CHAPTER XIX
CAMPING DAYS
Tavia got off the train at the Junction, but she did not get on theone that went toward Clamberton--it flew by. She waved herhandkerchief--she waved her coat, she told herself she waved her soul,but that train simply would not stop.
And she was miles from nowhere!
"Well, I'll walk it!" she declared. "I don't care how I get there, I'mgoing to keep my nose toward camp!"
To walk the railroad ties! That was one thing Tavia loathed--they wereso regular, so straight, so abominably correct.
"Of course railroad ties were never built for human feet, even thestraight and narrow are not as straight as these."
She moved along for a hundred or so of ties, then she threatened tosit down. Tavia was desperate, but even in her present surprisingstate of mind, the railroad ties were too much for her, and she kepton.
"I might fly," she reflected, looking boldly at the ocean of blueabove, "but there isn't a machine in sight."
More and more ties until she came to a small bridge.
"Well, I suppose if I try to walk this thing I shall presently findmyself holding a session with some slimy, muddy frogs. Ugh!" and shelooked between the ties at the lurking depths of mud and other thingson either side of the railroad embankment. "I just hate--uncertainties."
She stepped cautiously a little farther. "Well, if I fall it serves meright. I shouldn't have done this!"
Tavia--poor Tavia!
The place was very lonely. Tavia realized this. She knew instantlythat she was in the woods. It may have been her primitive hatred ofthe forest that inspired this sentiment, but there was alwayssomething about the depths of solitude that made her want to laugh--itwas positively funny to her. Something must happen.
"If there were a single human being in sight," she sighed. Then sherepeated, "I said 'single.'"
It was almost dusk. She thought of old Sam. Wasn't that funny! Then ofher mending--shirring socks! When he tried them on he might changehis mind about making her his heir.
"And that loon!" This last referred to Morrison. "When I believed him,I may, some day, believe myself!"
She picked out a few more ties, and came to another and largerculvert. "Suppose a train should come," she gasped. The strain of thepast few days was having its natural revenge--reaction. Her depressionhad soured into hilarity. "Well, I'll run the bridge--I have alwaysheard it is the only safe way." She looked up, far beyond the ties.She would have closed her eyes, but that strange feeling ofsight-security, which does not depend upon sight, compelled her tolook--but not at the ties.
Every time she planted her foot down she expected to go through, footand all, but, somehow, she did not sink down between the ties.
"It would take a funnel to put me safely down that way," she decided."I guess I would have to have a very big hole to drop through."
It seemed to Tavia that everything she had to do must be made easy forher, even dropping through railroad ties!
She had crossed the bridge and now she stood for a moment mocking it.
"I should burn my bridges behind me," she mused, "but it takes timeand talent, even to burn bridges."
Those who knew Tavia would scarcely have recognized her now, couldthey have viewed her through the glass with which she was magnifyingher faults. Tavia had been tried, she had tried herself, and afterhaving had an opportunity to board any of three trains going towardcamp, here she was again--stranded!
"I'm a first-class simpleton," she decided. "Dorothy was right; alwaysright. I'm a rattle-brain; and they think I am drowned. That is morereasonable, and more charitable, than to think I could be so foolish."
"I guess I couldn't get along very well without Dorothy," she went onthinking, as she trudged forward. "She always kept me together. But atleast I'll try to do her training justice now. I'll try to walk backto camp."
A narrow path ran beside the rails. This, Tavia thought had beentrodden down by tramps. Beyond, there seemed nothing but woods, and itwas getting dusk. Well, there must be houses or huts somewhere, andshe would walk on.
Peering through the trees, Tavia thought she saw a white speck. Itmight be a bird--no, it was too large! What could it be?
It moved swiftly--now she could see it was--not a person! But itcouldn't be anything else, since there really were no ghosts. But werethere really none? Just now Tavia felt as if nothing was certain, noteven her own personality.
There it was again, out in the clear path! All in white! Oh, it mustbe a spirit!
How silly!
"It's a girl," Tavia said aloud. "Oh, how glad I am to see the face ofa human being!"
It was a girl, and she moved swiftly toward Tavia.
