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 passengers 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.

The five girls who were so eager to join the scouts, had the willing consent and co-operation from their mothers. So Mrs. Vernon felt it was much better to take girls whose parents appreciated the benefit of the scout work, rather than to have girls whose mothers were waiting to criticise or discourage their children in the undertaking.

When the five had been finally decided upon, the Captain notified them that the car would call for them that day week, and they were to be ready to return to camp.

"It will take you a week to prepare, girls, for you must write to New York and secure a handbook for each, and not only read it, but study the first rules in the book. We have been doing that since we went to camp, so now you will have to catch up," said Mrs. Vernon.

"And rest assured we will give you some awful initiation tests before you become full-fledged members!" threatened Julie.

The scouts and the "would-bes" laughed at this, for they knew the tests would be funny ones that would amuse every one.

"Only pack sensible things, girls. Middy blouses, a pair of khaki bloomers and a pair of blue serge ones. You'll need a serge dress, too, and a heavy sweater. If you have a light-weight sweater, also, so much the better," advised Mrs. Vernon.

The elated scouts-to-be eagerly promised everything, and then watched the car drive away. But they felt no envy or regret for they would be traveling the same road a week hence.

"Verny, maybe we ought to be glad we've got all the extra furniture now," ventured Betty, as they climbed the familiar trail and passed by the Royal Suite.

"That's so, Verny. We can let the new members furnish their hut with the stuff," said Joan.

"Only they haven't any hut," Ruth added.

"They will have to build one, like we did, to pass a test in carpentry," remarked Julie.

"I think Betty's suggestion better than the one Ruth made last night--that we chop up the furniture for kindlings," now spoke the Captain.

"Well, I didn't really mean that, you know! I only said it when I had to go and collect damp wood for the fire," admitted Ruth.

That evening as the scouts sat about the camp-fire, Mrs. Vernon remarked: "I wonder if you girls realize how much you have already improved in this one month of camp-life?"

They then began to compare notes.

"Julie isn't nearly as impulsive as she used to be," said Betty.

"But she still has enough left to find fault with," laughed the Captain.

"And Betty isn't so preachy as she was when we weeded dandelions on your lawn," commented Ruth.

"Betty is beginning to have more confidence, too," added Julie, gazing at her twin in a speculative way.

"What about me--how have I improved?" eagerly asked Joan, looking from one to the other of her companions.

"You--oh, Joan, you are hopeless!" laughed Julie, whereupon Joan fell upon her and they had a rough-and-tumble time on the grass.

"Thus endeth every serious lesson I try to teach," laughed Mrs. Vernon, when the contestants came back to the fire.

"I say, scouts: can any one see the improvement in Verny?" now called Julie, in rebuttal of the Captain's last words.

But the girls refused to testify, and then a new subject was introduced. "I am sure I heard thunder just then."

"I thought I saw a flash a little time ago," added Joan.

"Maybe we had better get our things in under cover, then, and be ready to go to bed if it rains," suggested the Captain.

Consequently a mad scurrying took place and the scouts were cozily housed when the rain came down.

The next morning Mrs. Vernon said: "I have been waiting for spare time to give you scouts a few lessons in first aid, but now that we expect new members in the Patrol, it may be just as well to wait for them. Many can learn as easily as a few individuals."

"Still, that need not keep us from having a few tests," replied Joan, who looked for some fun in this practice.

"True; and if you have a little lesson now, you ought to be able to help the new members when they come in," added Mrs. Vernon.

"All right--let's begin," said Julie.

"My first question will be: What would you do for first-aid in case of accident?"

Julie giggled: "I'd take mighty good care not to have one! I call that genuine first-aid."

The others laughed, and Mrs. Vernon said: "You are right of course, Julie, but that is not what I mean. Because there are many people who meet with accidents, who need aid at once. And there are nine-tenths of the people who know nothing about rendering help properly. However, during the last ten years, due a great deal to scout work, I believe, the schools are taking up this work and teaching children just what to do."

"We never had it in our school," said Betty.

"Maybe the town is too small to pay an instructor, but all city schools teach first-aid, I'm sure," replied the Captain. "Now, girls, let us be serious in this lesson.

