CHAPTER NINE
WICKEE AND CHEOKEE JOIN THE CAMP
Nita carried her letter to her mother down to the post-box and mailedit herself. She was not eager to return to the Bluff at once, so shefollowed a faint path through the fields and found herself on theborder of the farm-land where the stream broadened out into a sluggishshallow pond near the bridge. Here, she found great cat-tails andrushes growing, while birds and bees flew about in great numbers. Shesat down on the fallen trunk of a tree and enjoyed the peaceful scene,and for the first time since her arrival at the farm, the full beautyof the place appealed to her higher self.
As is natural with any one, particularly at the age of Nita, the changefrom one state of consciousness to another is sudden when conditionsand environment are such as to support it. Consequently, the soothingof Nature's quiet had its effect on the emotional senses of the girl.From the appealing scene of the spot and the musical zum of insects, itwas but a step to the next upward thought.
"I did just as I wanted to yesterday--I had a stroll and met a richyoung fellow, but why is it that this simple spot gives me morereal pleasure than the ride and acquaintance yesterday?" wonderedNita, never realising that outdoor life and wholesome association waschanging her likes and character, slowly but surely.
Had Miss Miller but heard the girl's admission, how relieved she wouldhave been, but Nita kept her thoughts to herself.
During the girl's absence, the other girls indulged in gossip, as ismost natural with a group at that age. Miss Miller was in her tentplanning some work for the afternoon while the girls were busy makingsets of rubbing-sticks after the model used by the Guide.
"Say, girls, did you ever hear of anything so nervy as Nita's goingoff like that?" exclaimed Jane, looking toward the Guide's tent toascertain where Miss Miller was.
"Hum! If my mother _dreamed_ of such things she would make me comeright back home!" added Elena.
"I s'pose Nita thinks it is perfectly all right! You see she wasbrought up that way and can't gauge actions as we do," said Hilda, inapology for the absent one.
"I'm glad to hear you say that, Hilda, because my Daddy asked me asa personal favour to him to bear as much as I could from Nita and doeverything possible to wean her from her habits of the past by helpingher to look at things as we do! I'll confess, she tries me awfully,sometimes, and I haven't much patience with her weaknesses, but I'vegiven my word to Dad!" said Zan, flushing at the thought of hershortcomings in the ordeal.
"How do you suppose she ever met that boy?" asked Jane curiously.
"She just was brazen enough to invite acquaintance! Why, Nita'd flirtor dance with any one--as long as he had on fine clothes and was aneasy mark to her glances!" scorned Elena.
Miss Miller had come from her tent unobserved and overheard the latterwords. She felt distressed at the attitude the girls took and sat downbeside them.
"I heard what was just said, girls, and I feel that I must add myopinion to yours. I shall be greatly relieved to know that this is thelast we will hear of the discussion over Nita's short-comings. I am notreckless enough to permit her to continue this conduct without havingdeeply considered every phase of the matter. I am merely giving her,as one might say, rope enough to hang herself! That is, to let herfind herself and the real enjoyment of camp-life, or let her rush onuntil she is too far in to recover her footing with us. I have everyhope now, that she is finding herself and will be one of our bestWoodcrafters!"
To this the girls had nothing to add, so the Guide concluded by saying,"Please do not discuss this again, and try not to think of it either.Just leave the case to me and let me handle the situation as I amadvised to do. I am not alone in this plan of regenerating the child,and it was with the sense of my obligations that I promised to do all Icould."
Miss Miller went slowly back to the tent to get the papers for aCouncil and left the girls bending low over their work but no more wassaid about Nita's short-comings.
Before the Council convened, Nita came back to the Bluff and took herplace in the semi-circle. After the opening song and roll-call, theGuide looked over her honour roll.
"Nita, I'm sorry but we will have to give you a demerit for absence atCouncil yesterday, and also defer giving you any _coup_ for following atrail accurately as we did. I know you can soon catch up in this but itis more fun when we all work together," said Miss Miller.
Nita said not a word and controlled her features admirably at the mildreproach from the Guide. The marks were placed on the paper and MissMiller looked up smilingly.
"Who can claim a reward for not chewing gum for three months?"
"I haven't chewed any since that day in school when you lectured theclass, explaining what bad effects it had on the glands and throat, tosay nothing of the waste of saliva!" said Zan.
