CHAPTER XV
A PADDLE, A SWIM AND A SUN DIAL
Getting the mail for Camp Comalong was one of the duties that broughtjoy to the Scouts, for each morning, tent obligations attended to andbefore the hike, swim or other scheduled activity was entered upon, agroup of the girls either rowed in Mud Lark, the boat loaned them byan admiring neighbor, or they paddled off in their bright red canoe,the Flash, down the lake to the Post Office Bend, there to receivetheir allotment from Uncle Sam's mailing service.
Usually those girls whose duty it was to raise and lower thecolors--when the beautiful flag contributed by Grace's family would beraised to breeze at morning and lowered into loving hands atsundown--this squad also took care of the mail, on their flag week.
So it happened that to-day Julia and Grace were due to paddle downstream for the mail.
"I think," began Julia in her meditative way, for Julia was somethingof a literary aspirant, "that we have very vigorous weather in a placelike this. When it storms it storms furiously, and when it's lovelyit's just perfect, as it is to-day."
"Uh--huh!" assented Grace, waving frantically at a canoe across thelake in which she recognized a brace of sweaters--one orange, the otherjade--worn respectively by Camille and Cynthia, without a doubt.
"Grace, I don't believe you notice the weather very closely," cameback Julia, disappointed that her discourse should fall upon deafears.
"'Deed I does, honey. I noticed it plenty the other night, and am notkeen on another spell like that. But when we have really good weatherI don't believe in tempting it or spoiling it with flattery. You can'ttell about such things, Julie dear."
The blonde girl laughed merrily. Who could resist Grace and herunanswerable arguments?
There was a satisfying amount of mail to take back to camp, and amongthe letters was one addressed to Grace and postmarked "Town."
"A new friend," remarked Julia, handing this over to Grace, "orperhaps an invitation to a picnic."
"No; it's from Peg," returned her companion, already scanning thepaper in her hand. Her brows were drawn into a serious line and herfull red lips puckered as she scrutinized the page.
"Anything wrong?" Julia asked.
"Not wrong, but--here read it----" Grace handed over the letter, and hercompanion read the lines.
"Well, that's all right," said Julia, glancing up. They were seated inthe canoe and delaying to read their personal mail. "If she doesn'twant any companions I don't see why we should force ourselves uponher."
"But don't you see, Jule, she says she does appreciate our friendship,but that just now she is not free to follow her own pleasure? Can'tyou easily see that the girl is worried about something and afraid toeven have friends?"
"Yet, Gracie, why should we intrude?"
"Because if ever a girl needed friends she does, and I need not remindyou of our Scout pledge," replied Grace. "I don't usually look fortrouble, Bobbs, but I think I see it in that page, and I would like tohelp Peg to some little bit of summer happiness. You know how muchattention we give to making city children happy at Christmas; and hereis a girl all alone in a mountain cabin, with no playmates except Shagand her pony Whirlwind, and she says plainly how much she enjoyed ourcampfire on that one, stingy little night. Now Julie, I couldn't lether slip out of our entire summer with one campfire and a chocolatecake."
This was so entirely "Gracious" that Julia laughed outright.
"All right, Buddie; just tell me what to do and I'll help you any wayI can. I believe you are right, of course. Anyone can see that Peg istugging away with some sort of claim holding her down. Do you thinkthere can be anyone ill, or perhaps sick mentally and hidden in hercabin?"
"Oh, no, I never thought of that. You mean an insane person?"
"They might not be really insane, but you know when a person's mindbecomes unbalanced their folks always hate to have them sent away fromhome," explained Julia.
"I don't believe that's it. But there is some sort of mystery there.The thing that I resent most is the mean remarks those snippy girlsmake about her. I just can't stand it, to hear two such silly thingsas those Buzzys, say such slurring things about a girl who never seemsto trouble anyone, or in any way invite criticism."
"Yes, it is cowardly. But what can you expect of that type? Didn'tthey try hard enough to get us into a dispute the other night?"
