CHAPTER IX
A MISADVENTURE
The idea of meeting a prince (the girls easily believed the pretty boyin the velvet suit was at least a near-prince) brought to the Chickadeesa delicious thrill.
"You know," reasoned Thistle next morning, "the Manton's are governmentpeople, and there are lots of foreign nobles down at Washington."
"That's so," agreed Doro. "He might have come up to the woods for hishealth."
The tent was quickly made ready for inspection and when the woodcraftclass was dismissed, the girls were free to make the all-important call.
It was but a short distance from Camp Chickadee to the Nest, and thefour girls, constituting the committee, covered the ground speedily.
Vita answered the knock and told Pell, who was spokeswoman, that: "Mrs.Manton no come back yet."
Nora not only heard the voices but she had seen the girls coming, andfeeling that she, as a member of the family, should "do the honors," shesummoned courage to greet the callers.
"Cousin Teddie will not be back before lunch time," said Nora sweetly."Won't you come in and wait?"
"Oh, no, thank you," faltered Thistle, observing one truant curl thathad escaped the confines of Nora's field hat. "We may come over later inthe afternoon--after drill," finished the Scout.
Pell was more composed. "Are you visiting Rocky Ledge?" she askedcordially.
"Oh, yes. I expect to stay quite a while," replied Nora. She liked theroguish smile Pell bestowed upon her--it was, somehow, a little likeBarbara.
"Then perhaps you would like to visit camp," pressed Thistle. "We lovecallers, don't we, girls?"
This provided an opportunity for general conversation, and presently, noone knew just how it happened, but the Scouts and Nora the rebel, werehaving a perfectly splendid time on the side porch, talking about thethings girls love to discuss, but which always appear to the onlooker orlistener as a series of giggles and gasps.
Nora was so glad she wore the khaki suit. All her old love of finerywas, for the time, lost in the joy of feeling "in place" instead of "outof place." And the girls at close range did look very well in theiruniforms. Betta and Thistle especially were just like models--Noraremembered that wonderful Girl Scout poster, and her former dislike forthe uniform now threatened to turn to keen admiration. Just so long asanything "made a picture" the artistic little soul was sure to besatisfied. Changing an opinion was as simple a task for Nora as changinga hair ribbon, but it had been rather unpleasant to have the Scoutsalways held up as paragons.
Admitting she had not yet visited the Ledge, Nora was straightwayinvited to do so, as the four Scouts expected to meet the other troupmembers out gathering sweet fern there.
"Vita," she called back to the maid in the kitchen, "you keep Cap home,I'll be back in a little while."
"Oh, no," objected Vita. "Mr. Jerry, he say you don't go never withoutCap----"
"But I am with the girls now," declared Nora a little sharply. She wasso afraid the others might guess that it was she who wore the velvets!Looking very closely at each, however, she had not recognized the onewho accosted her on the fatal dress-parade day. Alma was not in theparty this time, so of course, Nora was correct in her opinion.
"Doesn't Mr. Manton like to have you go out alone?" asked Thistle,innocently.
"Well, you see," stumbled Nora, "I am not very well acquainted yet."
"Was there a little boy visiting the Mantons the other day?" venturedBetta. She was almost consumed with curiosity, and as they turned theirbacks on the cottage the chance for unravelling the prince mysteryseemed lost to them.
"A boy? No," replied Nora. "I am the only one who has been here." Aflame of color swept her face and although she stooped to pick up anacorn at the moment, at least two of the Scouts noticed the flush.
"Light curls," whispered Wyn. "She has very pretty ringlets----"
"Lots of girls have, of course," scoffed Betta. "You surely don't thinkshe's twins?"
"No," faltered the other, never dreaming how much closer than twins Norawas to the little prince.
But Wyn was not easily satisfied. What was the sense of being appointeda committee to investigate and not do it? She picked a wonderful sprayof pink clover before she asked Nora again:
"Do you ever see a little boy, a very fancy dressed boy, around thecottage? One of our girls dreamed she saw one and we have been trying topersuade her she had a vision."
A sigh of relief escaped Nora's lips. It should be easy to laugh thestory over, since only one girl had seen her and that one had but aglimpse of her. She felt she would die of embarrassment now, if ever shewere really found out. And only a few days ago it had seemed so triflinga thing! As she was about to reply to Wyn her hat fell off and downtumbled the curls.