"How long was that?" asked the Guide.
"Oh, that must have been more than three months ago, Miss Miller. Ihaven't chewed since then either!" cried Hilda.
It turned out that not one of the girls had indulged in gum-chewingsince that day when they heard how the habit hurt one's healtheventually. So Miss Miller was proud to give credit where it had beenwon.
"Now, girls, Jane and Zan have won a _coup_ for fire-making withrubbing-sticks and material of one's own gathering, but no one hasaspired for a grand _coup_ in this line. I should think it to bea simple matter to practise until the fire could be made in oneminute--try for it and see! At this meeting we will fill out and signthe claims for fire-making _coups_." Miss Miller then took a numberof printed Honour Claims from her leather case and the two girls eachreceived a _coup_ claim duly witnessed, and a duplicate to paste in herTally Book, while the original would be filed at Headquarters when theBand was registered.
"I am going to try for a degree in swimming, Miss Miller. I'd loveto have the right of being called _Shingebis_ as you are," said Zan,eagerly.
"Good! I like to hear that, Zan. And I don't see why Jane couldn't try,too. The other girls are learning fast and will soon be able to swimcorrectly and begin to practise fancy swimming."
"Shall we swim now?" asked Hilda, eagerly.
"Hardly!" laughed the Guide. "I wanted to have the others make therubbing-stick fire and at least do a Test for the Degree of Gleeman,then take a walk over to the garden and find out how many of you canidentify vegetables and fruit trees without being told."
"That will take all morning!" pouted Nita, who was becoming very expertin swimming.
"Yes, I know. Then we will have lunch and finish sewing on our suits.Later we will take our daily swim," replied Miss Miller, preparing tobring the Council to an end.
The Fire Tests were completed and the Band started across the woodstoward the garden. They reached a section of the corn-field where thebeautiful stalks were almost ready to tassel. Between straight rows ofthe green corn thick-stemmed vines crept in and out. Here and there adeep orange flower lifted its head.
"Aren't those yellow lilies a queer kind?" said Nita, stopping toexamine one.
Zan laughed merrily. "They're not lilies, Ninny! They're pumpkinblossoms!"
Even Nita smiled at the wide difference between the two flowers,although the form was so similar.
"I never knew pumpkins grew like _this_!" said Elena.
"There's lots of things you girls don't know now, but you will beforewe leave this farm!" retorted Zan.
"I don't see what you folks need so many pumpkins for! Just look atall the vines," said Jane, waving a hand at the large expanse of fieldwhere yellow spots of colour showed.
"Oh, Mrs. Sherwood cans lots of them, and we keep lots in our cellarthrough the winter. Dad sends lots to Homes and the boys use dozens forHallowe'en night. Last Fall Fiji had over a score sent to the boys atthe Y. M. C. A. for their party."
"If I had a lovely place like this, I'd just love to make others happyby giving away the things like Zan's folks do," murmured Hilda.
"Yes, and when you think of all the money we spend on visitingsummer-resorts and paying high
prices for travel, then compare it tocost of maintaining a farm like this one, it would about balance eachyear, and soon pay for the first cost of a farm," said Miss Miller.
"That's just what Dad said before we took this one. We used to payexorbitant rents each Summer for cottages in the big mountain-resortsor at the sea-shore and only have a few weeks' good out of it. Dadonly paid as much for this farm as it cost him for two Summers' outingprevious to coming here. And will you believe it, Muzzer kept strictaccount of everything that year to satisfy herself of the truth, and wereally had more first-class food produced at the farm, and for next tono cost, to say nothing of the different times we used to come down andspend week-ends all Fall and Winter, and paid off the cost besides!"said Zan.
By this time the Band reached the fence between two fields. Here was anew kind of a vine that looked like the pumpkin vine.
"Oh, and see the cute little pumpkins already forming!" exclaimedHilda.
"That's summer squash! Anybody like squash?" said Zan.
Miss Miller had been the last member of the party, for she had stoppedhere and there to inspect growing things. She came up to the girls atZan's question and replied, "Yes, I like it when it's fresh, and I knowhow to cook it, too."
"Then we can have some squash, pretty soon. Bill can pick it when it'sripe--he knows the right time," said Zan.
"Seems to me, Zan, that the squash vines haven't enough soil to nourishthe roots during the demand made upon its strength by the ripeningfruit," commented Miss Miller, examining the stem where it entered theearth.
