Before they reached the camp, however, they saw the boys standing on the end of the promontory gazing through the gla.s.ses out at the Sound. When they were near enough, they heard Fiji shout through a megaphone made with his hands:
"Hurry up! Comp"ny!"
"Land"s sake, who can it be?" cried Zan.
Before they reached the cliff they could plainly see the white sails of a boat that was heading straight for the site.
"If that isn"t Dad I"ll eat these sh.e.l.ls!" cried Elizabeth.
"Spare enough for that costume of Nita"s," laughed Jane.
"She won"t have to crack any teeth on that wager "cause it is Mr.
Remington," now said Zan, as the sail-boat tacked ever nearer to the crude pier off the point of land.
To witness the reception accorded the visitor one would think Mr.
Remington was the long lost Robinson Crusoe. But the moment dinner was over the boys began to tease for a sail in the boat.
"We girls want to go, too," declared Elizabeth.
"The only way I can pay the debt of hospitality is to take you in installments. "Ladies and children" first," laughed Mr. Remington.
"All right, give the girls a little sail and then take us boys for a trip to catch fish for supper. We ought to get a fine mess with a boat like this," suggested Fiji.
"That"s only your excuse for a far longer sail than we can have," pouted Jane.
"Now it isn"t at all, Jenny! But there isn"t a crumb of anything but dessert for supper, you know," said Jack, very ingratiatingly.
"Miss Miller, I can testify to there being an abundance for another meal to-day, as I left a hamper of good things to eat at the temporary refrigerator you built near the camp-kitchen," laughed Mr. Remington, motioning for the first installment of girls to get in the boat.
The entire afternoon was given to sailing and watching the others sail, as turn and turn about was taken. Then supper-time came, and before this was over the automobiles sounded their horns as they came through the woodland road to take the campers back to the city.
"Do you know, it seems as if we have been at camp for a month-so much has been crowded into these two days," declared Zan.
"Same here," agreed the other Woodcrafters.
CHAPTER NINE-A RAINY WEEK-END CAMP
Early Monday morning a messenger boy brought May Randall"s Woodcraft chest to the gymnasium and handed Miss Miller a note. The letter was type-written on plain paper so no clue was given to the sender or writer. Just a few lines saying how sorry the writer was that the disappearance of the box had caused the trouble it had.
The note was not signed and many conjectures were made as to who could possibly have sent it, or where the chest could have been all this time.
Even Eleanor seemed as anxious as any other girl to find out who sent the note or took the box away only to return it.
To every query as to who the culprit might be, Miss Miller shook her head and maintained a strict silence. But she was greatly disappointed in Eleanor, for she had no idea the girl could act the part of a hypocrite as perfectly as she was doing in this case.
That afternoon, when the other girls had gone to Zan"s house to work on the bead bands, Eleanor stopped in at the gymnasium to see Miss Miller.
"Don"t you think I carried it out well?" said she, as she sat in the chair beside the Guide.
"It all depends on what one considers "well,"" replied Miss Miller, earnestly.
"I mean-I got away with the note and return of the box without anyone dreaming who it was," explained Eleanor, evidently eager to have the teacher commend her sagacity.
"I am sorry you have such a short-sighted view of right and wrong. The last deception you played is even worse than the first, for you were informed of your mistake and ought to make full amends. As you have left it now, every innocent boy or girl in school may be wrongly thought the thief!"
Miss Miller purposely used the hard term "thief" to try and rouse the girl to a sense of her obligation. It seemed to bite in.
"O-oh-Miss Miller!" gasped Eleanor. "No one can call a practical joke a theft! You are dreadfully strict and unfair."
"As I said before, there is only one thing left for you, in honour bound, to do. And that is to tell May all about the trick-as you name it-and let her tell the other girls if she likes," replied Miss Miller.
"I just guess not! I"m not so stuck on this silly old Band as to obey your fanatical advice. I"ll get out of Woodcraft first!" snipped Eleanor, as she got up and hurriedly left the room.
The Guide, left alone, sighed and dropped her head upon her arms that were resting on the desk.
"I am not so sure but someone else will do better in my place as Guide.
The other girls are so good and lovable that I can work wonders with them, but it was not the lambs _in_ the fold that our Saviour sought to save-they were perfectly safe already. It was the disobedient, wandering lamb on the mountain-steeps. And He saved it. This lamb seems beyond my call or power to reach."
Then suddenly came the brightening flash of Nita and the wonderful reformation worked in the girl when all seemed lost. And the temporarily discouraged Guide stood up and smiled.
"I"ll do my part. And Father Spirit, lend me all aid!"
During that week, plans were made for another camp to be enjoyed from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening. This time the girls decided to climb the Orange Mountains to seek an inland site. For this outing, the Guide had asked the girls to write up short essays or comments on various subjects that would be of interest to an out-door student.
One request was for facts on forestry movements. Another required the girl to find something interesting about the fishing industry. Another mentioned items on agriculture, and still others spoke of news on manufactures, music, art, flowers, and Nature crafts.
The work necessary to find the facts to these questions kept the girls well occupied during the evenings of that week, as they had to seek in the public library as well as in magazines, papers, and encyclopedias at home.
After all the hard work and eager preparations, when all were ready to start that Friday afternoon, the Woodcrafters were doomed to deep disappointment. It began to drizzle shortly after school opened in the morning and the weather grew constantly worse until the rain was pouring by recess time. By noon the out-of-doors proved a veritable "wet blanket" on the spirits of the Woodcrafters and they gathered disconsolately in the gymnasium at three o"clock, wishing they lived in Egypt at the dry season of the year.
Even as Hilda tried in vain to console the others that perhaps the rain would clear off before evening so they could start early Sat.u.r.day morning, the telephone bell rang. Miss Miller took up the receiver and answered the call.
"Yes, this is Miss Miller.
"They are here now, bemoaning the Fates that sent the rain to spoil their week-end camp," said the Guide, to someone"s query on the other end of the wire.
The girls perked up their ears when they heard it related to their camp hopes.
"Oh, oh! How splendid! How good of you to bother!" the Guide beamed delightedly into the receiver.
"Will we care to come! Oh Mrs. Remington wait till I tell the girls so you can hear the Babel of sound that will crack the telephone instrument," laughed Miss Miller, holding the instrument away from her face as she turned to address the Band.
"Mrs. Remington fears it will rain all night and to-morrow, and knowing of your plans for a mountain camp, she is as sorry as we are about the weather. But she offers us the use of the Council House at Mossy Crest for the camp. It is the great barn turned into one large room and all laid out for Woodcraft Councils. When Mr. Remington built the new barn and garage, he had this one renovated. A splendid floor for dancing and games is laid on top of the other heavy oak floor and the side-walls are all covered with burlap and decorated-but wait till you see it for yourself."
The shout that rose in acceptance of the camp offer was distinctly heard by Mrs. Remington who laughed to herself. Miss Miller turned to accept the invitation when Zan cried: