In a few moments Natalie was up beside the teacher, and the wagon moved on down the hill to the river land.
Introductions were not given until the girls had jumped out of the wagon and stood about Miss Mason waiting for orders. Then Natalie found the Girl Scout Patrol consisted of nine happy, bright, intelligent girls, who felt very grateful to her for the privilege extended them to camp in her woodland that summer.
The camping outfit had been packed in the front end of the wagon, and when it was all removed, the girls started immediately to pitch their tents and do other necessary work for an extended camping-time.
Natalie watched with interest and saw that these girls knew exactly what to do. Miss Mason selected a site where a cold water spring bubbled up under a huge rock and formed a small pool. The overflow ran down the woodland bank into the stream. Quite close to this spring the Patrol would camp, using the water for all needs, and being far enough away from it to keep camp debris from being blown, or thrown, into the pool.
"Girls," called Miss Mason to her Scouts, "we will use this nice level spot up on the slight elevation for the tents. Here we have natural drainage away from our spring, and there is no possibility of the river seeping up into the ground under the tents. Even the hill back of us will not drain down upon our site, as there is that shallow valley between our knoll and the further hill."
So the tents were raised where the Patrol Leader designated, and here they found all the advantages so desired by a group of campers: plenty of sunshine part of the day, breezes whenever the wind blew across the hills, privacy because of the surrounding woods, plenty of dry wood for camp-fires, water from the spring, and the stream farther down to bathe and swim in.
Natalie watched the girls trench about each tent, and she also saw that each tent was placed about twenty-five feet from the next one. There were four tents in all,-two large ones for the girls and a smaller one for Miss Mason, while a tiny one was for a pantry.
While five girls were engaged in completing the tent arrangements, Miss Mason and the other girls in the Patrol sought a suitable spot for the latrine. Here they began to dig a trench and build a shelter. Natalie went with them and learned that a latrine must be away from the water-supply and in the opposite direction from which the prevailing winds blew toward camp. Miss Mason was most particular about this work.
"That trench is not deep enough, Amy," said she to one Scout who was leaving the work. "Every trench must be at least two feet deep, one wide, and four feet long. Your pit is only a foot deep, and you have not excavated the dirt from either end. Dig it out clean and pile it alongside so it can be thrown in again to cover over any waste. This latrine is for summer use-not for a week-end camp, you know."
When the tents were up and ready for use, Miss Mason called the Girl Scouts together.
"Now, girls, let us decide at once what shall be the tasks a.s.signed to each Scout for the coming week. We will have a similar gathering every Sat.u.r.day afternoon while at camp, and exchange duties so that every Scout in turn will have the pleasure of doing certain duties for a week all summer through.
"First, we will choose a Corporal to a.s.sist me for the summer. We may vote for a new Corporal, or allow Helen Marshall to hold her post. Here are nine slips of paper to vote upon. Each girl can cast a vote for Helen, or for another girl in the Patrol, and no one shall know who writes the vote. Sign no name to the paper, but we will soon know what the general wish of the group is."
Eight girls voted for Helen to continue in the Patrol as Corporal, and it turned out that Helen herself voted for Mary Howe as Corporal.
"Well, Helen is our Corporal still. Now, girls, form ranks so we can designate to each one the duties of the week."
The eight girls formed in two rows, four in each row, with Helen at the front with the Leader. Then Miss Mason began: "Mary, you shall be camp cook for the first week. Amy is water-scout. Mildred, you are camp-cleaner,-you have all the baggage and tents to look after. Lillian will look after the pantry and dishwashing. Peggy must take full charge of the wood and fire. Elizabeth will be the baker for this week; Alice will see that the camp-grounds and latrine are kept clean and in order; and Dorothy will have to be shopper and table-worker. Helen, of course, is responsible for all work being done properly, and I must supervise the Patrol and advise each one on any problem. Now, are there any questions to ask about the duties a.s.signed?"
Each Scout knew what was expected of her, so there were no remarks at the time. Miss Mason resumed her talk, to Natalie"s great delight.
"The fire-maker will immediately build a luncheon fire, and the cook will begin preparations for the midday meal, as we are hungry and will lunch before planning further tasks."
"Miss Mason, where shall I find any food for luncheon?" now asked the camp cook of the Leader.
"In the soap box that the storekeeper placed with the luggage. We have everything there necessary to keep us in food over Sunday. The edibles must be kept under shelter, girls, so reserve the small tent for our pantry for a few days."