"We'll speak to Bill about that," replied Zan, watching the Guide withinterest.
Having passed through the corn-field, the Band reached the generalvegetable garden. The first plants they found needing attention werethe tomato vines. They had been trained on trellises but many of themhad slipped and fallen with the weight of their own fruit and foliage.
"They seem to be all green leaves!" said Hilda.
"What do you call this--and this here!" exclaimed Zan, exultantlydisplaying a cluster of bright green tomatoes.
"They must be late tomatoes, Zan, aren't they?" asked the Guide.
"Yes, the others are down by the barn--we can pick some of them to-dayif you like. Bill says there are lots of them."
"Look, girls! All the cabbages over there. Who'll ever eat them?"called Hilda.
"Bill sends all we need for winter, and lots that are left over are fedthe cattle. Pigs like cabbage, and all the cows and horses eat it. Eventhe chickens cluck over a handful of leaves and peck for hours untilnothing but the heavy vein in the centre is left," explained Zan.
"Zan, you're a real farmer! We never knew how much you understood aboutthese things!" said Miss Miller.
"I just love the country and everything in it--that's why!" exclaimedZan vehemently.
"Well, girls, there's plenty of work for us to do, if you want to doit. I see lettuce all ready for the table, but the weeds are thickabout it so that you can hardly tell which is lettuce or which ischick-weed. We ought to clean that out!" suggested the Guide.
Without waiting for consent, Miss Miller carefully stepped between rowsof growing things and reached the lettuce patch. Here she stooped andbegan pulling handsful of green weeds that were just beginning to showa tiny white flower on its head.
Zan followed the Guide and also began weeding. In a few minutes, allof the girls were weeding out the chick-weed and in a short time thelettuce bed presented a very different appearance.
"My, how nice it looks! And how much better the lettuce seems to bealready!" cried Jane.
Miss Miller was delighted at the interest manifested by her charges,and from the lettuce bed she led them to the radishes.
"Oh, the dear little buttons!" laughed Elena, dropping on one knee anddigging up one of the red balls.
"What a small bed--doesn't any of your family like radishes?" queriedNita of Zan.
"This is only one seeding; Bill plants some seed at different times soall of the radishes won't be ready at the same time. They're not fit toeat after they are too large and pithy. These are the second planting.We have had radishes sent to the city all spring and summer, thus far."
"You are certainly to be envied, Zan--having all the fresh vegetables,eggs, butter and tender chickens you want!" exclaimed Miss Miller.
"More than we want--Daddy gives loads of farm truck to the Poor Houseand the Old Ladies' Home, of which he is the visiting physician."
"I suppose the poor things are as glad to have nice things to eat asanybody else--we're all human as far as eating is concerned," commentedMiss Miller.
"We may as well pull some of these radishes for lunch, Miss Miller;they will soon be too pulpy to be good," said Zan.
"All right, but you must show the girls how to pull them out of theground--so many smaller ones grow in the same soil and the roots oftentwine together. By pulling out one at a time and loosening the soilfirst, the younger one will remain safely and continue growing untillarge enough to use," advised the Guide.
Hilda had found an old basket near the tomato vines and this was takenfor the vegetables that might be chosen for camp.
After taking the radishes wanted, the Band moved over to the otherpatches of vegetables. Miss Miller saw some young, growing beets, andturned to Zan, asking if she might cut off some tops.
"What's that for--fodder for Groutch?" laughed Nita.
"No, we will have some delicious beet greens for lunch to-day, besidesthe lettuce and radishes."
The Guide pulled some parsley, broke off the green tops of some youngcelery, and then sought for a few carrots and turnips. They were stillvery small but she selected the largest ones. These were placed in thebasket with the other things, while the girls wondered what it was for.
"I believe I see some onions down by the barns," said Miss Miller.
"Yes, they should have been planted away off at the other end of thegarden, as we all dislike onions and they smell horrid while growing!"replied Zan, pursing her mouth and wrinkling her nose.
"We'll take a few onions, then. I dislike them as a vegetable to eat,but they are a very necessary item for seasoning or flavouring manyfoods," said Miss Miller.
"I am curious to know why you pulled such a small quantity of parsleyand other green things?" asked Hilda.
