The Woodcraft Girls in the City Part 13

"Doctor Baker invites the Band to join the boys in a week-end camp near-by the city. Fiji said he and the other boys have been scouting about for some days trying to find just the right kind of a site where girls would be comfortable." Miss Miller paused here to allow the announcement to sink in.

"Huh! I guess Dad wants our Band to act as sort of a brake on those boys' speed," commented Zan, nevertheless pleased at the invitation.

"Won't it be fun?" cried Jane.

"Where will it be, Miss Miller?" asked Nita.

"Why, Fiji says they have found a wonderful place on the sea-side of Staten Island. 'The woods almost meet the beach,' he said."

"Oh, can't we try that aqua-planing Elizabeth Remington told us of?"

eagerly questioned Zan.

"We haven't any to try with," replied Jane.

"Fred Remington told Fiji the other day that it was the easiest thing to make. Just one, two, three! and it is done!" declared Zan, snapping her fingers with each count.

"I have it! Let's invite Elizabeth to join us in camp and then add, as an after-thought, how nice it would be if she brought her plane,"

exclaimed Nita, showing that there were still some undestroyed self-motives in her character.

"Even so, there wouldn't be any motive-power unless Zan supplied some of her boundless energy," laughed the Guide.

"It won't work in deep water, Miss Miller," retorted Zan.

"If Elizabeth is invited for the plane why not ask Fred and Billy for their launch?" now suggested Jane.

"Sure enough! You tell Jack to, will you?" chorused some of the girls.

After a lively Council Meeting, the Woodcrafters started eagerly homeward for they were antic.i.p.ating the camp and wanted to hear what the boys had to say about the plane and launch.

But it happened that Fiji and Jack had already thought of the launch and had invited Fred and his younger brother before the girls spoke of it.

The plane was another matter and they agreed to see Elizabeth about joining them.

The campers intended starting for the trip immediately after school on Friday afternoon. Three automobiles-the Bakers', Huberts', and Remingtons'-would carry them and their luggage to the place selected.

Fred, Billy, and Bob Baker would go in the launch, while Fiji and Jack planned to paddle their canoe around the Island to the beach where the camp was to be.

The canoe owned by the two boys was kept on the lake in Branch Brook Park when the boys were in the city, but during their vacations they usually took it with them. It now had to be transported across the city to the Pa.s.saic River. Here the boys arranged to meet the express-man and sail it from that point to Staten Island Sound, thence to the sea-beach-sh.o.r.e of the Island.

Fred Remington planned to sail the launch along the same route but he would start later in the day. The canoemen would start in the morning if clear. The girls in the cars would leave directly after school in the afternoon, and all expected to meet about the same time on the woodland site chosen by the boys.

The days preceding Friday afternoon were an anxious time for the Woodcrafters for they feared it might rain yet hoped that the weather would be glorious.

The camera picture of May and the chest was developed and printed and proved to be a great success. It was named "The Prize-winner," and the film was sent away to be enlarged. Meantime, the Woodcraft Chest had been left on Miss Miller's table in the gymnasium as she wished to show it to the scholars who were becoming interested in Woodcraft.

Tuesday afternoon, when she wished to lock the chest in her private closet, it was not to be found. She sought everywhere, asked the janitor, and telephoned the girls, but no one had seen or heard a thing about it.

Miss Miller worried herself ill over the loss, not so much because of the value of the chest but because it proved there was a dishonest scholar in that school! May was heart-broken too, as it was her first accomplishment in Woodcraft and she was so proud of it, that she had invited all her friends to be sure and call to see it as soon as it was home in her possession. And now it might never be heard from again!

CHAPTER SIX-THE LOST CAMPERS

In spite of pessimistic prognostications about the weather, Friday came and it was a perfect Autumn day. Fiji Baker and Jack Hubert were up at day-break as their express-man carted the canoe from the Park that early so it would not interfere with his regular calls and cartage for the day.

Fred and his crew started at noon in their launch, and at three o'clock the merry Woodcrafters stood about the gymnasium door waiting for the three automobiles which would have the luggage and other equipment packed in them before stopping for the girls.

While waiting, Nita showed the girls a new Flower and b.u.t.terfly dance she had invented. It was most graceful and the girls applauded heartily.

Miss Miller smiled as she said:

"Nita, there is no use in trying to train you for aught else than a dancing flower in a wandering breeze, or a charming little humming-bird that lightly caresses every blossom in pa.s.sing."

"Miss Miller should have a _coup_ for spontaneous poetry," laughed Nita, well-pleased at the Guide's sincere praise.

"Yes, the Tribe must hand it to its Guide for finding something religious or poetical in any prosaic thing she finds. Not that Nita is prosaic by any means, but there have been times when Miss Miller's muse has been inspired with nothing more to base its flight upon than an ordinary dust-cloth or common potato!" laughed Zan.

The sound of approaching automobiles caused poesy and dancing to end and soon the girls were gayly seated in the cars. Such chattering and laughter as sounded from the pa.s.sengers as the machines sped swiftly cross-town and reached the ferry where they had to take the boat to reach Staten Island!

"Miss Miller," asked Anne Mason, as they waited for a ferry-boat to dock, "can we new members start to collect flowers and do some tree lessons, or birds and star knowing, to catch up with your five founders of the Band?"

"Yes, you can, but why not leave those studies and do them at odd times when the older members have other things to do? We might all work together at this camp to find many interesting things to start new collections. For instance, the sh.e.l.ls and other marine objects."

"I never thought of that," replied Anne.

"The new members are so anxious to have individual Tally Books, you see, Miss Miller," explained Zan, "and they haven't any pressed flowers or blue prints or other things to record as we have in ours."

"If only you would wait until we catch up with you," sighed May Randall.

"You can soon do that, girls, by using every spare moment when not otherwise engaged, to learn about the stars, find flowers and insects, and study trees and Nature in the Park. Then we can witness and sign your honour claims at a Council," added the Guide.

"You new girls haven't made your Tallies yet," said Hilda.

"That is one of the things we want you to tell us about," said Frances Mason.

"I think I have enough pieces of tanned leather to give each girl a cover," now offered Zan.

"And we have enough thong and beads to bind the books and tie the pages," added Elena.

"Then the girls ought to buy the page paper and make their Tallies at once, so everything can be entered in proper order," advised the Guide.

"Miss Miller, maybe we can try for the degree of canoeman while we camp near the water," ventured Jane.

Miss Miller said nothing to this but smiled and shook her head. She wondered if the girls understood the experience necessary before winning a degree of that kind.

Jim, the Bakers' chauffeur, and Alfred, the Remingtons' chauffeur, had each been given concise directions how to find the camp-site. Bob had drawn a road-map for Jim, and Fred had sketched a rough plan of where to turn. So Jim led the three cars as they left the ferry.

After travelling several miles, he consulted Bob's map.

"I don't seem to quite get this clear! Master Bob's got here 'Good woodland road,' but all I can find is this swamp and that wood-cutters'