"Yes, and I think Mackey was very calm not to say something back tothem."
"That would really have attracted attention. She was wise to ignorethem," declared Julia. "Well, let's bring the girls their mail anddon't worry about Peg. I can't imagine there is anything seriouslywrong, and, perhaps, if we just agree with her suggestion somethingwill happen to explain it all."
"Perhaps," said Grace doubtfully. She dipped her paddle and theystarted back, but her usually radiant face wore a look of perplexity.
The lake was alive with craft now, many bathers taking to their boatsbefore "going in," as the swim was popularly termed. Canoes, rowboats,launches and every sort of water vehicle was in evidence, ingenuityoutdoing itself in the samples of boyish workmanship displayed.
There was the "Captain Kidd," a big, flat-bottomed rowboat with sailsstriped in black and red. This was the property of Benny and hisfriends, and perhaps attracted as much and more favorable attentionthan the glistening mahogany "Amerik" that cost its owner a fabuloussum, and was known as a masterpiece in its line.
"There really is a lot more to see on a lake than on the ocean,"remarked Julia, in spite of the inattention of Grace. "I like it somuch better up here than down at the shore."
"I do, too," agreed Grace, giving a mighty tug to pull the "Flash" upon shore. "But there's one thing we miss--we can't come in on asurfboard here. I just love that sport."
"But we couldn't canoe on the ocean, either," Julia qualified.
"Oh, yes, we could. I did--once in a while, and it was simplywonderful. Here are the girls! They couldn't wait for their mail."
In bathing suits, ready and waiting for Miss Mackin, the Bobbies werenow at the swimming pier.
"Mail?" they cried out.
"Bushels," called back Grace.
"But we ought not to open it here," said Julia, hiding Corene's petletter behind her. "You know the hotels positively refuse to allowanyone to take mail until it is sorted in the office."
"Bunk," declared Isabel, more forcibly than elegantly. "Guve me thatmailsky!"
"Here it is," agreed Grace, "and please wait for us. You got ahead ofus in your suits but we will make up for it in the swims. Come along,Julia. Let's try out some of that perfect day stuff you have beenpreaching about."
And it proved all that had been forecast for it. So ideal wereconditions that Miss Mackin agreed to having her girls try out some ofthe tests for Water Sport Day, an event planned to take place later inthe season, and looked forward to with keenest anticipation.
The Norms were with the Bobbies, and together they practiced, andinvented stroke variations, eager to show skill in the water sportsand to win awards for that line of efficiency.
Isabel proved to be the best long distance "floater" and her weight,which was something more than that of her companions, was creditedwith the advantage. Grace was more daring than any of the others, andkept the Norms and Miss Mackin busy shouting warnings to her. Louisehad a very reliable, even, clean-cut stroke, and could cover adistance and come out "without a puff," as Cleo described herserenity, while Cleo could dash, and sprint, and "get there" on"shorts" perhaps a little more surely than the others could.
So it seemed each might find her particular character in the watercomedy, and the morning was not half long enough to put the populardrill through all the paces invented.
Julia and Louise were on shore resting a few moments when the lattercaught sight of something particularly striking in the way of afigure, posed on the springboard.
"Look!" she motioned Julia. "It's the Buzzers."
"Sure enough. Wherever do they get their outfits? Imagine, crocodilegreen
?"
"Are they green? Isn't it frogs?" laughed Louise. "At any rate thatbathing suit is green enough to include all samples."
The figure thus criticised sprang off the board now, and was lost inthe lake for a few moments. Then it reappeared on the surface and madefor shore.
"There's the sister," said Grace, who had joined the spectators. "Howdo you like that geranium? The green would go beautifully with itunder glass."
"Not jealous, are we?" questioned Cleo, glancing at the simple jerseysuits worn by her companions.
"No, indeed," replied Julia. "I should hate to try to swim under thosecolors. But who is that they are talking to? Looks like Peg!"
"It is. I thought first it was a boy, she has no cap on and her hairis so slick. I wonder if they really know her?" queried Grace.