"I guess you forgot that to-morrow is the day the butcher wagon stopsat Sherwoods'. Bill says that he stops every Tuesday and Saturday, andwe will have to provide meat enough to last for the other days, or gowithout it. Personally, I should not miss meat, but you girls have beenaccustomed to it every day, and I thought we would learn to do withoutit gradually. I am going to give you your first dinner without meatto-morrow, but you will have a good soup instead. That is why I pulledthese vegetables--for a splendid soup."
"Sounds most appetizing just now, Miss Miller, for to tell the truth, Iam starving!" said Jane.
"With all this stuff around you!" said Zan.
"But it's raw! I'd eat it quick enough if it was cooked!"
They had reached the part of the garden back of the barns and Zan ranover to the tomato vines and began turning over the thick leaves.Hanging down near the ground were many great red luscious tomatoes,and she pulled one off and took a deep bite. It looked as if it tastedgood, and so the other girls followed Zan's lead. Soon, all wereenjoying tomatoes the like of which they had never tasted before, asthe ones city buyers get have been picked before ripe and shipped byfreight. Transportation takes some days and the wholesale market usesa few days more before the grocer receives them, so they would rot ifthey were gathered when good and ripe.
"Um-mm! That was the best thing I've ever tasted!" said Nita, smackingher lips.
"Let's have another!" suggested Elena.
Miss Miller laughed and gave consent by helping herself to a secondtomato.
"Some of these must go in that soup! And we will take a number ofthem for lunch and to-night," added the Guide, as the girls helpedthemselves.
"I see some
delicious meals waiting for us this summer, as I gaze aboutthis garden! With that rhubarb almost ready to cut, what pies and stewswe can have! Then, those string beans in that patch of dwarf beans, andthe peas hanging on the bushes--why, there is such an endless varietygrowing that we will have to turn regular cooks to be able to enjoy allthat Nature has provided," exclaimed Miss Miller.
"We don't know how to cook, and you shouldn't spend so much timecooking for us," remonstrated Jane.
"I do not intend to. I'm going to show you girls how to cook your ownmeals. The one who won't cook gets no meal!"
What turn the conversation may have taken can never be told, for atthat moment a loud sound came from the barn.
"If I didn't know that Daddy sent our old horse to a pasture for thesummer, I should say that noise was a horse!" said Zan, running pastthe others and along the path that led to the out-houses.
The others followed quickly, and were in time to see Zan stand inastonishment. They joined her and there, in the small enclosure by theside of the barn, stood a horse looking at them. At sight of Zan, theanimal lifted his nose and neighed.
"Of all things! It's our old pet that we've had here every summer! Why,Cheokee, how _did_ you get here?" cried Zan, racing over and throwingher arms about the horse's neck.
Cheokee nosed his little mistress affectionately, while the girlslooked on. "I should think she'd be afraid to go so near a horse," saidElena, the timid.
"You wouldn't feel afraid of a little poodle, would you?" asked MissMiller.
"But a little dog can't hurt you while a big horse might bite or walkall over you!" replied Elena.
"Not when he knows you, as this pet knows Zan. He is just a great bigpoodle--in a way; he is as tame and is as eager to please and be pettedas any lap-dog!"
While they waited for Zan to rejoin them, Bill Sherwood came from thebarn with a pail of water for Cheokee.
"Bill, when _did_ Cheokee come here?" cried Zan.
"This mornin'. I got a wire from your pa sayin' he hed sent orders t'Hamilton t' leave th' hoss fur you-all t' use this summer. Hamilton'sman came by whiles you'se was up in th' garden. Mebbe Cheokee wasn'tglad t' be home!" said Bill, holding the pail for the horse to drinkfrom.
"And maybe we're not happy to have him!" ejaculated Zan.
"That means we can take trips through the country, and at times go ona jaunt and stay all night! Would you girls like to camp out now andthen?" said Miss Miller.
"Would we?" retorted Hilda.
"Just try us, and see!" added Jane, laughing.
The others also joined in the clamour for a trip and an all-nightpicnic, and Miss Miller laughed.
"You didn't know what you started, did you?" said Zan.
"Isn't that slang?" asked the Guide.
"Humph! Guess maybe it is--too bad," sighed Zan.
"We're all sorry to give you a mark but it will have to be done if thisslang habit is ever going to be broken," said Miss Miller regretfully.
