by Lilian Garis
CHAPTER VII
THE LOVING BANDIT
When the girls went down to the lake with Mackey that evening, theywere, somehow, a source of curiosity to those friends not members ofthe charmed circle of Scouts. To be away from home, living in a tentout in the woods, while even the Boy Scouts had to go back to theirfamily cottage at night, seemed highly exciting. But the Bobbies werenow a unit, and under the capable direction of Miss Mackin theystarted immediately to do things as they are done by units, and not byindividuals.
"We will go for a sail this evening," planned the director. "I see youhave all passed in the swimming tests and therefore are permitted togo in canoes."
"Oh, yes," Corene replied; "swimming is our chiefest joy, and canoeingon this lake, what we have had of it, is simply ideal."
"I am sure folks will be curious about us for a while at least,"continued Miss Mackin, "so I have asked Camp Norm to let us take thebig canoe this evening, the one we teachers practice in, you know."
"The big green Pedagogue!" exclaimed Cleo. "Oh, how splendid! I havejust longed for a ride in the war canoe," and she hurried to do herpart in clearing away the supper things.
"Cleo," interfered Corene aside, so that Mackey would not overhear,"you know there is a real Scout way of doing dishes, and----"
"All right, Corey; but let's do them any way to-night, so that theyget done," replied the little girl in the big gingham apron. "I justwant to get down to the lake and out on the water before the sunsetfades. Daddy and all the folks will be there----"
"Show-off!" taunted Madaline, the baby of the patrol. "Cleo thinksthat canoe-riding is next best to horseback riding," and she made ajuggler's pass to catch the plate that slipped through her dish-towel.
A half-hour later the Bobolink girls were down at the dock, the centerof an admiring party which included some Camp Fire Girls, some girlsfrom the Hikers Club, besides the usual scattering of summer girls,all piling on compliments for the day's achievement in the opening ofCamp Comalong. Miss Mackin wore her regular uniform, which she hadwith her, fortunately, and all together the patrol made a verycreditable showing, as they took their places in the war canoe.
After some instructions from Miss Mackin, who, among other things,insisted upon "good form rather than speed," they pulled outgracefully, the "Down Paddle" start having been executed by the eightdoubles as precisely as if done by a simple stroke.
And wonder of wonders! There was a moving-picture man on shore,grinding his machine as if each grind depended on speed and not uponform, for only in a sudden burst of strong sunset light did the cameraoperator hope to get a picture of the Girl Scouts on Lake Hocomo.
"In the movies!" breathed Julia, dipping her paddle with such awe asmight have been occasioned had some perfume stream sprung up throughthe many springs beneath the water's surface. It was sweet, indeed, tobe pictured thus, and not a Bobbie among them but felt a little tingeof pride when the boys shouted after them:
"You'll be in the movies, girls!"
"Queer how much more important we are to-day than we were yesterday,"remarked Cleo analytically.
"Because yesterday we were girls, while to-day we are Scouts,"explained Mackey. "That's the value of team play, you know. Now wewill paddle in to the Point, and see that we make a perfect landing.That's one thing we have to learn in good canoeing."
Dip after dip took them gracefully down the lake to where the Pointlanding jutted out among all sorts of craft, the motor-boating beingeasily as common at the lakeside as is the "motor-caring" at anyinland parkside.
"I hope we don't jam them," whispered Grace to Cleo, who was her canoepartner.
"If we have to jam anyone, I hope it's that 'streak'--you know, Grace,that queer bug-boat those girls from the hotel always ride in."
"Why?" asked Grace, leaning closer.
"Because they're snippy and call us 'candy kids,'" replied Cleo. "Itseems to me they look more like candy themselves, with their taffyhair and peppermint-striped bathing-suits."
Grace silently agreed, and soon all the paddlers bent their interestand energy on making a perfect landing.
At the director's signal they stopped paddling some little distanceout, then steered past the flock of motor boats into the side of thedock, where as pretty a landing was made as the big Pedagogue ever hadto her credit.
Miss Mackin and Corene sprang ashore first, and held the boat whilethe others quickly and alertly followed.
Again they were the center of an admiring throng, and again theBobbies felt suffused with a pardonable pride. They were really thefirst group of Girl Scouts to be seen about the lake, and it was notsurprising that they should attract some attention.
Some provisions for the next day were purchased, as the Point was thecenter of supplies for the colonists, then, after a half hour spent inrecreation about the pier, the party embarked again and paddled backtoward the camp landing.
The evening "had ripened" as Louise expressed it, and a calmmellowness seemed to settle over everything about the water and itsshores.
"Let us try a song," suggested Miss Mackin. "Who can lead?"
"Weasy!" came the chorus; and presently the newest version of popularsongs, adjusted to the Girl Scout needs, with clever words that justfitted the tunes, were "tried" and rather successfully executed. Theclear, true voice of Weasy carried along the more uncertain tones ofGrace and Cleo, like chips of sound on the crest of a song wave, andonce started the "sing" went merrily on until the home dock wasfinally reached.