"What wonderful curls," exclaimed Wyn innocently. "Why do you hide themunder a hat?"
"Oh, I don't," replied Nora bravely, shaking out the golden cloud thattossed about her ears. "But when we go into brambles it is morecomfortable to have one's head tidy," she finished.
"Say, Wyn," charged Thistle, "do you suppose Nora has no other interestthan in your visionary prince and yellow curls? Please allow her tolisten to some of my woodland lore."
"Oh, yes," mocked Betta. "Tell her all about your little fish in thebrook that wouldn't go near Treble's hook."
A scamper brookward responded to this sally.
"Oh, there's Jimmie," cried Thistle. "Hey Jimsby!" she hailed to a smallboy in a big boat. "Wait for us. We are going up to the Ledge. Give us arow?"
Everyone, including Nora, ran towards the edge of the stream thatrippled through willows. Jimmie with his boat was rare good fortune tocome upon, and the Scouts were instantly eager to procure seats in thebig, old skiff.
Nora's timidity forced her to hold back, but she was too self-consciousto admit it.
"Come on, little Nora," called out Thistle good naturedly. "I have aplace for you right alongside of me."
"Oh yes. Thistles never sink, you know," added Wyn.
Nora's heart heat fast. Could she say she would so much rather walk tothe Ledge?
"Hurry up, Sister," sang out Betta. "Thistle wants to get out of rowingand you are her excuse."
Taking her fright literally in her hand and casting it into the brook,Nora stepped into Jimmie's boat, smiling as if she were expecting thebest good time of her life. A thought of her nervous mother barely hadtime to shape itself before all were seated, and the freckled facedJimmie handed over the oars, without so much as uttering either aprotest or agreeing to the piracy.
"Don't you love a little lake like this?" asked Betta, noticing howsilent was her companion.
"I have never been on the water," said Nora truthfully. "At our schoolwe are not allowed to take part in any dangerous sports."
"Oh," exclaimed Thistle. "How you must miss good times."
"But we have many lovely parties and dances and all that sort of thing,"explained Nora. Her voice was entirely friendly and the difference ofopinions by no means clashed.
It was delightful. The girls sang, whistled, shouted and coo-heed, asoccasion demanded, the occasion being that of answering bird calls fromshore. Imitating birds was counted as the latest outdoor sport, and theChickadees vied with one another in the accomplishment.
"She's leakin'," said Jimmie without warning or apology.
"I should say she is!" cried Wyn, jerking her feet up from the bottom ofthe boat. "Jimmie Jimbsy! Why didn't you say so?"
"Oh, you didn't give me a chance," replied the lad frankly.
"Oh, is it dangerous?" gasped Nora. Her cheeks went pale instantly.
"No, just gives us a chance to show who is the best swimmer. You canswim, of course?" asked Wyn.
"No, not a stroke," replied the frightened Nora.
"Don't you mind Wynnie, Nora," spoke up Betta. "There's no possibilityof any one having to swim. This boat would sail the rapids, wouldn'tshe, Jimmie?"
"Here's another hat," offered Thistle. "Say, Jim! At least you
ought tobring a tin can," she said in her jolliest tone.
They were actually bailing out. The water managed to make cold littlepuddles in the bottom of the boat, and with the "large party aboard" asPell charged Wyn because she happened to weigh a few more pounds thanthe others, the inflow threatened to bear the little craft down to thewater's edge, uncomfortably close.
But the girls were making a lark of it. Every time a hat emptied a shoutwent up, and every time a hat leaked a groan moaned out.
"All in a life time," boomed Thistle. "But don't any one dare tell thatstory about the philosopher and the boatman."
"Never heard it," responded Betta, lifting a particularly well filledhat to the boat's edge.
Jimmie was now rowing. "Assisting him in that capacity," as Pellexpressed it, was Wyn.
"We gotta reach the Ledge," joked Thistle, "and I for one hate walkingon the water."
"We betta----"
"Betta-be-good," went up the shout as Betta attempted to preach. Shenever got farther than that first mispronounced two syllables nowadays.
Nora was now regarding the situation with more calmness. After the firstfright it did not seem so dangerous, and the skill with which the jollyScouts handled the task of bailing, was fascinating.
But suddenly something happened; no one shouted, no one even spoke, butin a twinkling the entire boatload of girls were scrambling in thewater.