"Say, you two, why don't you do your part in deserving marks! You're alot of quit----" Zan laughingly remonstrated and was just about to addanother mark to her record, but she caught herself in time, before thelast syllable was pronounced.
They all laughed and Miss Miller said, "Now, that's a good sign!"
Zan suggested that they stop at the house and get some jelly andpickles as the other jars were empty. This done, they took the path forthe Bluff.
So much time had been spent at the garden, that they had just time toprepare the dinner before one o'clock. The hour for dining had beentwelve, but time flew so quickly at Wickeecheokee, that it seemedimpossible to be ready at twelve.
During the meal, Zan told many clever things the horse had done and howtrusty he was. She then gave an account of the way the boys and she hadchristened him Cheokee.
"He's been in our family ever since he was two years old. Daddy usedhim for one of his practice horses when he had to have two. Then, whenhe gave up going out at night, he kept Cheokee for his day use. Wecalled him 'Bill' then. Daddy got an automobile a few years ago, andwe came down for our first summer on the farm that year. Of course wewanted Billy with us. Then we found out that the farmer was called Billso we thought he might not like it to have a horse called by the samename. And besides, we felt that a horse for a doctor and a horse in thecountry for fun ought to have names showing their occupations. Billsounds all right for the city, but we wanted something fancy for him inthe country. After a lot of thinking Fiji suggested Wick. That didn'tfit. Then Bob said, Keeok. I didn't like that either. After startingon the name of the farm we kept on until Fiji said, Chokee. Thatmade us all laugh and Muzzer said it was awful! It made her think ofstrangulation. So we modified it by calling him Cheokee, but the boys_would_ use that name Chokee. We led Bill to the creek and invitedthe Sherwoods and some friends of Muzzer's who were visiting us, andBob spoke a piece he had rendered at school that term, while Fijiplaced a daisy wreath on the horse's head. I took a brass finger bowland sprinkled the water on his head and we named him Cheokee. Then, westarted a song but Cheokee saw Bill coming up the slope with a measureof oats and he scrambled out of the water and went for his dinner. Bythe time he got his nose out of the bucket and looked at us, the daisywreath was hanging from one ear, and he had oats clinging to his noseand face. Oh, that was a funny sight!" and Zan leaned back and laughedat the memory.
The girls grinned in sympathy, and Miss Miller watched the girl who hadbeen blessed with a father who had common sense enough to allow hisgirl to grow naturally, without any foolish notions, or without wastingany valuable time over her toilet.
Miss Miller thought to herself: "Zan is youngest by several months ofany member of this Band, yet she has the physique and mentality of aperfectly healthy girl of fourteen. Then, too, she is so free fromguile and full of intelligence, that she is an admirable associate forthis or any other camp to have with it."
Miss Miller unconsciously turned her eyes on Nita, who formed such acontrast to Zan. Her very eyes expressed hidden thoughts that she dweltupon, but would have been ashamed to admit. Her every action seemedto say, "I know I am pretty, and I shall make the most of it." Herindolence, her preference for sweet things to eat, the habit to excuseherself for any error, or misrepresent facts, all were making theirlines in her face, and later would have seared her soul.
"If I can only prove equal to her!" thought Miss Miller. "I should loveto replace that falsity with a genuine nature, but it must not be atthe expense of my other charges!"
While the dishes were being washed, Jane said, "Could we use Cheokeefor a ramble this afternoon?"
"It would be fun, Miss Miller, and he hadn't far to come this morning,you know," added Zan.
"Then say we take a short drive and let our bath go until later in theafternoon. We had planned to sew, but I will admit that no one dreamedof an addition to our camp that would open new channels of pleasure."
"Can you hitch him?" Elena asked of Zan.
"Pooh! of course! And you'll have to learn how, too."
"Oh, I'd be so 'fraid to get up close!" shivered Elena, laughingly.
"We'll take all of that fear out of you before you go back home, younglady," threatened Zan, grinning at her delicate companion.
The girls soon had the big surrey pulled out of the carriage-houseand Zan led the horse out of the enclosure. Miss Miller assisted inharnessing one side while Zan did the other. The girls stood by andwatched with interest.
"Who'd ever think Zan could do these things when you see her atschool?" said Jane.
"Or at dancing school?" added Nita.
