.Homer, begged permission to accompany them. The girls quickly gave theirassent, and in a short space the hikers set out for a survey of theland, all but Fred Tyson, who lingered at Nathalie's side as if waitingfor her to join them.
Seeing, however, that Nathalie made no attempt to follow the others, heasked with puzzled eyes, "What's the matter, Miss Blue Robin, aren't yougoing to hike?"
Nathalie choked for a moment, then gaining control of her emotions, withan attempt at a smile returned, "Why, no, I'm tired, you know we havebeen working awfully hard ever since we came--getting the camp in shape--"she had caught a glimpse of Nita's keen eyes--"so I thought I'd just stayat home and rest with Nita. You know, she can't stand a long walk." Thiswas said in a lower tone.
Fred's face showed disappointment, and then he cried boyishly, "Oh, Isay, Miss Nathalie, you'll miss all the fun!" Then, as if halfsuspecting what might be the cause of Nathalie's staying at home, hesaid, "As for Miss Nita, if she wants to come with us we'll fix it soshe won't have to walk a step!"
Putting his fingers to his mouth he emitted a sharp whistle, which twoscouts lagging in the rear heard and immediately turned about andretraced their steps. "Here," continued Fred, "you fellows improvise astretcher to carry Miss Nita so she can hike with us!"
Nita's eyes began to gleam, but Mrs. Van Vorst approaching from theother end of the veranda at this moment, and hearing of the proposedplan of navigation, demurred, thanking the boys most graciously fortheir kindness, but declining to let Nita go, claiming that it would betoo much for her that warm day.
Fred, thus forced to be content, after a lingering look of regret raisedhis cap and then hurriedly joined the party who were alreadydisappearing in the winding path of the woods.
Nathalie, with an unconscious sigh, turned away. O dear, it did seemmean to have to give up that walk. It had been hard enough to win thefirst battle over the temptation to go, but this second one had seemedeven harder. But immediately seeing that she was a great baby to let alittle disappointment mar the pleasure of the beautiful day, she turnedwith smiling eyes to the princess, and suggested that they have a nicelittle row to one of the tiny islands in the center of the Lake.
This, Nita was very glad to do, and so with notebooks and pencils, andwith the remark that they could have a nice little salmagundi hike allby their lone selves, they started for the boat-house.
And indeed, Nathalie and her little friend spent a most enjoyableafternoon, for, as she afterwards declared to Helen, "It was lovely andcool down on that little island with the green trees and shady coves.And do you know," she continued, "I was so surprised, for Nita is a mostobservant little person. Why, she knows the names of many of the grassesand wood flowers, and the birds--she knows their names, can tell whatbirds are nesting in August and any number of interesting things aboutnature. I am sure she will make a most wonderful little Pioneer, aftershe becomes acquainted with the girls."
Of course Helen had many things to tell about the salmagundi hike, andthe different objects they had seen and noted on their tramp. She hadtaken notes and Nathalie was invited to take a peep at them some time,Helen suggesting that she might find them of some help later on. Thescouts, she said, had been most kind and had told them lots ofinteresting things, particularly about tracking the footprints ofanimals.
"Well," declared Nathalie as Helen finished telling of the good timesthey had had, "I have had two good times, instead of your one, for I hada fine time with Nita, and then I have had the coziest of chats withyou, which has proved almost as good as if I had been with you on thehike."