The wood-gatherer ran away to collect such fire-wood as was needed for a slight fire to cook luncheon, the table-scout selected a flat place to spread out the table-cloth, and soon everyone in the Patrol was working industriously. Natalie had nothing to do, and Miss Mason came over to her and entertained.
"Well, Natalie, in the life you"ve led since you left New York, have you any reason to regret coming to Green Hill Farm?"
"I should say not! Why, Miss Mason, these two weeks have simply flown by,-I have had so much to do, and have had so much fun doing it,"
exclaimed Natalie enthusiastically.
Miss Mason smiled. "If you continue improving in looks and health as you have in two weeks, Natalie, no one will ever accuse you of being delicate, or pessimistic. I should say you can compete with Janet for health and vivacity now."
"Did you know Janet is coming this afternoon?" asked Natalie eagerly.
"Yes, she told me the other day that she was ready to run away from the city the moment school closed. She would have started from home last night, but the expressman had not called for her trunk and she had not left out anything to use in case the trunk did not arrive here on time.
So they are checking it on her ticket to insure its arrival to-day."
"I"ll be so glad to see Janet,-she always inspires me with a desire to do more than I want to when I am left to myself," remarked Natalie.
"That is the effect of her natural energy and activity," added Miss Mason.
"I was thinking, as I watched you call a meeting of the Scouts, what a corking a.s.sistant Janet would make in a Scout Troop. I don"t know what name you give her in a Troop, but in this Patrol you called her a Corporal," said Natalie.
"In a Troop she would be called a Lieutenant, but she would have to be eighteen years of age, or over, and Janet is not that. So she would have to be a Corporal for a time."
"Miss Mason, if we five girls want to form a Patrol, can we do so and choose Janet for our Corporal?" asked Natalie.
"If you had eight girls to form a Patrol you could do so, but until you had that number you would have to enlist with an already-formed Patrol.
You five girls might join us for a time and, perhaps, secure enough girls living at Greenville to complete the necessary number to start a second Patrol. We have not applied at Headquarters yet for a Charter to form a Troop, but we hope to do so this year, if you girls can found another Patrol and make our membership claim two individual Patrols. I saw a number of girls of your age on our way from the station to Green Hill. I am sure those girls would hail an invitation to join a Scout Patrol."
"Maybe they would, but I never thought of any girls in Greenville, Miss Mason. I rather thought they would be too busy with home work, or their own pleasures, to bother about Scouts."
"There is where you wrong them. Not a girl in the country but would love to join such an organization. They can always find enough time to do the necessary requirements of a good Scout, and the pleasure and benefit they get out of a Troop more than repays them for the time used. I expect to interest all the girls of a membership age around Greenville before we return to the city this fall."
"I"ll talk it over with Jimmy, Miss Mason, and see what she thinks of this idea. I believe the Ames girl would join us, if we told her about the plan," said Natalie.
"And once the Ames girl was a Scout, she would tell her friends and they all would want to join us,-see?"
"Yes, if they thought it was going to be any fun."
At this point in the discussion the cook came up and asked Miss Mason to show her certain matters in connection with the soup-kettle. Natalie laughed at the girl"s anxious expression. But when Miss Mason invited her to come, too, and tell them what was wrong with the pot, Natalie hastened to say she would have to go back to the house and get ready to go to the station for Janet!
CHAPTER IX-JANET FORMS A SECOND PATROL
Mrs. James and Natalie had engaged Amity to call for them and drive them to the station to meet Janet, and when the expected visitor arrived there was a great display of delight on Natalie"s part. All the way from the train to the farm the two girls were eagerly exchanging personal experiences since they had parted in the city.
"Say, Nat," began Janet, when a lull in confidences gave her time to remember other things, "Mr. Marvin told Dad that you had started a vegetable garden all by yourself! Is that so?"
Natalie smiled joyously. "Yes, and this morning I found my first tiny green spears above ground, Janet! It is lettuce!"
Janet laughed. "You are the last one on earth that I expected to take to truck-farming."
"But it is the most fun, Janet! I wouldn"t get half as much entertainment out of travelling or motoring as I am having from my garden."
The moment the girls arrived at the house, therefore, Natalie insisted upon Janet"s going to her garden to see the tiny greens that were the result of the seed-planting.
"Why, look at the fine things growing in those other beds!" exclaimed Janet, allowing her gaze to wander from the place where the almost imperceptible green was showing above the ground.
"Oh yes,-those are tomatoes, potatoes, radishes, cabbages, and other things. But these particular beds are my very own work, so I feel a great joy in them."
"Aren"t the others yours, too?" asked Janet.