At that, the Guide turned and the Band trailed after her to the camp-site where they found the doctor impolitely prying into the state of the larder, and two ladies with two children laughing at his remarks when he discovered the fragrant chowder.
"Oh, there"s Edith and Baby!" cried Elizabeth, running to greet her mother and the children.
Having saluted the Woodcrafters with great ceremony, the doctor said: "Some people have been busy this morning, judging from preparations for dinner."
"We just _had_ to dig to provide enough for you-when we heard you had invited yourself to dinner with us," retorted Zan, who always enjoyed a wordy combat with her father.
"Well, I must confess, I brought my normal appet.i.te with me, so it will be fortunate if the others have anything to eat," replied Dr. Baker.
"If you admit your appet.i.te is normal now, what will it be after you have had a dip in the briny?" laughed Fiji.
"To insure ourselves against emergencies I had Moses pack some of his unexcelled southern cake and pies," answered Mrs. Remington, pointing to a huge hamper that had escaped notice.
"Oh, we know Mose!" laughed Fred, running over to investigate.
"Gee! Looka-here boys!" called Billy, as one goody after another was lifted up and displayed to the circle of gourmands.
"Come, come, Bill! Leave them in the hamper so they won"t dry or be covered with ants," advised his mother, going over to a.s.sist him in obedience.
"Who"s ready for a sea-fight? In these days of deep-sea warfare we should have practise to be ready to swim after a U-boat, if necessary,"
called the doctor, seeing the hamper once more left in order and safety.
"Me for the briny!" called Bob, running to the boys" tent.
That morning, Fiji had discovered a deep pool directly under the sandy point of the promontory, and this offered an excellent spot for diving.
While the more timid jumped about or swam nearer the beach, the older and more experienced of the party enjoyed the dives and deep water.
Teddy and Edith found an impromptu pier made of drift-wood where the launch was anch.o.r.ed, and here they played store, having tin cans and sh.e.l.ls for receptacles to hold sea-sand flour and sugar.
Long before the merry bathers were ready to come out, the Guide and Mrs.
Baker and Mrs. Remington went to the tents and dressed. Then they began preparations for the supper-party.
The doctor always provided fun and laughter wherever he went, so the evening meal was a jolly affair that night. After the young folks declared they could laugh no more, Mrs. Baker said without a smile, "You all are most gullible."
"Why?" demanded a chorus of voices.
"Why? Why to sit here and laugh while the doctor is making away with that chowder. I haven"t seen him pause a moment between spoonfuls while he had you all laughing too heartily to eat."
"Then he"ll want to stay all night!" complained Bob.
Everyone laughed, for the tone said as plain as day: "I hope to goodness he won"t!"
"That is all I"ve been waiting for-an invitation," replied the doctor.
"We can"t tuck you in anywhere. You"ll have to win a _coup_ for sleeping out under the stars," laughed Zan.
"Don"t worry, friends! Doctor is only teasing. He has to be back in the city at nine to-night to meet a physician and consult over a case,"
explained Mrs. Baker.
"Then we"d better make the most of the time left us," urged the doctor, jumping up ready for anything proposed.
"Shall we dance?" asked Nita.
"Oh, be considerate! Remember I enjoyed the chowder more than was reasonable and I am not in a mood to play Na-na Bo-jou!" warned the doctor.
Everyone laughed again at that, for Na-na Bo-jou is one of the most active of all energetic dances performed by Woodcrafters.
"Why not sit quietly about the fire and hear a story?" suggested Mrs.
Baker.
"Let Mrs. Remington tell it-she is a regular bookful of legends and Indian lore," quickly added the Guide.
The idea was heartily endorsed by the others and Mrs. Remington began:
"How the Weasel Got His White Breast.
"A long time ago, before there were any Indians, the world was inhabited by spirits. These spirits were the souls of all the animals and plants and things we see to-day. One of them was called Kanhlalas, the Weasel.
He was little and brown and lived in a field. One day a strange thing happened to him. Listen, I will tell you about it.
"Near the field where the Weasel had his home there was a mountain. On top of the mountain lived an old man called Waida Dikit, the Speckled Trout. He felt lonely up there, so he sent for Saroki Sakahl, the Green Snake. When Saroki came Waida Dikit took him to his wigwam and said:
""My son, here is pipe and tobacco. Let us smoke awhile."
"Saroki sat down by the wall and smoked. He smoked so much that soon Waida Dikit could not see across the wigwam.
""My son," said he, taking his own pipe from his mouth, "you are a strong smoker."
"Saroki did not answer. After a time Waida Dikit stuck his head from the wigwam and saw that the whole world was covered with the smoke from Saroki"s pipe. Waida Dikit was frightened. He felt about on the floor for his flute.
""You have smoked enough," he said to Saroki. "Here is a flute. Let me hear you play."
"Saroki took the flute and played for three days and three nights without stopping. By the end of the first day Waida Dikit could see through the smoke which was fast thinning, and he could see the other side of the wigwam.
"By the end of the third day the smoke was all gone and the blue sky could be seen once more. Then Saroki stopped playing.
""You are a good player," said Waida Dikit, "but I know a better one. He is Kanhlalas, the Weasel that lives down there in the field. I will send for him."
"In a little while Kanhlalas came, bringing his own flute. When he was comfortably seated in the middle of the wigwam, Waida Dikit said to him: "Saroki Sakahl thinks he is a fine player. If you play he will know what a good player really is."
"Kanhlalas took his flute, swelled out his chest, and began playing. He played all day and all night without stopping. By morning he was so out of breath that there appeared a white stripe down the middle of his breast. He merely swelled out his chest a little more and went on playing. Waida Dikit and Saroki Sakahl became frightened.
""Stop!" cried both of them. "Something will happen. We know that you are the best player now."
"But Kanhlalas would not listen nor would he stop playing. He only played harder and harder. By the end of the third day his breath was entirely gone and he had to stop. But it was too late!
"His whole breast was white as snow and from that day to this every weasel has had a white breast."
As Mrs. Remington concluded the story the campers signified their disapproval of such a short tale by demanding another, but Dr. Baker declared it was time they started for home.
"But do wait and let us have one dance to pay Mrs. Remington for the story," cried Nita, springing up ever ready to perform.