CHAPTER V
THE COUNCIL FIRE
"I hope it will, Bessie," said Dolly. "But you know what a nasty temperI've got. If she keeps on talking the way she has, I don't know whatI'll say."
"Well, you might as well say what you like, Dolly. I believe she wants agood quarrel with someone--and it might as well be you."
"You mean you think she likes me to get angry?"
"Of course she does! There wouldn't be any fun in it for her if youdidn't. Can't you see that?"
Dolly looked very thoughtful.
"Then I won't give her the satisfaction of getting angry!" she declared,finally. "Of course you're right, Bessie. If we didn't pay any attentionat all to her it wouldn't do her a bit of good to get angry, would it?"
"I wondered how long it would take you to see that, Dolly."
They were walking back to their own tents as they spoke. Once arrivedthere, neither said anything about the spirit Gladys had shown. Theyboth felt that it would be as well to let the other girls think thatGladys shared the friendly feelings of the other Halsted girls. Andsince Bessie and Dolly happened to be the only ones who knew that Gladyshad been the prime mover in the trouble that had been made at Lake Dean,it was easy enough to conceal the true facts.
"She can't do anything by herself," said Dolly. "Up at Lake Dean nothingwould have happened unless the rest of those girls had taken her partagainst us."
"I'm going to try to forget about her altogether, Dolly," said Bessie."I'm not a bit angry at her, but if she won't be friends, she won't andthat's all there is to it. And I don't see why I should worry about herwhen there are so many nice girls who _do_ want to be friendly. Why,what are you laughing at?"
"I'm just thinking of how mad Gladys would be if she really understood!She's made herself think that she is doing a great favor to people whenshe makes friends of them--and, if she only knew it, she would have ahard time having us for friends now."
* * * * *
Charlie Jamieson and Billy Trenwith accepted Eleanor's pressinginvitation to stay for the evening meal, but Trenwith seemed to feelthat they were wasting time that might be better spent.
"Not wasting it exactly," he said, however, when Eleanor laughinglyaccused him of feeling so. "But I do sort of think that Charlie and Iought to keep after this man Holmes. He seems to be a tough customer,and I'll bet he's busy, all right."
"The only point, Billy," said Charlie, "is that, no matter how busy wewere, there's mighty little we could do. We don't know enough, you see.But maybe when I get up to the city, I'll find out more. I'll go overthe facts with you in Bay City to-night, and then I'll go up to town andsee what I can do with Jake Hoover and Zara's father."
"Well, let's do something, for Heaven's sake!" said Trenwith. "I hate tothink that all you girls out here are in danger as a result of thisman's villainy. If he does anything rotten, I can see that he's punishedbut that might not do you much good."
"I tell you what would do some good, and that's to let Holmes know thatyou will punish him, if he exposes himself to punishment," said CharlieJamieson. "That's the chief reason he's so bold. He thinks he's abovethe law--that he can do anything, and escape the consequences."
"Well, of course," said Trenwith, "it may enlighten him a bit when hefinds that those rascals we caught to-day will have to stand trial, justas if they were friendless criminals. If what you say about him is so,he'll be after me to-morrow, trying to call me off. And I guess he'llfind that he's up against the law for once."
"Did they get that telephone fixed up, Nell?" asked Charlie. "You're awhole lot safer with a telephone right here on the beach. Being half amile from the nearest place where you can ever call for help is badbusiness."
Eleanor pointed to a row of poles, on which a wire was strung, leadinginto the main living tent.
"There it is," she said, gaily. "I don't see how you got them to do itso fast, though."
"Billy's a sort of political boss round here, as well as districtattorney," laughed Jamieson. "When he says a thing's to be done, anddone in a hurry, he usually has his way."
Eleanor looked curiously at Trenwith, and Charlie, catching the glance,winked broadly at Dolly Ransom. It was perfectly plain that the youngDistrict Attorney interested Eleanor a good deal. His quiet efficiencyappealed to her. She liked men who did things, and Trenwith wasessentially of that type. He didn't talk much about his plans; he letresults speak for him. And, at the same time, when there was a questionof something to be done, what he did say showed a quiet confidence,which, while not a bit boastful, proved that he was as sure of himselfas are most competent men.
Also, his admiration for Eleanor was plain and undisguised. CharlieJamieson, who was almost like a brother in his relations with Eleanor,was hugely amused by this. Somehow cousins who are so intimate with agirl that they take a brother's place, never do seem able to understandthat she may have the same attraction for other men that the sisters andthe cousins of the other men have for them. The idea that their friendsmay fall in love with the girls they regard in such a perfectlymatter-of-fact way strikes them, when it reaches them at all, as a hugejoke.
All the girls were sorry to see the two men who had helped them so muchgo away after dinner, but of course their departure was necessary. Justnow, after the exciting events of the previous night, there seemed areasonable chance of a little peace, but the price of freedom from theannoyance caused by Holmes was constant vigilance, and there was workfor both the men to do. Moreover, the sight of the cheerful fire fromthe other camp, and the thought of the great camp fire they werepresently to enjoy in common consoled them.
"The Halsted girls are going to build the fire," said Eleanor. "It'stheir first ceremonial camp fire, so I told Miss Turner they werewelcome to do it. They're all Wood-Gatherers, you see. So we'll have tolight the fire for them, anyhow. See, they're at work already, bringingin the wood. Margery, suppose you go over and make sure that they'rebuilding the fire properly, with plenty of room for a good draughtunderneath."
"Who's going to take them in, and give them their rings, Miss Eleanor?"asked Dolly. "You, or Miss Turner?"
"Why, Miss Turner wants me to do it, Dolly, because I'm older in theCamp Fire than she is. She's given me the rings. I think it's quiteexciting, really, taking so many new girls in all at once."
"Come on," cried Margery Burton, then. "They're all ready and they wantus to form the procession now, and go over there."
"You are to light the fire, Margery. Are you all ready?"
"Yes, indeed, Miss Eleanor. Shall I go ahead, and start the flame?"
"Yes, do!"
Then while Margery disappeared, Eleanor, at the head of the girls,started moving in the stately Indian measure toward the dark pile ofwood that represented the fire that was so soon to blaze up. As theywalked they sang in low tones, so that the melody rose and mingled withthe waves and the sighing of the wind.
Just as the first spark answered Margery's efforts with her fire-makingsticks, they reached the fire, and sat down in a great circle, with agood deal of space between each pair of girls. Eleanor took her place inthe centre, facing Margery, who now stood up, lifting a torch that shehad lighted above her head. As she touched the tinder beneath the fireEleanor raised her hand, and, as the flames began to crackle, shelowered it, and at once the girls began the song of Wo-he-lo:
Wo-he-lo means love. Wo-he-lo, wo-he-lo, wo-he-lo. We love love, for love is the heart of life. It is light and joy and sweetness, Comradeship and all dear kinship. Love is the joy of service so deep That self is forgotten. Wo-he-lo means love.
Outside the circle now other and unseen voices joined them in thechorus:
Wo-he-lo for aye, Wo-he-lo for aye, Wo-he-lo, wo-he-lo, wo-he-lo for aye!
Then for a moment utter silence, so that the murmur of the waves seemedamazingly loud. Then, their voices hushed, half the Manasquan girlschanted:
Wo-he-lo for work!
And the
others, their voices rising gradually, answered with:
Wo-he-lo for health!
And without a break in the rhythm, all the girls joined in the final
Wo-he-lo, wo-he-lo, wo-he-lo for love!
Then Margery, her torch still raised above her head, while she swung itslowly in time to the music of her song, sang alone:
O Fire! Long years ago when our fathers fought with great animals you were their great protection. When they fought the cold of the cruel winter you saved them. When they needed food you changed the flesh of beasts into savory meat for them. During all the ages your mysterious flame has been a symbol to them for Spirit, So, to-night, we light our fire in grateful remembrance of the Great Spirit who gave you to us.
Then Margery took her place in the circle, and Eleanor called the roll,giving each girl the name she had chosen as her fire name.
Then Mary Turner, in her new ceremonial robe, fringed with beads,slipped into the circle of the firelight, bright and vivid now.
