CHAPTER XI.
A NIGHT-PIECE.
It was clear moonlight when the girls went to bed; clear, that is,to Hildegarde's unpractised eyes. She saw only the brilliant starsoverhead, and took no note of the low bank of cloud in the south.Captain Roger (for Roger was in command at camp, Mr. Merryweatheronly coming out at night on his bicycle, and going in again to hisbusiness in the morning), after a critical survey of the sky, wentthe rounds in his quiet way before bedtime, making all secure, butsaid nothing to anybody. Going to bed was a matter of some labourat the camp. During the day the beds were piled one on top ofanother in the one bedroom, the blankets, after hanging in the airfor two or three hours, being folded and laid over them. Only inthe tent where Mr. and Mrs. Merryweather slept the beds remainedstationary all day, the sides of the tent being rolled high, tolet the air circulate in every direction.
When nine o'clock came, or ten, as the case might be, the orderwas given, "Bring out the beds!" Straightway the boys made broadtheir backs, and walked about like long-legged tortoises,distributing mattresses here and there. The three girls slept inthe bedroom which opened off the living-room; the boys and Rogercarried their beds into the second tent, or under the trees, orinto the boat-house, as fancy suggested, and the wind favoured.Then blankets were unrolled, and the business of bed-making wenton merrily.
As I said, it was clear moonlight when the girls went to bed; butsomewhere in the middle of the night Hildegarde was waked by arustle and a roar. Visions of lions ramped before her still-dreaming eyes; she shuddered awake, to find a gale raging roundthe camp. Outside was one continuous roar of waves on the shore,while overhead the wind clutched and tore at the branches, andshook the frail hut to its foundations. Hildegarde lay still andlistened, with a luxurious sense of safety amid the wild tumult.
"But I am safe, and live at home!" she said softly. Then suddenlya thought came, like a cold hand laid on her heart, and she sat upin bed, her breath coming quickly.
"Bell!" she said, under breath, that she might not wake littleKitty, "Bell, wake up!"
"What is it?" asked Bell, turning drowsily on her side. "Not ourturn to get breakfast, you know."
"There is a storm! Hear it raging outside. Oh, Bell! the birchcanoe! Can you remember whether we put her in the boat-house whenwe came in from paddling?"
Bell was wide awake now, and on her feet in an instant.
"We did not!" she said, searching frantically for her clothes. "Mydear, we left her; don't you remember? The boys were just cuttingwood, and we thought we would wait till they finished, and then,--what a wretch I am! What IS happening to this skirt?"
"I am putting it on too," said Hildegarde. "It is mine. Here isyours. Now a jacket; there, we are all right. Is any one sleepingon the piazza?"
"No, they all went up to the pine grove to-night, or last night,or whenever it was. Have you any idea what time it is? Carefullynow, Hilda. I will open the door, and you must be ready to help meshut it."
The two girls stepped out into the black night, and the windclutched them. They were thrown violently against the wall of thehut, but contrived to shut the door and make it fast; then,bending low and holding by each other, they crept along toward theboat-house. The waves were dashing against the rocks, the sprayflew in their faces, half blinding them; but it was not very dark,as there was a moon behind the clouds, and they could see theirway dimly.
"Do you think we shall find her?" asked Hildegarde under herbreath.
"I can't hear!" shouted Bell.
"Do you think we shall find her?"
Hildegarde thought she was shrieking, but her friend only shookher head.
"That comes of asking stupid questions," said Hildegarde toherself; and she lowered her head and fought her way on insilence.
Now, groping with their hands, they found the wall of theboathouse, and crept along in its lee, sheltered somewhat from theblast; but when they stepped out on the wharf, the wind seizedthem with such fury that Hildegarde tottered, staggered back astep, and felt the ground slip from under her. Another moment, andshe would have been in the wild water; but Bell held her with agrasp of steel, and with one strong heave lifted her bodily to thewharf again. Then she shook her gently, "to bring back yournerve!" she shouted in explanation; and the next moment recoiledherself with a shriek that rang above the roar of wind and wave.Up from the wharf rose two forms, blacker than the blackness ofnight and storm, and confronted them. The two girls clung closetogether.
"What is it?" cried Bell, faintly.
Now Hildegarde was in mortal terror of the storm, but she did notfear anything that had human shape. "Who are you?" she asked,sternly. "What are you doing on this wharf?"
"We are playing on the jewsharp!" replied a familiar voice. "Whatare YOU doing, if it comes to that?"
"Oh, Jerry! oh, Phil! how could you frighten us so? We thought,--Idon't know what we didn't think. We came to see if the canoe wassafe. We forgot to see that you put her up after tea."