"They don't have to know anyone; we ought to understand that. Now, wemust pass them on the way up the rock. There's Mackey whistling. Let'sgo."
"It will look as if we walked by them purposely," Louise hesitated.
"Oh, no it won't. We have to take that path, besides, why shouldn't wespeak to Peg?" asked Cleo. She did not know Grace had received theletter with its plea for discontinuing the friendly relationship.
"All right, come along. We may as well have it over with. They aresure to say something sarcastic," Julia raced on ahead, so whatevermight be said would not be aimed directly at her.
But for once the inquisitive two did not heed passersby. Neither didPeg appear to see the Scouts, for she and the two flashily dressedones were talking in such an excited manner, their remarks, in part atleast, could be easily overheard.
"Now, remember, we have warned you," said one, her voice sharp andimperative.
"I have no reason to fear anything of the kind," Peg retorted. Shestood close to the little path leading from the lake to the woodlandroad, and along this the bathers had to pass to reach the campgrounds. Her suit was dark blue jersey, she wore no socks but lookedonly a little girl, or even a boy, with her closely cut, straight hairand no bathing cap. As they passed along each Scout was consciousthere was a certain strength and individuality so simply outlined inthe appearance of the oblivious bather.
"We promised daddy we would speak to you," said the other girl, she inthe geranium outfit, "otherwise we wouldn't do so. I can tell you weare not anxious to be seen----"
These snatches had been heard piecemeal, as the Scouts came and wentpast the spot where the conversation was being held, but when it wasall put together a short time later the total seemed to imply thatthese girls were somehow threatening Peg.
"Another reason why I am determined to stand by her," insisted Grace.She had passed the letter around for inspection and all agreed Peg wastrying to hide some real trouble, or perhaps some "living sorrow," asCorene expressed the possibility.
"But I wouldn't send her any more cake, if I were you, Grace," advisedCorene. "One doesn't like to have things forced upon them."
"I don't intend to; in fact there isn't any more nor likely to be,unless we get another food shower. I took a spoon for the crumbs frommy box at noon," Grace loved cake, even the crumby kind.
"Why didn't you try a straw?" teased Louise. "Or if you had asked me Iwould have given you a real cookie! I have three left."
"Do you know, Bobbies," asked Isabel suddenly, "we are supposed tomake a sun dial to-day? And the stake is all ready. See it waitingover there?"
"We do, we do, and I have first shot!" Grace sprang up to outline thecircle in which the shaft was to be erected as a sun dial.
"It must be exactly there," directed Cleo. Grace had it exactlysomewhere else.
"We have to try it and the sun is just right now for a life-sizedshadow," insisted Grace. "Here, help me dig the hole, someone. I wantto catch the two o'clock sun."
Miss Mackin, who had been in the tent, came out to oversee thisexperiment.
Willing hands soon had the shaft erected; then the pegs which were allready laid out to be driven in at the end of the shadow for everyhour, as that hour came around, were arranged in a relative position.
"Do we have to stay up all night to finish it?" asked Helen,innocently.
This brought forth a wild shout.
"The moon doesn't overlap the sun, Nellie dear," answered Cleo. "Wewill probably leave off picket duty when the sun gets behind thathill."
Peg number two was driven in at exactly two o'clock, and the shadowwas so clearly outlined everyone thought this an ideal method ofkeeping time; but later the shadows were shifty, and only an amount ofpatience and much running back and forth put the three most importanthours of the afternoon in the dial.
"I am going to start again early in the morning," declared Grace. "Isaw a sun dial in a Chicago park, it was made of those queer tinycabbage flowers, the kind they say keeps the house from getting onfire, and I remember how effective it was."
"Did they use them to keep the park from getting on fire?" tauntedCleo. But Grace was making sure that nothing unforeseen would happento the pegs left over from the hours already "pegged in."
"Won't have to wind it----" she told the others.
"But I should hate to have to catch the Black Hawk boat by its silentsystem," confessed Julia.