Blue Robin, the Girl Pioneer Part 37

A tiny log cabin was also inspected-Peter said it had once been a summer-house-which contained two cots. But time was limited, and Dr.

Morrow-who was for the time being captain of the working squad-began to issue his orders. All baggage and camp equipment had arrived the day before and the girls were soon busily engaged in putting up tents. It meant lots of work, but each one was at her cheeriest best as she overhauled canvases, measured s.p.a.ces, dug pole-holes, sewed on rings for tape, tied ropes, and performed the various odd jobs necessary to have the camp city in shape before night.

As Mrs. Van Vorst had generously provided so many sleeping accommodations, there were only three tents to be erected, an old canvas tent which the doctor had loaned, an Indian tepee belonging to the brother of one of the Orioles, and a natty little affair made of heavy cotton sheeting. It is needless to say that this was the pride of Helen's and Nathalie's hearts, the tent they had wrestled with through many toilsome hours on the rear lawn, with Fred Tyson doing duty as a master tent-maker.

When the tents were erected with openings to the East, in a row by the water, backed by a belt of woodland, whose pungent odors added a zest to the girls' ideals of the camp life, Nathalie and Helen hurried to their tent to unpack. The big packing-box which had served as a trunk for two was hastily turned on its narrowest side, with open side to the tent, and then with hammer and nails converted into a combination arrangement of book-case and dresser, the top having a piece of white shelf oilcloth tacked on it.

Here pincus.h.i.+ons, hair-pin trays, brushes, and various toilet articles, with cologne, lotion, and medicine bottles-the last in case of need-were hastily bestowed. On the upper shelf books were stored-for the story hour-while the other shelves were quickly filled with all sorts of knick-knacks, things they just had to have, even in the wilderness, as Helen had affirmed.

Two ropes, one on each side of the tent, were fastened up so that each girl could have a handy place to dispose of superfluous articles of wearing apparel. There was also a smaller one near the soap-box with its little tin pitcher and bowl, to serve as a towel-rack. After hanging a mirror for mutual use and tacking on the floor between the cots a pink and blue cotton rug-Mrs. Page's idea and gift-they started on the beds.

These were real camping affairs, and would ordinarily have meant hard labor, but Peter, who had been let into the secret before he left Westport, had already cut eight logs, four to a bed frame, one on each side of the tent, and had brought the dry evergreen boughs.

With the boughs the girls filled the frames, and after stuffing two ticking bags with dry leaves and gra.s.s, they placed them on the beds, and covered them with rubber sheets and blankets. They were then made up with sheets and double blankets, and then after throwing a number of sofa pillows about-to be used at night for pillows-the tent-makers were ready to hold an impromptu reception to their Pioneer friends.

Nathalie now played the part of town crier and rushed hither and thither inviting the guests to their camp nest in the woods. The girls quickly gathered and, after due examination, expressed by cries of praise their admiration of the handiness and deftness displayed by the two girls, and the first tent feast was held. To be sure, it was only crackers and fruit left from the girls' lunch-boxes, but they filled the bill, so that when the bugle sounded its clarion blast, as Lillie expressed it, the pangs of hunger being appeased, the girls all hastened with joyful steps to Mrs. Morrow's bungalow to hold their first Pioneer Rally.

Mrs. Morrow, as presiding officer, in a short s.p.a.ce of time was able to despatch considerable camp business, the girls having had so many discussions that their plans were matured and no time was lost in needless talk. It was quickly settled to name the camp "Laff-a-Lot," to govern it as a city, with the girls as citizens with power to elect their own officials, which meant a mayor, a board of aldermen, a justice of the court as well as a clerk and an attorney in case of need, and the squads.

Mrs. Morrow was immediately chosen mayor, and the squads elected. There was the Coast Squad, composed of two Pioneers whose duty it was to sound the bugle for taps at six, for a dip in the Lake at quarter past, the call for breakfast at seven and the succeeding meals, for bathing drill at eleven, and all other calls required by camp regulations. This squad was also to see that the coast was kept clear of debris, that the bathers observed all rules, and was to give the alarm and act in command of the rescue committee in times of danger.

The Tent Squad was to see that the girls kept their tents in regulation order,-each girl to make her own bed and so on,-and that all sanitary rules were carried out according to schedule.

The Grub Squad meant two cooks, a chief and an a.s.sistant, and two helpers or waitresses. Each girl, of course, was required to bring her own plate, cup, saucer, bowl, knife, and fork, and see that they were washed, dried, and placed on the shelf, as well as to wash her own drying-towel.

The Rally Squad was composed of one person-considered the most important member of camp-to act as officer of the day by planning with the mayor the day's program, reporting this at breakfast, and seeing that all notices, as well as the schedule for the day's events, were duly written on the bulletin each morning.

The Board of Aldermen was made up of the first member of each Squad. All officials, with the exception of the mayor and court officers, were to serve for three days only, and the members of all squads were to be chosen according to their qualifications for the work as determined by the number of merit badges.

As soon as the Rally was over, the girls made a rush for the Lake, as every one was wild to go on its gleaming surface that shone under the rays of the dipping sun like a silver s.h.i.+eld, burnished with the golden red of the West.