"Oh, Wanaka," she said, calling Eleanor by her ceremonial name, "I bringto-night these newcomers to the Camp Fire, to tell you their Desire, andto receive from you their rings."
One by one the girls of the Halsted Camp Fire stepped forward, and eachrepeated her Desire to be a Wood-Gatherer, and was received by Eleanor,who explained to each some new point of the Law of the Fire, so that allmight learn. And to each, separately, as she slipped the silver ring ofthe Camp Fire on her finger, she repeated the beautiful exhortation:
Firmly held by the sinews which bind them, As fagots are brought from the forest So cleave to these others, your sisters, Whenever, wherever you find them.
Be strong as the fagots are sturdy; Be pure in your deepest desire; Be true to the truth that is in you; And--follow the law of the Fire!
One by one as they received their rings, the newcomers slipped intoseats about the fire, each one finding a place between two of theManasquan girls. Marcia Bates, flushed with pleasure, took a seatbetween Bessie and Dolly.
"Oh, how beautiful it all is!" she said. "I don't see how any of uscould ever have laughed at the Camp Fire! But, of course, we didn't knowabout all this, or we never would have laughed as we did."
"I love the part about 'So cleave to these others, your sisters,'" saidDolly. "It's so fine to feel that wherever you go, you'll find friendswherever there's a Camp Fire--that you can show your ring, and be surethat there'll be someone who knows the same thing you know, and believesin the same sort of things!"
"Yes, that's lovely, Dolly. Of course, we've all read about this, butyou have to do it to know how beautiful it is. I'm so glad you girlswere here for this first Council Fire of ours. You know how everythingshould be done, and that seems to make it so much better."
"It would have pleased you just as much, and been just as lovely ifyou'd done it all by yourselves, Marcia. It's the words, and theceremony that are so beautiful--not the way we do it. Every Camp Firehas its own way of doing things. For instance, some Camp Fires sing theOde to Fire all together, but we have Margery do it alone because shehas such a lovely voice."
"I think it was splendid. I never had any idea she could sing so well."
"Her voice is lovely, but it sounds particularly soft and true out inthe open air this way, and without a piano to accompany her. Minedoesn't--I'm all right to sing in a crowd, but when I try to sing bymyself, it's just a sort of screech. There isn't any beauty to my tonesat all, and I know it and don't try to sing alone."
"Aren't they all in now?" asked Bessie.
There had been a break in the steady appearance of new candidates beforeEleanor. But, even as she spoke, another figure glided into the light.
"No. There's Gladys Cooper," said Marcia, with a little start.
"I wonder if she sees what there is to the Camp Fire now," said Dolly,speculatively.
"What is your desire?" asked Eleanor.
"I desire to become a Camp Fire Girl and to obey the law of the CampFire," said Gladys, in a mechanical, sing-song voice, entirely differentfrom the serious tones of those who had preceded her.
"She's laughing to herself," said Marcia, indignantly. "Just listen!She's repeating the Desire as if it were a bit of doggerel."
They heard her saying:
"Seek beauty, Give service, Pursue knowledge, Hold on to health, Glorifywork, Be happy. This law of the Camp Fire I will strive to follow."
"Give service," repeated Eleanor slowly. "You have heard what I said tothe other girls, Gladys. I want you to understand this point of the law.It is the most important of all, perhaps. It means that you must befriendly to your sisters of the Camp Fire; that you must love them, andput them above yourself."
"I must do all that for my chums--the girls in our Camp Fire, you mean,I suppose?" said Gladys. "I don't care anything about these other girls.And, Miss Mercer, all that you're going to say in a minute--'So cleaveto these others, your sisters'--that doesn't mean the girls in any oldCamp Fire, does it?"
Startled, Eleanor was silent for a moment. Mary Turner looked at Gladysindignantly.
"It means every girl in every Camp Fire," said Eleanor, finally. "Andmore than that, you must serve others, in or out of the Camp Fire."
"Oh, that's nonsense!" said Gladys. "I couldn't do that."
"Then you are not fit to receive your ring," said Eleanor.