CHAPTER XIII
DANGER SIGNALS
Daylight showed what havoc the storm had wrought. The lake front wasstrewn with craft washed in by the swelled waters; there weresailboats bottom side up, canvas carried from one end of the lake tothe other, rowboats torn from their docks where strong ropes overstronger posts were thought to hold them securely; in fact the stormhad been a record-breaker and the new record was one of considerabledevastation.
Crowds of curious gathered early, and in general terms business wassuspended in favor of sight-seeing. But it was among the campers thatthe greatest damage had been done, and Camp Norm was not alone inblowing away in the tempest.
Those who sought shelter in Camp Comalong were up and out early, andthe Bobbies were not long in following.
"Poor old Norm," sighed Bubbles. "We will now be sure to fall tosub-norm, for never again can we claim to be normal."
A camp untented after a downpour of rain is about as forlorn a sightas can be imagined, and it was such a spectacle as this thatconfronted the Norms on the bleakish early morning.
Wet! Wetter! Wettest!
The trees still rained; the grass emitted a hissing moisture, the airwas as wet as if the rain had anchored in it, and never was there amore unhappy looking crowd than the unroofed campers of Lake Hocomo.
"Weren't we lucky?" said Julia. "Just see how everyone has hadsomething damaged and we never lost a thing but a couple of treeboxes."
"And the curtains off the sideboard," added Grace. "But they weregoing anyhow, I caught my heel in one yesterday."
Everyone helped everyone get things back where they belonged, and bynoon the Norm girls had succeeded in reclaiming the truant canvas andstretching it again over their summer belongings. Many things wereirreparably damaged, for even good, strong boxes could not stand theelements when they "elemented" at last night's pace.
But the excitement added zest to their spirit, and hither and thitherwent the Bobbies like a little band of rescuers, carrying and totingfor the victims quite like the workers in more seriously strickenzones.
A holiday was declared in the afternoon, however, and it was then thatCleo, Louise and Julia went for their long, looked forward to ride.
Being assured they had permission from home (it was talked of on thevisit with mothers the day before), also assured that a womaninstructor would ride with the girls, they left camp directly afterdinner, hurried to the home cottages to don their riding togs, andwhen the sky was bluest, the trees greenest, and everything nicelydried up, the three Scouts, with Mrs. Broadbent the instructor,cantered off through the curling roads of Hocomo.
Getting acquainted with their horses took some little time, but theywere gentle animals and seemed to enjoy either trotting or canteringas their little riders willed.
Out on the turnpike road there were so many motors that Mrs. Broadbentsuggested they go cross field and come out along the old miningregions.
"Is that where the powder mills are?" asked Cleo.
"Yes, there are some big powder works in this district," replied thehorsewoman. "We had many soldier boys out here doing guard duty a fewyears ago."
The girls remembered the remark about dynamite signs, more than oneperson having warned them that the signs might be found but werereally harmless, and when their horses smelled the fresh clover on theslope between two hills, Mrs. Broadbent suggested the riders dismountand rest awhile, allowing the horses to "nose around" and enjoythemselves for a half hour.
"'Pep' expects a treat when he gets up here," she said, "and Baldylikes this tall grass, he doesn't have to stoop so low to get it."
The riders assented gladly. It was delightful to "browse" in such aspot, for the hill afforded a rare view of the lake and surroundingbungalows and tent district.
Freely the three Scouts roamed about, searching for odd flowers andpretty stones, although just how the stones were going to be carriedwithout spoiling riding-habit pockets, was not quite clear. Thehorsewoman stretched herself in the grass and called orders to thehorses, should they wander too far from safety.
Hunting about, Louise found a pretty little mountain bell in betweenrocks, where it must have expected security, while Cleo and Julia weresoon applying their newest botanical knowledge on the Jack-in-pulpitand companion wild orchids.
Glittering bits of stone, the sparkling mica-schist, that looks likepebbly crystals spread on too thick, afforded another line ofinvestigation, and following such a trail into a little ravine, Juliadiscovered the dynamite sign.
At first she was inclined to heed its warning literally, and with alittle squeal she dropped one of her prettiest stones and scraped herriding boot in hurrying away; but Cleo was more daring.
"Just one of those make-believe signs," she suggested. "Perhaps theboys gathered them from around the old powder works and set them up toscare people away."
"Maybe the boys have a hidden cave somewhere and the signs are to keepfolks away," Louise amplified the idea so barely outlined by Cleo.
"But we had better not follow the trail," demurred Julia. "The rocksare awfully rough anyhow, and we will skin our boots to pieces if wetry to climb higher."
All three stood looking at the sign but no one ventured to touch thetin square, which stood on its iron peg firmly planted in the groundand mutely gave forth its "Danger" warning.
Cleo bent over to look all around the little signal.
"There doesn't seem to be a pipe, or a wire, or anything near it," shereported. "I can't see how there can be any danger without somethingdangerous."
"Don't you dare touch it," warned Julia. "It is certainly plantedthere for some purpose."
"Boys, I'm just sure," insisted Louise. "I've often read of theircaves in the mountains and how they store things away in them. Boys'books are packed full of that sort of thing."
"But real robbers have mountain caves also." Julia was determined tomake a good story out of the plot. "How would you like to run into agenuine bandit, with a black handkerchief over his face and twohideous pistols in his hand?"
"One in each hand, Jule," corrected Cleo. "That's the regular way,"and she stalked forward in the "regulation way," with two prettyinnocent Jack-in-pulpits doing service in lieu of the dangerous banditweapons.