"Which goes to prove that a lady is always a lady no matter what tasksshe does, as long as she remembers her birth-right!" ventured MissMiller.
At the signal from Zan, the girls climbed in the surrey, with Elena,Zan, and Miss Miller on the front seat.
Cheokee knew it was to be a lark, and he started off with one of hisprancing steps. The girls laughed and shouted at every thing theypassed, until Zan turned t
he horse into a beautiful woodland road. Thetrees were so thick and tall that but little sunshine ever penetratedto the road. It was consequently cool and dark in the woods.
Miss Miller turned to speak to Elena and was struck at the look onNita's face. She turned about to see what caused it, and saw a dog-cartcoming from the opposite direction. She knew intuitively who wasdriving the high-stepping horse. There was no room to pass each otheron the narrow road, and the banks rose over three feet on either side.There was only one thing to do. The young man jumped down and took hishorse by the head, backing him along the road until a small spot wasfound where he could turn out and permit the load of girls to pass. Hestared impudently at Zan as he knew she was the doctor's daughter,camping at Wickeecheokee. He raised his hat as she glanced in hisdirection and Miss Miller thanked him coldly for his courtesy.
Immediately after, the Guide turned abruptly to address Jane but lookedkeenly at Nita. The girl failed to notice the teacher, however, for shewas leaning out of the surrey looking behind where the young fellowstill stood waving his hat.
"Zan, stop at once! Nita's lost something! What was it, Nita--I'll helpyou find it?" said Miss Miller.
"Why--nothing! I didn't lose anything," replied the girl, flushing themoment she realised that she had been caught.
"Oh, I thought you were looking along the road for something you haddropped. Well, drive on, Zan, it's all right!" said the Guide.
"I might have dropped my hat and had a chance to get out and see JackEverton," thought Nita regretfully.
The rest of the drive over the woodland road was silent, but the girlssoon began chattering again, at sight of interesting things in meadows.
After leaving the woodland, Zan let the horse climb up a gradualascent, taking his time to do so. The road doubled many times beforereaching the top. This was to make the ascent easier, Miss Millerexplained. At the summit the girls jumped out and admired the view. Zanunhooked the loose check-rein and let the horse graze for a time.
"We can see Baldy right across the valley--see?" said Zan, pointing inthe direction of the knoll.
"Then this must be the mountain we saw yesterday," said Jane.
"It is--it used to be called Pine Tree Hill by the farmers hereabouts,but we shortened it to Pine Nob. It gets the name on account of all thefine pines covering its sides," exclaimed Zan.
"But not a berry to be seen!" remarked Hilda.
"And not a snake!" laughed Miss Miller, looking at Elena.
After the Band had roamed about all they wished to, Miss Miller, whohad been carefully examining the place, said, "Wouldn't this make adelightful spot for a night-camp when we begin star-gazing?"
"Oh, yes! And there is a small ravine where the spring of fresh wateris!" added Zan eagerly.
"Is there! That was the only drawback as far as I knew--now that isremoved," replied the Guide.
"Let's come as soon as we can," urged Jane.
"Very well. Suppose we say the first clear night after to-night!"suggested the Guide.
Returning, Zan chose a different road home. At the foot of Pine NobCheokee took the road past the Forks and went on the road that ran infront of the Hamilton place. So near were they that the barking of manydogs could be heard. Zan explained that Mr. Hamilton had thorough-breddogs that he showed at exhibitions or sold for fabulous prices todog-fanciers.
When the girls drove in at the farm-gate Bill was nowhere in sight, sothey backed the carriage into the shed and unharnessed the horse alone.
The greater part of the afternoon had been spent in driving and therewas just time for a bath, before supper had to be started.
It took but a few minutes to get out of camp clothes and slide intounion suits. It had become quite the natural thing to see each other inthe union suits and no further thought was given to it.
The girls were eager to try their courage again and soon were splashingand shouting, Zan suggesting ways and means of keeping afloat, ortrying a stroke. Suddenly, Miss Miller stood up in the water near thewillow and exclaimed, "Oh, what a cute puppy!"
The girls bobbed up quickly and looked in the direction of the Guide'sglance. There sat a half-grown collie pup on the edge of the Blufflooking knowingly down at the bathers.
"Oh, you little darling! Come here!" called Zan, snapping her fingersat the pup.
