A Campfire Girl's First Council Fire / The Camp Fire Girls In the Woods

afternoon happily. Indeed, she was happier than she could ever remember having been before. But her joy was dashed when, a little while b

the matter? We're all

ie! But I'm so worri

forgot all about him. But cheer up! I'm sure he's done nothing wrong, and I'll talk to Wanaka, and see if ther

ything about him

ty. But Wanaka said she was sure that it is only gossip, and that he needn't be a

to him I'm sure it would seem better. And you must be right-they

t," said Bess

, sometimes," said Zara, thoughtfully. "My

taly,

ians, really, but th

member anything a

were lemon trees and olive trees growing there, and all sorts of beautiful things. And you coul

to go back there, Zara. I

er says, the mountain, would smoke, and fire would come out of it, an

ave been a v

what he use

you come

id that if he stayed there they would hurt him. And he heard that over here everyone was welcome,

ked very t

d that, and I've read it in books, too. But I guess that things go wr

think about him! I

't the reason he was so mean to us. He'd be mean anywhere, no matter whether he was

all this trouble for you, and you

happier than I ever was back there in Hedgeville-and if it hadn't been fo

er, Bessie. He thought he could get y

be angry at him, Zara? Even if he

aning to at all? Would you be angry at him then

just because he

t to be angry now, if it's what one means to do,

seemed to have trapped her a

t does the other person. When anything happens that isn't nice it only bothers you as long

e-and I'd want t

dn't hit you, and you didn't even know it had bee

Bessie, if I didn't kn

ou, it's just as if you didn't know anything about it, isn't it? And if the stone was thrown, and you saw it, and knew who'd thrown

or a minute. She was

best way to do. When I get angry I get all hot inside, and I f

Bessie. "Now, let's get back to the fire. I've

the girls were spreading knives and forks, and laying out cups and dishes in a great circle near the water, since all the meals were eaten Indian fashion, sitting on the ground

as the two girls app

" she told them. "We all try to help. Later on,

nd presently she called to Zara an

e a long time yet before supper. And I saw an apple tree when I

irls were back in camp with a good load of apples. Then Bessi

me flour and s

t, Bessie set to work on what was the most difficult part of her task. First she dug out a hole in the ground and made a fire, small, but very hot, and, in a short time, with the aid of two flat stones, she had constructed a practicable outdoor oven,

o encourage self-reliance and independence, Wanaka did not ask her what she had done. But when the meal was over Bessie slipped a

sed that sort of an oven," she said, shyly. "So I don'

ch it disappeared was the best possible evidence of its goodness, and Wanaka commended her

could make a pie like that! My pastry is always hea

ill!" promi

the great fire on the beach, Bessie and Zara went to bed with t

ood to us, Zar

ather. She says she has a friend in the city who's a lawyer, and that as soon as we get back

as to happen to them; they had been hungry and tired, and with no prospect of breakfast when they got up. But now they had more friends, gained in one wonderful day, than they had made before in all their lives, and Wanaka had promised to see that in the future there should always be someo

leep in shel

of the Hi

heart and c

ul's

sunrise ba

of the Hi

wake, clea

l's de

went to sleep sure of happiness and companionship when they awoke in th

ght up with Maw Hoover to wake her every morning was pretty certain to do at any unusual sound. For a moment, so deep was the silence, she thought that she had been deceived. In the distance an owl called; much nearer, there was

bred, listening intently, knew it. Silently she rose and slipped on moccasins that belonged to Minnehaha, and a dress. And then, making no more noise than a cat would have done, sh

amp fire still burned, flickering in the darkness, and making great, weird shadows, as the light fell upon the trees. It had been built up and banked before the camp went to sleep, and

and turned from the trunk of one tree to the next, bending over close to the ground when sh

guided her in her quest. And Bessie, plucking up all the courage she could muster, still trembled slightly, more from

he made his chief friends, to think that it would be a fine joke to play some tricks on the sleeping camp, and alarm these girls who were trying to enjoy themselves wi

kers had arrived. She had snatched up a sheet as she left the camp, without a clear idea of what she meant to do with it, b

t spare her, as his father had done, and there would be trouble for her, and for Zara and, worst of all, for Wana

e house. Jake, after all, could only betray her to his mother and the others who were after her, but a tramp or a gypsy might do far worse than that. But, though the solitude and the darkness were

ed, for it was Jake Hoover's

un with them girls? Actin' up just like they was boys, sleepin' out in the woods an' pretendin' they're as brave

y, Jake, we won't hurt 'em none, will w

that'

to hurt 'em none. They'r

hem tents an' start yellin' all at once-an

nd-and his hair rose. For waving its arms wildly, a figure, all in white, was running toward

fear. Then they yelled together, and, the sound of their own voices seeming to rele

ghost, weak with laughter, collapsed on a fallen tree trunk and laughed silently as they fled-for the ghost that had frighten