"Come along, desperadoes, there's our horses calling us," Juliaproposed.
"I'd just like to kick over that sign," Cleo whispered to Louise.
"Let's get that long stick over there and turn it over," suggestedLouise.
"Suppose we blow up the hills," laughed Cleo. But Louise had alreadyobtained the stick, and although Julia was headed for the waitinghorses her two companions were still fascinated by that danger signal.
"Look out!" warned Louise, going a little closer.
"Let me do it, Weasy, if there's a blow I can run faster than you."
Both giggled and chuckled, becoming more reckless as they joked.Finally both held the stick and attempted to poke.
Only girls of their charmed age can do a thing like that in the waythey did it, for had the innocent tin sign been a perfectly obviousbomb, the Bobbies could not possibly have made greater show and fussover their attempt to displace it.
"Care--ful!" whispered Cleo, but one thrust of the white birch pole andthe sign was uprooted!
As it fell from its peg the girls squealed and jumped, but there itlay, like a sign "keep off the grass" or "please wipe your feet," andnothing happened.
"I knew it!" snapped Cleo.
"Of course," insisted Louise. "Just boys' pranks."
"But there could be danger further on," argued Cleo, loathe to give upa perfectly good sensation without even a shiver.
"Yes, there's Julia calling; come along," finished Louise.
Racing back they stumbled over another danger sign. It was almosthidden in some underbrush, and without stick or precaution Cleo gailykicked it over, emitting a triumphant "whoo--pee" as she did so.
"Guess they grow up here," she told her companion. "Quite a crop ofthem."
/> "They would be splendid to stick up around the camp 'eats box,'"suggested Louise. "I wish I had brought one along."
"Grand idea, and we could put one up in front of our new supply ofcake," Cleo added. "I need something like that to protect mine, forthe prize chocolate layer is going down very rapidly."
There was no time to tell Julia of their adventure. The horses werereclaimed from their pasture, and presently all were mounted again andgoing on a gentle little trot down the rather steep incline.
Where two paths forked and the road was barely wide enough even to becalled single, they drew rein to wait for some other riders whosehorses could be heard but not seen through the trees.
Presently a familiar pony pranced around the curve and on it--sat Peg.
"Oh, there's Peg!" exclaimed all three Scouts.
"Hello, Peg!" they called cheerily. They were, indeed, delighted tomeet her on the road.
"Hel--lo!" she answered. There was no joy in her voice, however,although she pulled the blue roan up short--she glanced backward, thenthe girls saw she was looking for another rider.
Mrs. Broadbent realized the time allowed the Scouts with their horseswas almost up, so she urged her little company to hurry along. Ratherslowly they obeyed, and the second rider was beside Peg now and itproved to be her aunt, Miss Ramsdell.
"Aunt Carrie on horseback!" said one girl to another. They werenaturally surprised to see the rather elderly and white haired womanmounted. But she sat well, and looked well, although her habit was ofthe full divided skirt pattern, and she sat sidewise as women didtwenty years ago.
"Have a nice ride?" Peg called after them when there could be nopossibility of more intimate conversation.
"Lovely!" called back the Scouts.
"Why don't you come around?" shouted Cleo.
"Busy!" floated back the answer.
"She looks it," Louise remarked, when again they rode slowly, tryingto prolong the minutes.
"Doesn't she? I wonder what keeps her so busy?" This was Julia'squery.
"Well, we can't spy, that's a sure thing," reasoned Cleo, "but Iwouldn't mind knowing what brings her out riding all the time."
"Perhaps she teaches riding over at some of the millionaire places,"surmised Julia, always prone to be on the safe side.
"Too young," returned Cleo. "Fancy Weasy teaching someone how tomount!"
"As if I couldn't!"
"Certainly you could, Weasy, but would you? That's the question. Pegwould be about as patient as a chipmunk at giving instructions. Andshe seems too practical to go riding so often just for a good time,"reasoned Cleo.
Campers and "bungalowers" still moving and removing to overcome thedifficulties thrust upon them by the night's storm were now trampingalong the country road, lugging, it seemed, everything from bedding toballast, and among the fugitives the riders met a number with whomthey were acquainted.
Hailing to these and offering words of sympathy precluded furtherprivate conversation, so Peg and her riding proclivities wereforgotten for the time.
"I'll take you to your cottages," offered Mrs. Broadbent. "Thesehorses will trail along obediently when I lead with Baldy."
This offer was eagerly accepted, for the plan would eliminate a walkfrom the riding school, and when all had patted their horses andpromised another ride very soon, the afternoon's particular delightremained only in its joyous memories.
"I would rather ride than do any other single thing," declared Cleo,watching her pretty horse canter off riderless.
"I love it too," agreed Louise. "But do you know we have to get backto camp? And I have a suitcase to carry. There's the car! Goody! We'llall have a ride back."
"Rides and more rides," mused Julia. "I'll be ready in a jiff."
In Cozy Colony all three girls claimed their home ties, and thecottages were grouped in one prettily wooded territory, where treeswere only sacrificed to make room for a cottage or garage, and wherethe rustic beauty of the lake resort was otherwise carefullypreserved.
In the "jiff" specified by Julia the girls again appeared, their linenriding habits exchanged for fresh Scout uniforms, and while Louiselugged a suitcase Julia carried a laundry bag, and Cleo was armed witha rather miscellaneous collection of appurtenances.
Five minutes later they were in camp gushing over the wonderful ride.
"And I took a cake over to Peg," Grace was forced to interrupt to makeknown.
Then it was that Peg again became the pivot of their interest andspeculation.