CHAPTER XXVII
ONE KIND OF CAMP
"Oh, Tavia! Where are you?"
It was Dorothy who jumped from rock to stone, and over bush andbramble, through that deep dark wood, which now, in the shadow ofsunset, threatened again to bring anguish to our young friends. "Iheard you," she called. "Answer again!"
But this time there was no response.
"Oh, what can have happened?" wailed Dorothy. "Surely she is--not tooill--when she called and whistled just now."
She was talking, but no one was at hand to hear her.
Cologne was doing her best to reach Dorothy, but she had made a turnto notify the boys, and was really too surprised, and frightened, tomake anything like the progress that her friend was able to makethrough the rough forest.
Dorothy stopped and listened. She had reached a cleared spot, wherethe branches of a beautiful fir stood out over a greensward, like anatural tower. Without hesitating a moment, Dorothy easily scaled thestrong branches, and presently could see from the height of the firtree a spot--ideal! Yes, and there was something white on it!
"Cologne!" she called. "I see a tent!"
By this time Cologne had reached Dorothy.
"Oh, do come down," she begged. "If you should slip----"
"But I shall not slip. There was no use in running wild through thewoods, when I could get a distinct view from here. It may be a gypsycamp. Where are the boys?"
"They seem to have gotten away, somehow," sighed Cologne. "Oh, whatshall we do? We cannot go alone to that camp."
"Indeed I am going," declared Dorothy. "I heard Tavia's voice, and nowI see a tent. If she is held there, we must go to her at once."
Cologne was terrified, but the experience through which Dorothy hadpassed in the last few days seemed to make all other fears lookinsignificant.
She had slid down the tree, and was now making her way in thedirection of the tent. It was near the edge of a natural bank, thatstood like a wind-shield against the rocks.
This shelf made a covering for the spot, so that only from someelevation such as from the tree could it be seen for any distance.
"Come on, Cologne," said Dorothy. "I see a path to the place. It mustbe somebody's camp."
"Why not wait for the boys? Give me your whistle. I must call them.Where can they have gone to?"
"I am not going to wait one moment," declared Dorothy. "She may besuffering!"
The bent grass and weeds showed the way, Dorothy hurried along, onlystopping to listen for the hoped-for voice. But there was no word fromTavia.
Cologne was almost behind Dorothy, but she could not conquer her fear.She hesitated to make the first attempt to reach the tent.
Jumping over a small stream, Dorothy was beside the camp furnace. Thenext moment she stood looking at Tavia!
"Tavia!" she exclaimed.
"Hush!" whispered Tavia. "We must not wake her. Oh, Dorothy!"
Like a poor, crushed bird Tavia fell at Dorothy's feet. She sobbedconvulsively, but choked back every possible sound.
"Darling!" whispered Dorothy. "What is it?"
"The sick girl! She has almost died!" sighed Tavia. "Oh, I dared notanswer again. She was so frightened at my voice!"
"Run back, Cologne, and meet the boys," said Dorothy. "Tell them to gofor a doctor!"
Glad to get away, Cologne turned, just as the boys came racing overthe hill. They stopped, at her raised hand of warning, but Nat wouldnot go back when he heard that Tavia had been found. Softly he madehis way along, Ralph following at some distance, while Ned and Jackhurried to the shore near where they had left their boats. They knewthat just across the river they would find a camp, in which might befound Dr. Ashton, from New York.
It was almost pitiable to see how Tavia clung to Dorothy, neversuspecting, of course, that Dorothy had herself gone through anexperience more trying than her own.
"Let me see her," suggested Dorothy. "I will be very careful."
She stepped within the tent. Instantly she was struck with theresemblance between herself and the girl who lay on the cot.
The sick girl opened her eyes.
"Tavia!" she murmured.
"What, dear?" asked Dorothy, for Tavia had not yet recovered herself.
"I--am so--much better. I would--like to--sit up."
"Not just yet, dear," soothed Dorothy, putting her hand to the hotforehead. "It will be better to rest to-night."
"But you--must not stay--longer--from your friends," she said. "Leaveme, and look for them. Then come back."
"We are here," ventured Dorothy, aware that the girl was worryingabout Tavia. "We have come to take you both home."
"Not back there!" and the girl sat bolt upright, and looked intoDorothy's pale face.
"No, to camp, with us, with Dorothy and with Tavia. Then we will sendfor your mother."
"Oh, I am so glad," she sighed, lying back on the pillow.
Nat had Tavia in his arms. She was now almost hysterical, and like theNat he had always been, he turned the tables by accusing Tavia ofhaving all the camping to herself.
"While we were digging up frog ponds looking for you," he scolded,"here you had set yourself up in one of the best establishments inthe State."
"Oh, Nat," she sobbed. "If you only knew!"
"Every girl says that," he replied. "I suppose it would be a firstrate thing if a fellow did only know--about a girl like you." He wasdoing his best to quiet her, and he knew that to scold is a good sortof treatment for too much nerves.
Meanwhile Cologne and Ralph had ventured nearer. They seemed afraidthat a voice would harm some one, and Cologne only whispered.
"Tavia dear," she said, "whatever has happened?"
"She has promised to tell me first," said Nat, again showing his goodsense in saving Tavia just then. "And we are not to hear one worduntil we get back to camp."
"Here come Ned, and Jack, and Doctor Ashton," interrupted Ralph. "Whois sick?"
"A friend of Tavia's, with whom she was stopping," said the wily Nat."That was why she could not get word to us. Her friend was very sick,and her folks were all away."
Tavia looked her gratitude into Nat's manly face. The boys and thedoctor had reached the tent.
"Wait here," ordered the doctor as he stepped within.
And it was Dorothy Dale who took up her place by the physician's side,as he did all that he could to unfold the case of Mary Harriwell.
"And how ever did you find this camp, one of the best for milesaround?" asked Nat of Tavia, as they awaited the doctor's verdict.
"We fell into it. Whose is it?"
"Why the Babbitts left in a hurry last week--some one ill. They havenot sent down for their things yet."
"Lucky for us," remarked Tavia. Then they heard the doctor movingabout in the tent, and lowered their voices.