The Camp Fire Girls in the Mountains; Or, Bessie King's Strange Adventure

them on this! Ours must have gone up twenty minutes before theirs, and t

down a peg or two before

ber this is only the start. There's ever

and I have done o

t Bessie's right; it isn't time to celebrate yet. Come on, now,

the girls emerging from the

Bessie. "We thought we came pretty fast, and we di

a little, but that will have to come later. We'll be able to take things easy while we'r

g first we can start clearing up f

same, and again when we've finished, or when our hour is up, at least. We'll keep tabs on one another that way, you see, and

seem like a race unless we knew a little somethi

fire. I'll appoint you chief cook, Margery. You a

nd Margery unwrapped the ham, and got out t

then. "There are the buckets. Hurry, now, so that the wa

ew beneath their accustomed fingers. Miss Eleanor knew the girls thoroughly, and while, as a rule, she saw to it that each girl had to do a

ost enjoyed, and which, therefore, she was likely to d

ht he was looking on at a scene of great confusion, order really ruled. Each girl knew exactly what she was to do, and there was no overlapping. T

busily preparing. But there was no spoiling here, and in a surprisingly short time most of the girls were able to rest. Places w

aid Dolly, sniffing the delicious odor of the cooking h

ey didn't enjoy meals they had to cook themselves," said Eleanor. "But I don't believe that ap

"But I certainly can for myself. Just you watch me

the pot was set on the fire. There is no better way of making coffee. The finest French drip coffee pot in the world can't equal the brew that th

r?" asked Dolly, looking toward the othe

Eleanor, heartily. "What

le to do it, that's all. You expect boys to do lots of

an to be able to cook himself a meal, especially when he's

tasted any of

ion. You know some of the roads are pretty lonely, and I managed to go a long way without coming to any sor

ere even a store where you

ort cut through some woods, and I hadn't gone very far when I ran pl

were glad t

im I was lost and hungry, he made me sit down right away, and

have been

ever have had a meal that tasted half so good. They had cr

ad they cooked

ed that supper you'd never ask again if boys could cook. Those boys over there today will fare ju

look after themselves than mos

e'll be all ready for you in a jiffy now. The ham's cook

the "table." "Dolly, you and Bessie can send up your two smok

eat them all the way!

other peak know that the Camp Fire was ahead in another stage of the race, and, just as the second smoke

n their meal before two pillars of smoke rose from South

e got to waste a whole

said Margery. "I'm mighty glad to sit do

ie. And there were

ill," said Margery, presently. "This i

; they're too busy eating," said Eleanor.

n people are frightfully hungry, you only waste your time if you do any really fine cooking

notice you take just as much trouble with your coo

I know what I'm going to do next year if I can. Teach cooki

argery. I know

rls in school. A whole lot of older girls come down-brides, and girls wh

atch. "Bessie, signal four times with the smoke. I

and from the other peak ros

Eleanor. "Now, watch! He'll show the time

all came

nor. "Now count the next lot carefully; t

ar intervals. And then, after a w

forty-six minutes past two, fourteen minutes to three, when they starte

n't waste any time. We start at two minutes to three, and you want to remember that they

," asked Margery, "if

ey underestimated us. They thought they were going to have an easy time, and they probably loafed a little this morning. But n

but we've really go

nd it will have just the same result. In a race, you know, a good runner will very often let a slower one stay ahead until t

ls on. They were waiting eagerly when she gave the word to start cleaning up, and each gir

the fire, brought buckets of water and poured them over the glowing embers, for the rule of

been burned before water was poured on the fire, and when everything was finished and the girls were ready to star

sentry when we start," said Eleanor. "

I to stay?"

at they will be ready to start within two minutes, and I wan

put it out I'm to star

he exact time. If they catch up w

er than they had been on the trip from Long Lake, and the path was mostly down hill. And, moreover, the Camp

Bessie, who had bee

they put out their

aid Zara. "I came as quickly as I could

d Eleanor. "See, they picked up ten minutes

ked with feverish haste. But they were in time. Bessie and Dolly sent up the first smoke signal before any pillar appeared