"Oh, how do you do?" she began. "I was afraid you would not come."
Tavia wondered. Did the girl take her for some one else?
"I'm awfully glad to meet you," answered Tavia, noting how pretty thecreature was, what splendid blond hair, and such eyes! "I was justgetting--frightened."
"Frightened! Why, we will soon be all right. I have ordered myairship. Can you fly?"
Could she fly? Was the girl crazy?
Then Tavia noticed a strange glare in the wonderful blue eyes. Shemight be insane! Maybe she was the girl who had escaped from thesanitarium!
"I love to fly--it is my one ambition in life. But they would neverlet me, so I just came away by myself; and isn't it sweet of you tomeet me away out here? There, did you see that bird? That's the way tofly," and the strange girl threw her arms up and down, until Taviawondered whether she could be fooling, or was really insane.
"I have never tried to fly," replied Tavia, feeling very silly, "butlots of people have gone crazy over it."
The moment she had said "crazy" she felt that she had made a mistake.The girl turned on her as if to strike her.
"Crazy! You call flying crazy! It's crazy to walk, crazy to stand, butit is noble to fly!" and again she worked her arms bird-like.
For the moment Tavia felt like running away. Then she thought thatwould not be wise, for how did she know but that the girl might havethe strength they say insane people have; and that she might hit herwith a stone, or do something to injure her? Besides, it seemed betterto be with her than alone in that woods. Tavia decided she would humorher.
"Of course, we shall all fly, some day," she said, as the girl turnedalmost upon her. "I would love to learn how!"
"You shall! I will teach you! My airship is not far away."
"Do you know the road to Everglade?" asked Tavia, without theslightest hope of getting an intelligent answer.
"Why, yes; Everglade?" and her eyes set more deeply. "I have a friendin camp out that way."
In camp! Then she was not altogether insane, for there were manycampers at Everglade.
"Yes," said Tavia, "so have I. We can walk along together."
This seemed to satisfy the girl, and she did start to tramp along.Tavia noticed how neatly she was dressed, and did not fail to see abeautiful chain and ornament about her slender white throat.
"But it's a long way," spoke the girl. "My name is Bird of Paradise.What might yours be?"
"Betsy Dixon," replied Tavia aptly. "Yours is a much prettier name.May I call you Birdie?"
"Certainly, and I shall call you Betty. I have a friend named Betty."
For some moments they walked along in silence. The two girls were asdifferent in dress and manner as were Dorothy and Tavia, and thelatter noticed how much like Dorothy the strange girl was. About thesame height, same colored hair, and the same deep, blue eyes.
"Are there no houses near here?" asked Tavia. "I am afraid night willcatch us soon."
"Oh, yes, there is a hotel over that ledge. It is there I am takingyou."
Tavia hoped it was true. She had passed through the stage ofsensitiveness, and was now only anxious to get somewhere or nearsomewhere, for the night. She had made up her mind that she would askthe first person she met to help her, with money or by directing herto shelter. There wa
s no longer any doubt as to her distress--nightwas coming and she was almost worse than alone, and in the woods.
The girl in white walked along humming now, waving her arms every timea bird passed, and when she did speak to Tavia her remarks seemed morerambling than ever.
"We seem miles from every place," remarked Tavia weakly. "I dowish----"
"There! There!" exclaimed the strange girl. "There is my flyingstation! See that precipice?" pointing to a cliff far out on the ledgeof the hill over which they were walking. "Just over there is mystation. I told you I was Bird of Paradise. I am not--I am MadamFly-Fly, the French balloonist. Now watch me!"
"Don't!" shrieked Tavia. But it was too late. The girl had rushed tothe edge of the cliff, and with a wild wave of her arms had thrownherself over!
Tavia, stunned at the suddenness of her tragic action, stood for amoment looking down at the heap of white that lay so far below her.
Then she turned cautiously, and started down the dangerous descentherself, clutching at brush and bramble as she tried to reach thegirl, who might be dead, in the moss and rocks that made such abeautiful setting for the stream rambling on, unmindful of the terroron its brink.
Tavia must reach the girl; but what then?