The doggy wagged his tail violently and jumped up and down, givingfunny little barks.
"Isn't he too cunning for anything!" said Elena.
"Come down here--here, doggy, doggy!" coaxed Jane.
The girls stood close together on the edge of the water when the pupsuddenly decided to run down to them. He bounded over the grass by thepool and before any one could follow his antics, he jumped in the poolamong them.
The girls gave little shrieks and the pup thought it was a signal forplay. He immediately caught hold of Zan's suit where it ended about theknee. His teeth felt like tiny steel pins as he clenched the edge ofthe material, and Zan might have frightened him off had he not upsether into the water. This done, he paddled about and heard the girlsclapping madly at the prank. He thought this meant that they wantedsome fun too, so he raced to their side and jumped about in the shallowpool, making them squeal and hug each other. The puppy would not bebalked of his fun, however, so he tried to get a hold on their fittedsuits.
Wild screams and laughter resulted, and suddenly, while the Guide stoodunder the willow holding her side breathlessly, the entire group,victims and dog, rolled over into the pool.
Of course, there was a mad scene of splashing, sputtering and cryingout for help, before either of the girls could rise. The puppy stood onthe edge of the bank wagging his tail, his head on one side with blackeyes winking at his prey, and his tongue lolling from one side of hiswide-open mouth.
When the submerged four could recover a normal state of breathingagain, the puppy bent down and began lapping water in as unconcerned amanner as a puppy can assume.
"I wonder if he can swim?" called Zan, who still stood at a safedistance where the dog had ducked her.
"Most likely; he ought to teach the girls the correct method," repliedMiss Miller.
Zan whistled and threw a stick down stream to tempt the dog, but hemerely watched it float away, and then laid down in the sun to dry.
All the coaxing and chirruping had no effect on the sleepy pup, so thegirls ceased their wiles and tried to swim in good style.
During supper, the puppy cried for something to eat, and a bowl ofoatmeal left from breakfast, and some warm milk was given him.
"I wonder where he could have come from?" said Elena.
Bill passed by the Bluff on his way to the barn to feed Cheokee, and hesaid he thought the puppy belonged to Hamilton. A light dawned in Zan'seyes at that.
"Miss Miller, I bet anything, the puppy followed us when we drove pastthe place. We wouldn't have noticed him, you know, and he, most likely,kept far enough behind so that we didn't see him when we got out.Collie dogs have a wonderful scent, and he could find his way after useven if we were out of sight."
"That seems plausible. Then he must go back home. We will walk over inthe morning, and have Bill telephone from the house that the dog issafe."
Bill consented to do this, and the girls hurried supper and did thedishes, so that they could enjoy a romp with the dog.
"I wish to goodness we could keep him!" sighed Zan, watching the pupdrag Elena's shoe about.
"We could call him Wickee, couldn't we?" suggested Jane.
"Yes, if we owned him. But pedigreed pups like this one cost too muchfor our Band to buy, and Hamilton raises all his dogs for money, soit's good-night to _that_ dream!" said Zan.
"Sorry, Zan, to heap trouble on your head; regret for the impossibilityof owning the pup and accumulating marks against your record forslang!" hinted the Guide.
"Oh, well, I don't just care a fig! there now! If I only had a doglike this Wickee, I wouldn't say another slang-word in my whole life,really! But what's the use of caring when you haven't
got a pet as cuteas this one!" Zan grumbled and pouted until she was on the verge oftears. Miss Miller had a hard time to keep a straight face.
"If Mr. Hamilton could only see and hear you now, he would rather losehis dollars than disappoint you," laughed Elena.
Bill's face showed in the dark of the woods just then, and the girlshalted their play to ask what was said about the pup.
"Mr. Hamilton swore at first, saying he never could keep this pup home.He was always getting lost. Then he said, "Bill, I promised the doctora pup of the next good strain we raised here, didn't I, in return forsaving the prize collie's life last year. S'posing I give that pup tothe girl--if she wants him, and my debt will be paid!"
"I says t' him, Miss Zan will be much obleeged, I'm sure."
"He says, 'All right, tell her the deal is closed--the dog's hers.'"
Bill looked blinkingly at Zan and Miss Miller, and Zan gave a shout asshe fell down on the grass and threw her arms about Wickee. So, that'sthe manner of Wickee joining the camp.