A sigh of satisfaction ended the chorus. The Pedagogue was docked andstored for the night, although the interested Benny and his clancrawled under the big canoe "just for sport," the Bobbies saidgood-night and turned back to the hills for their first night underthe stars.
It was almost dark as they hurried along under the trees, and it wasnot by accident that each little girl clutched the arm of hercompanion. They needed the nearness on this first night, at any rate,and Cleo more than once cast a surreptitious glance back over the laketo Chipmunk cottage, where she knew, at that very moment, Daddy waslooking campward and thinking of his little girl who had flown fromthe home nest for the first time.
But she trudged along eager for the big experience, even if consciousof its sentimental cost.
"One lantern will answer for us, I think," said the director. "Shallwe have a campfire and story to-night?"
"Oh, yes, surely!" replied Corene, who managed to frame first the sameanswer the others attempted.
The two big logs, between which the fire was to be built, were alreadyin place, and it was now time for Julia to shine in her especialdepartment. She undertook to build the stone oven for the cookingpurposes, so she also included the responsibility of making place andarrangements for the campfire.
Following the camp manual "no paper nor excelsior nor other artificialmeans" were to be employed in the fire making, but instead the "punk"wood, gouged from the heart of a dry log, was placed in the "V" of thetwo big green logs; then the tiny twigs and light material were firstpiled up so that the "light with one match only" was successfullyaccomplished, and a merry blaze burst out to greet Julia and cheer hercompanions, almost before the others realized the fire was reallystarted.
Every member of the little patrol stood looking on--spellbound. What ismore inspiring than a campfire in the clearance, with the tent "hardby" and the sheltering trees overlooking?
"Oh, if only we could get the girl Peg, you know, to come down andjoin us," sighed Grace.
"Let's try," suggested Cleo. "She seemed friendly and it won't do anyharm to try. I'll go over the hill with you?"
"If Mackey will let us," followed Grace. The other girls were findingseats on the big logs arranged at a safe distance from the fire, andwhen the director heard the request of Grace and Cleo, she agreed theymight go over the hill to the cabin, if they kept to the path in frontof the other camps and came directly back.
It was not yet dark and the two Bobbies started off on a merry chase,as usual. Near the c
abin they met Shag, the big collie, and he madefriends promptly, perhaps because they wore the same sort of brownishoutfit his own mistress was usually dressed in.
"Shall we go right up and knock?" deliberated Cleo. Now that theyfaced the cabin they faced also its restrictions.
"No," reflected Grace. "We had better call."
Suiting the words to action she cupped her hands and "Whoo-hooed" onceor twice; then waited.
No answer.
"Call, use her name," suggested Cleo, leaving the duty to Grace.
"Peg! Peg-gee!" called Grace. "Hey--oh! Peg!" she trilled in a curlysort of call.
Shag seemed restless now and his manner was less confident. He didn'twag so enthusiastically, but instead sniffed with suspicion.
Finally the cabin door opened and Peg appeared. She hurried down andmet the girls where they waited.
"We came to bring you over to our first campfire," Grace almostspluttered. She was excited and in a hurry to return to camp beforethe night should overtake them.
"Oh, I really couldn't go!" protested Peg, but her voice was tonedwith a hint of regret.
"You've just got to," said Cleo. "We are bandits and we're going tokidnap you!" and quite as if the play had not been all planned, eachScout slipped her arm into the arms of Peg and urged her forward.
A ripple of girlish laughter answered the challenge, but Shag didn'tlike it and he growled threateningly.
The girls stepped back for a moment, fearing the dog might attempt tointerfere, when another figure appeared in the doorway. It was AuntCarrie, and she very quickly and decidedly ordered Shag to "come here,sir," which he did, by that time realizing his very natural mistake.
"Really, girls," said Peg. "I do thank you for being so friendly, butI can't go."
"And this our first night on the grounds and you the original Scout!"sulked Cleo. "At any rate it is getting so dark I don't see how wewill dare go back alone."
"You _are_ a bandit," laughed the stranger, "and I suppose----"
"That you must come," Grace finished happily. "Hurry, do please! Thefire is going high, just see it! And we may miss the story."
"You stay here then," ordered Peg rather shyly, "while I get my capefrom Aunt Carrie. Shag will be sure to call for me later."
Grace and Cleo danced a few steps while waiting, but in a very fewmoments Peg was back with her cape over her arm.
"I can't tell you how surprised I am," she admitted. "I so very seldomgo calling."
"But you are a Scout and you wouldn't be unfriendly," almost chargedCleo.
"Maybe that's it," returned Peg; and arm in arm the trio stumbled backto the campfire, for it was quite impossible to walk without stumblingwhen retarded by darkness from taking the jumps and jerks necessary tothe ordeal.
When they reached Camp Comalong Mackey was just starting her story.