The Rival Campers Ashore

orm. The character of it had changed somewhat, the rain driving fiercely now and then, with an occasional quick flaw of wind,

t luck seems to be worse even than wet day luck. But who'd ever thought we'd have such tough luck as to

Harvey. "If you'll stand by, I'll go back into

im. Say, I see a light way up on the hill to the left. Suppose we try them there

ed the whole sky; and, for a brief moment, there stood clearly outlined before

own across in line with the road. Farther still down the road, and a little off from it, beside the larger stream which they had travelled all day, an old mill squatted close to the water, hard by the brink o

er go without a fuss. It isn't getting out in the rain here that makes me mad

e's madder than we are, because we got our suppers and a drying o

than a rod, however, when something brushed against Jack Harvey, and a hand was laid lightly on his

dly enough from out the storm-sounded in their ears; and a

d to have frightened so sturdy a chap as Jack Harvey. "I won't hurt you," she continued, half-mockingly.

e to their aid and they discerned, indistinctly, a girl, barefoot and hatless, of age perhaps twelve, poorly

Henry Burns. "Witham doesn

the old bogey-man! He's worse than the wicked giant i

Col. Witham, the child shook a not very formidable fist in the di

l," said Harvey. "They'll ta

was not e

rl. "Oh, don't you know old Farmer Elliso

d Henry Burns. "

ll of you. Haven't I heard him say so, and shake his old ca

at kind of a place is this we've got into? That's what I'd like to know. Henry, wher

e child, "though I'd catch it from Witham if

continued. "It's the old mill. I know the way in, and there's a warm fire there. You'll have to run,

ly divested himself of his sweater, while the rain drops spla

tting, odd little thing, like a figure in a dream. Indeed, when they saw her, darting across the bridge over the brook, jus

ow of the old mill. The three gained the shelter of a roof overhanging a

night, but the child seeme

though by way of reassurance. "You've just got t

wind, as though it might fall apart from weakness and topple into the water. The stream plunged over the dam with a sullen roar, much as if it chafed at the barrier and longed to

Henry Burns. "Perhaps we'd better roost right here. I

meal-bags to sleep on. And look, you can see the stove, in through the window, red with the fire

ooking at the child wonderingly,

othing to be afraid of-only rat

ly. "We'll follow you. It looks lik

" muttere

that carried the water in to turn the mill wheels. These wheels were silent now, for two great gates at the end of the flume b

swim?" as

course,"

across a plank that led to a window,

d softly. "I'll show

y. "This is worse than

inside," said Henry Burns-"all

dropping on to a single plank on the

" she said, "ti

y were; but they could hear her light steps as she

y. "Say, wake me up with a good, hard pun

orne toward them by an unseen hand. Then the figure of the girl appeared,

d pour in to turn the wheels. It was gaunt and unfinished, filled with the sound of dripping waters;

re, in truth, it would seem they might not be uncomfortably housed for the night. A small box-stove, reddened in patches by the burning coals w

ntance to their lodgings, so strangely, they fo

turn that light up too bright. Someone might see it from the road. And get out early in the morning, before old Ellison come

hey were; to ask about Ellison, the owner. But it was too late. They heard her steps, faintly, as she traversed

al-bags, close by the fire, "this isn't the worst place I ever

d hung it on a box, which he set ne

n it," he continued. "The fire feels great, but I w

eplied Henry Burns. "Just make belie

mmer. Of course 'twas mighty nice of Tom and Bob to ask us to spend the summer in Benton with them; but I don't know as

you know. Hello, there's a wheel, now. Looks like a ship's wheel, at that-only r

vey-never too cautious-gave a roar of delight,

h divided the two lower rooms of the mill, was a large, wooden wheel, with a s

everal vigorous turns, "keep her off, did you say, skipper

and clear that jib-sheet; and look out for the block. Hanged i

Henry Burns, laughing at his comrade's an

turns the ship, same as any wheel. This is the good ship, Rattle-Bones, bound from Benton to Boston, with a

se and listening intently. "What's that noise? Henry, no joking, I hear

up, and both boys

of wind. Then, as they stood, listening curiously, there came a deep, rumbling sound out of the very vitals of the old mill; there was a gentle quivering throughout all its timbers; a groaning in a

he gates. The wheels are turning. We've got

ngth, and the rushing noise ceased. The mill, as though satisfied that its protests against bei

d whistling dismally in at knot-holes. Still, save that now and again it seemed to quiver on its foundations when s

one of these sudden illumings of the night, a farm wagon, drawn by a tired horse, splashing along t

ith head bent forward, to keep the rain from beating in his face. He

, drew the reins in sharply, and pee

run itself. Yes, but it is, though. What on earth's got loose? It's twenty years and

urning, headed once more toward the main

Well, we'll keep on, anyway. I'll have a turn around the old place. There's more there than som

up, astounded and dismayed, at the sound of carriage wheels just outside, and the click of a key in the lock of the door. They had barely time to spring from

, thanks to feet clad in tennis shoes, without noise. Now they crouched at the head of the stairs, in

n," whispered Harv

oise about it either. He heard your ship, Jack. Sh-h

mbling about in the dark for something, for they heard him say, "It isn't there. Confound that boy! He never puts that l

ern which had been left there by the fleeing canoeists. That it was not

man, holding the lantern in one hand and gazing about him. Now he advanced toward the little door that

forgetful. But everything's all right. I don't see anything the matter. H

the planks. They heard him, only indistinctly, stepping from one plan

ap, to mouse around here this time of nigh

red Henry Burns. "He may take a notion to come

per windows, lighting up the room where they were, for

spered Henry Burns

, evidently constructed to receive the meal when ground. Henry Burns lifted the cover of one of these. It was nearly empty,

d of footsteps. Farmer Ellison was coming up the stairs. Then the lant

the tangle of belting, now behind some beam. Then he paused for a moment beside one of th

he old mill looks poor, but there's some men dres

lking to himself. And when he kept on and descended to the main floor, he was repeating that it was "all right," and "all safe;" and so, finally, they h

their hiding place, descended th

sked Harvey. "Guess

already snuggling in

aid. "Didn't you hear old Elliso

what he meant

o please us," chuckled H

e them early the next morning, and th

s the planking of the flume, "you look like an underdone buc

vey. "I'm hungry enough. Let's get

ong shore attracted their notice. There, perched in a birch tree, in the topmost branches, with her weight bending it

s Bess What's-her-name. She's not af

tood upright amid the branches and waved fa