But Helen, who declared it was too late to enjoy that pleasure as it was so near supper time, was rudely interrupted by Lillie Bell, who had been peering with intent eyes across the water. Suddenly she gave a low cry and pointed to a solitary figure on the opposite bank dragging a row-boat from the water.

Instantly all eyes were riveted in that direction as each girl vainly tried to decide whether the figure belonged to a man or a woman. "Oh, I know!" screamed the Sport frantically after a short stare opposite.

"Girls, yes, it's a Scout! See he has on a khaki suit, and his staff, oh, where do you suppose he could have come from!" she said, looking up at the girls with delighted inquiry in her sparkling eyes.

CHAPTER XXII-CAMP LAFF-A-LOT

"O fiddle!" exclaimed Lillie squelchingly. "You have got scouts on the brain! 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 the Morrows' bungalow to reappear a few moments later with a field gla.s.s.

Raising it she began to yell triumphantly, "There, girls-I'm right-it is a scout! a real scout!" In a moment she was surrounded by a bevy of girls, each one begging for the loan of the gla.s.ses, but Edith was whimsical, and refusing to comply handed the gla.s.ses to Helen, who, after a calm survey of the bank on the other side of the Lake, declared that Edith was right and that it was a scout.

"Oh, do you think-" exclaimed some one. But no one stopped to think, for at that moment the clear notes of the bugle announced supper, driving all thoughts of scouts from the heads of the famished girls as with a cheer of delight they made a swift rush for cup, plate, saucer, and headed for the dining-room.

It was a tired lot of girls who, with sharpened appet.i.tes but dismayed faces, gazed at the slim array of eatables that confronted them at this, their first camp meal. Nathalie made a wry face, but as she heard Helen's reminder that every one was to be satisfied even if she ate tacks, she smiled in attempted contentment and started in on mush.

But tacks were not to be on the menu that night, for Peter suddenly appeared, and with his best bow presented a big platter of cold chicken with Mrs. Van Vorst's compliments. Everything now went as merrily as a wedding feast. Really, it was surprising how that chicken lasted, for the girls had attacked it with grim determination. Nathalie half suspected that Peter had a secret supply hidden under the table, for every one had all she wanted and still there was more.

Supper was soon over and, then after each girl had washed her own table-ware and laid it in its place, they hied themselves down to the water's edge. Here, in sweaters and caps-as the air was chilly-they listened to the crooning melodies of nature, and watched for life on the opposite sh.o.r.e-reminded again of that scout-and talked, well, just the things that a lot of happy girls would discuss with the prospect of three glorious weeks in the open before them.

A trill of song from a hermit thrush in the woods near-by stirred the hearts of the music-lovers and soon the campers were singing, "Suwanee River," to Lillie's thrumming accompaniment on the mandolin. Then came "Tenting on the Old Camp Ground," "Oh, My Darling Clementine," and a host of songs familiar and dear to the heart of youth.

As they ended the last line of "Bring Back My Bonnie to Me," every one suddenly 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's an echo!"

But it proved to be no echo, for as the girls started in again to sing they found that if they stopped suddenly, the voices, which they now recognized as coming from the other sh.o.r.e, would continue with the song.

This created no end of laughter among the girls, and their surprise and amus.e.m.e.nt increased as they recognized that their friends on the other side 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 Pioneer yell and see if they answer." This was no sooner suggested than it was done, 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 in some 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 a zest and verve that deserved a reward, but as before a dead silence greeted their efforts.

The campers felt inconsolable, for some of them had already begun to dream 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 at Westport. As the girls discussed ways and means of making these strange neighbors reveal who they were, suddenly from the other sh.o.r.e came in stentorian tones, evidently through a megaphone, "Be prepared!" This startling announcement was immediately followed by a chorus of male voices singing with hearty gusto, "Zing-a-Zing! Bom! Bom!" to the accompaniment of a loud sound, as if every one was pounding on a tin pan.

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 by the Westport Scouts."

"Huh! but that is just what they are-scouts," cried one of the Orioles quickly, "for that is the national salute. My brother has a Scout book and I have seen their call."

"Well, they're not Westport Scouts, that's one sure thing," voiced one of the girls who had been dreaming.

"What difference does that make," cried Lillie, "as long as they are scouts? But don't you think we girls ought to make some return, hadn't we better sing our Pioneer-" But before the girls could answer they heard the scout salute again. As they clapped an encore, the Sport blowing the bugle to add to the demonstration of praise, their neighbors broke into song.

"Oh, it is a song to us, a serenade!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed one of the girls; and then 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!" But these exclamations came to an end as Nathalie cried, "Girls, let's shout our new call, don't you know the one we made up so as to salute the scouts? Now, ready!" and with a "One! two! three!" the girls' voices rang 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 as they perceived that the girl had subst.i.tuted certain words that were more appropriate to the occasion than the ones they had learned.

Nathalie only laughed, and waved her hand for silence as the little company of merry, fun-loving girls listened to the noise their neighbors were making. Certainly it was a medley of sounds, for it appeared as if horns, tin pans, and just about everything capable of making a racket had been called into service in their appreciation of the fair ones'

ready reply to their song.