"Just what we came for," said Phil. "She isn't here; I'm afraidshe's gone."
The girls uttered a cry of dismay.
"Oh, it can't be! Look in the boathouse, boys; it is possible--"
"It is highly possible," said Jerry, "that she got up on end andwalked in, as soon as she saw that the weather looked squally.She's a very sensible boat, but weak in the legs, if you followme. I think she's gone; and a very pretty kettle of fish she makesto seethe two tender bodies in. I wouldn't be us, Fergs, my boy,when the Cap'n finds it out to-morrow."
"Wait," said Hildegarde, "oh, wait! Don't let us give up hope. Itwill do no harm to look, Jerry."
"No harm in life," said Jerry. "Just hold on to this wind, willyou, while I get in."
With some difficulty he opened the boat-house door; then,sheltered behind it, he struck a match, while all pressed eagerlyforward. There in her place, high and dry, lay the birch canoe.Nobody said anything for a moment; the relief was too great.Hildegarde felt the tears come to her eyes, she could not tellwhy; but she found herself saying under her breath, "We might haveknown he would do it; he always takes care of everything."
"Roger is a tedious person," said Gerald, turning off hissatisfaction with a laugh. "The amount of virtue that he staggersunder is enough to swamp anybody. He will come to the gallows yet,you'll see! Human nature must assert itself some time. Whew! theregoes my head! Catch it, Bell, will you?"
"I am very, VERY hungry!" Phil announced with mournful emphasis."It makes me starved to play this kind of game in the middle ofthe night. Can't we have some food, to celebrate the safety of theCheemaun?"
"Me, too!" cried Gerald. "I am dying, Egypt, dying! a corpse amongthe alders dank---"
"Oh, do stop, boys!" cried Bell. "I'll push you off the wharf ifyou go on so."
"Oh, wouldn't us lorf, if she pushed us off the wharf!" criedGerald.
"I am cross!" said Bell. "My hair is wound all round my neck, andI am half strangled. You boys think of nothing but eating frommorning till night. But I am hungry myself, so come along!"
The four buffeted their way back to the house, and Phil climbed inat the pantry window and opened the kitchen door for the drippingparty. They lighted a lantern, and judicious rummaging producedcrackers and cheese, gingerbread, and some bottles of root beer.Merrily the four adventurers gathered round the table, dripping,rosy and breathless; the girls' long locks hung down over theirshoulders, the boys' short curls were plastered close to theirheads.
"We must be a lovely sight!" said Bell. "What a pity there is noone to see us! What do you want, Jerry?"
"I want raspberry jam, chiefly," said Gerald, "but first I want tomake a speech. I propose a sentiment. Pledging the assembledcompany in this beaker of rich wine--. Let go that bottle,Ferguson, or I'll have your life! that's my beaker, I tell you!There! now you've upset it. Attendez seulement bis ich dein teteabhaue!"
"Take the butter-dish," said Bell. "That will do just as well."
"I pledge the assembled company in this rich butter," Ge
raldcontinued with dignity, "though it is not so comfortable to drink,and I propose, first, the confusion of Ferguson, who is apettifogger and an armadillo, and, secondly, the health of ourcaptain, Roger, the Codger, who saved the Cheemaun. Three cheersfor the well-bred captain of the--"
"Thank you so much!" said Roger, looking in through the window."Empty compliments are all very well, but I think I might havebeen asked to supper."
He was hailed with a chorus of shouts, and stepping in through thewindow, drew up a stool and sat down by Hildegarde.
"What HAVE you been doing, children?" he asked, looking round atthe four, who had now arrived at the smoking stage of dampness,each sending up his little pillar of cloud.
Four eager voices told him of the search and the finding, and hesmiled quietly as he helped himself to jam.
"I wonder what you took me for!" he said, "I truly wonder. Theboat went to bed at nine o'clock, with the rest of the children. Ibeg your pardon, Miss Grahame," he added, turning to Hildegardewith his kind, grave smile, "for naming you in company with thislawless crew of mine."
"Oh, please," cried Hildegarde, "I like to--I wish I were--" Shestammered, and felt herself blushing in the furious way that makesa girl the most helpless creature in the world. She would havegiven her hand, she thought, to keep back the tide that surged upover throat and cheek and brow. "When there is nothing earthly toblush about, ninny!" she almost cried aloud.
But Bell came to the rescue. "She wishes she were much wiser thanthe rest of us, Roger, but she doesn't think she is, and I amreally not so sure about it myself. That is the best part of her:she's just a girl."
"Just a girl!" said Roger, looking at Hildegarde; and he looked sokindly that poor Hildegarde blushed again.