"Drop your skirts and practice in your bloomers, as you can move about easier that way."

The scouts did as they were told, and then Mrs. Vernon said: "We'll try Betty first, as she is the lightest of you girls.

"Now let us pretend Betty went in swimming and was taken suddenly with cramps. She sank. One of you saw her disappear and called on the others for help. You ran to the water's edge and saw some one swim to shore with her; no one but you scouts knew how to revive her, so you went right to work to save her life.

"Now, Betty, stretch out on the grass just as you would if you had been dragged in from the water in an unconscious state," advised Mrs. Vernon, helping Betty to repose as she should.

The three scouts watching, giggled as this sort of work was fun. When Betty was in the right position, Mrs. Vernon called:

"Now scouts, loosen her clothing as quick as possible--because every second counts with her life.

"If she has on corsets, unhook them immediately that respiration may not be retarded. If she has on a skirt with tight belt, or other close-fitting garments that prevents circulation, undo them at once, or even cut it open if it can be accomplished in no other way. Now she ought to breathe. Tell me, can she draw her breath easily?"

"Can she! She's breathing so hard that I'm afraid she'll explode unless she has a chance to laugh!" retorted Julie.

The scouts all laughed, but Mrs. Vernon remained serious, as she knew it would never do to give Julie encouragement.

"Now then, empty her lungs of water by laying her, breast downwards, and holding her up by the middle. Julie and Joan do that."

Betty was very ticklish, and the moment Julie took hold of her sides, she squirmed and giggled. Julie tried to be severe.

"Teacher, this drowned scout won't let me get a good grip on her side. I fear she will have to expire unless she rolls over at once."

Even Mrs. Vernon had to laugh at Julie, and Betty said: "Well, I'll roll over, if you'll make Julie stop tickling me."

Obliging little Betty then rolled over face downwards, but in a second she was up on her feet, squealing and shaking herself. Every one was surprised, and Julie said aggrievedly:

"Now what's the matter?"

"Oh, I saw a nasty fat spider running in the grass right under my nose! I wish some one else would drown for me, Verny."

The girls laughed, and Julie added: "It's bad enough to have you get cramps and drown without inviting us to follow suit!"

"Here, Betty, get down in this short grass where there will be no plump little spiders," advised the Captain.

Betty complied, and then the two aids again took their places beside her.

"Now we will begin again. Take Betty by the middle, girls, and allow her head to hang down for a few moments to take the water out of her lungs."

This lesson was done well, then Mrs. Vernon said:

"Now turn the patient face downward on her breast and give artificial respiration."

"Explain, Verny--that long word is too much for me," said Julie.

"You press the lower ribs down and forward towards the head, then release. Repeat this action twelve times to every minute."

Now Julie and Joan worked with a will, and Betty found herself revived far enough to object to their energetic treatment. She had had five respirations administered, and her first-aids were giving the sixth, when Betty kicked out with her heels and tripped Joan over upon her face.

"My! This dead one came to mighty quick, Verny. We must be powerful good treaters," laughed Julie.

"Scouts, I am sure Betty is well along the road to recovery, so we can go on to the next lesson," laughed Mrs. Vernon.

"The next thing to do, is to place heated bottles of water at Betty's feet, and rub her arms and legs briskly, but be sure to always rub towards the heart," said the Captain.

"Must I have more treatment?" asked Betty, plaintively.

"Sure! You're not all alive yet," laughed Ruth.

Julie and Joan began rubbing as they had been told, but Betty suddenly sat up and said: "Last night you said I was becoming more self-confident! All right, now I am so confident that you two girls are each going to get a big kick, that you'd better get out of my way--quick!"

"Scouts, don't give up," called Mrs. Vernon, laughingly. "Betty is doing fine, so you must not stop such treatment."

"Then you come here and take my place," said Joan, who dodged the kick too often for comfort's sake.

"But she must be put in a warm bed, and give her hot drinks, you know. With plenty of fresh air, I trust she will be as well as ever," said Mrs. Vernon.

But Betty had managed to kick both her nurses and that ended the lesson.