The proud old dame wagged her head briskly as she gazed from one to the other of her hearers. Then she suddenly changed the conversation.
"Yeh hed a long, long ride from Freedom, didn"t yeh?"
Mrs. Vernon explained that they were camping and had only traveled from the plateau that morning.
"Oh, ye"es must be the gals John tole me about one day--he said thar war some tramps loose on the hill and he wisht yuh knew it so yuh could keep a dog to warn "em off. In fack, he wuz agoin" to git yuh one, but he had to leave so quick-like."
Granny was very entertaining, and before the scouts left, she had shown them many of her preparations, witch-hazel being one of her remedies.
She treated them to drinks of birch-beer, and gave them vials of winter-green flavoring, and peppermint oil, to be used in candy-making.
"I"d like to bring my girls up again, Granny, to have them learn more of your art of chemistry. The proof that you have found the secret of living long and well is evident in your strength and power to enjoy life as you do," said Mrs. Vernon, as they said good-by.
"An" I"ll tell John about you havin" a boy over thar, an" he"ll be sure to come and see yuh," said the old lady.
"I"ll be so happy to become acquainted with him. Who knows, but he may have known my son and can tell me something of his life there. We have never been able to learn much," said Mrs. Vernon, pathetically.
Granny Dunstan placed a bony hand gently on her visitor"s arm and looked volumes with her bright little eyes. Then and there, age, position, and all earthly claims disappeared, and the scouts were given a wonderful sight in beholding a perfect spiritual communion between two entirely different humans.
On the ride back to camp, Mr. Gilroy said: "Well, I wouldn"t have missed that visit for anything."
"If "imitation is the sincerest flattery" then we are flattering Granny Dunstan, for we are going there again to learn the things she knows,"
said Mrs. Vernon.
The scouts found that Mark had erected several bird-houses, and as they stood watching him line up his horses again, to lead them back to Freedom, they plied him with questions about Granny Dunstan.
"Mark, does she keep all those pigs for meat in winter?" asked Ruth.
"No, she fatten"s "em en sells "em fer groceries en" other needs. Her pork fetches more"n enny other round th" country."
"How do you account for that, Mark?" asked Mrs. Vernon.
"Cuz it is such sweet and clean meat. Them pigs fatten up on acorns and nuts. And that makes the finest tastin" flesh, yuh know."
After Mark left camp, the girls still talked of the old lady and her wonderful knowledge of woodcraft. Mr. Gilroy and Mrs. Vernon stood at a short distance, conversing in low tones. Finally they came over and joined the scouts.
Mr. Gilroy said: "I want to thank you scouts for all you have done for me, not only in saving my life, but in entertaining me later."
Julie looked anxiously up at him and said, "You sound just as if you were going to leave."
Mrs. Vernon and he laughed: "To tell the truth, I am."
"There--I knew it! It"s that old walnut bed!" cried Ruth.
"Oh, no," laughed Mr. Gilroy. "It is because I must keep important appointments at home. You see, I merely got off at Junction when I heard of the Cave, and here I"ve been ever since."
"You had as good a time here, as elsewhere, haven"t you?" demanded Julie.
"Better than I"ve had in years, but now I must go on. But I want to make a proposition to which your Captain agrees.
"Next summer, as soon as school closes, I want you girls to visit my place in the Adirondacks. The reward of money you will receive will pay all expenses for fares and outfits, and I will try to be as fine a host as you were hostesses. Will you?"
"You said you were from New York?" argued Joan.
"So I am--when I am at home. But I spend most of the year in my Adirondack camp. You see, I am an ardent Boy Scout admirer, and every summer I have a crowd of boys camp in the mountains with me. As I have several thousand acres there, we won"t interfere with you girls. In fact, I have just been telling your Captain that I am going to write to Headquarters and offer my place to the Girl Scouts for any number of camps they may see fit to start. I can make it very comfortable for them, as my workmen have cut good roads through the woods and many trails are worn over the surrounding mountains. If you"ll agree to establish a flourishing Troop by next spring, I will agree to give you the time of your life."
When Mr. Gilroy finished, the scouts were too delighted to speak for a time. Then Julie sprang forward, and threw her arms about his waist. She hugged him so unexpectedly, but withal so tightly, that he gasped for breath. Every one laughed, as it expressed their sentiments exactly.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
NEW MEMBERS
"Well, our friend is off! Now what can we do?" wailed Ruth, as the scouts sat disconsolately about the fire.
"I wish we could camp in the Adirondacks this summer! We still have August, you know," said Joan.
"Mr. Gilroy particularly mentioned _next_ season, and besides, you have to become a registered Troop, before you can accept his invitation,"
hinted Mrs. Vernon.
"I should think we ought to hurry up and begin, then," suggested Julie.
"How can we? Those girls in Elmertown will all be away for their vacations, and how can we find them?" grumbled Ruth.
"Mr. Gilroy said he had given orders in Freedom that any time we wanted to take a trip about the country, we were to have the automobile he rented that day for the hunt. He said that this would be his present to you this summer because he would not be here personally to take you about," said Mrs. Vernon.
"What did you say--did you refuse or accept?" asked Ruth.
"At first I said I didn"t think he ought to pay for the drives, but he silenced me with a look, and said: "I have already paid for ten drives in advance--so they must be used up.""
"Hurrah! Then we can go for one to-morrow, can"t we?" cried Joan.
"I have been planning where to go if we take a drive to-morrow,"
answered Mrs. Vernon.
"Why can"t we go to Elmertown, first of all, and find out about the new members. I don"t want to postpone that until it is too late to teach them anything. You see, we must get on in scoutdom, so we can visit Mr.
Gilroy"s place next year," said Julie.
"That"s what I wanted to suggest, Julie--that we drive home and find out about new members," responded Mrs. Vernon.
So the grocer"s order-man was told that afternoon to have the chauffeur bring his car up to the crossing of the trail with the woodland road the next morning, where his pa.s.sengers would be waiting for him.
The following day was fair, so the scouts hurried with the camp-work and then ran down the trail to wait for the car. They were soon on the road to Elmertown, enjoying the smooth running of the car over the fine road; after the rough mountain trails, and Hepsy"s uncertain going, it was a luxury.
Many stops were made in Elmertown, but of all the girls" homes visited only five were available to join the scouts. Many were away on visits, and a few were not allowed to consider joining a camp where escaped convicts were caught behind the walls!
This last excuse caused such merriment from the scouts that severe mothers wondered what there could be to laugh at in dangers such as they ran while camping in the woods.