CHAPTER NINE

WICKEE AND CHEOKEE JOIN THE CAMP

Nita carried her letter to her mother down to the post-box and mailed it herself. She was not eager to return to the Bluff at once, so she followed a faint path through the fields and found herself on the border of the farm-land where the stream broadened out into a sluggish shallow pond near the bridge. Here, she found great cat-tails and rushes growing, while birds and bees flew about in great numbers. She sat down on the fallen trunk of a tree and enjoyed the peaceful scene, and for the first time since her arrival at the farm, the full beauty of the place appealed to her higher self.

As is natural with any one, particularly at the age of Nita, the change from one state of consciousness to another is sudden when conditions and environment are such as to support it. Consequently, the soothing of Nature's quiet had its effect on the emotional senses of the girl. From the appealing scene of the spot and the musical zum of insects, it was but a step to the next upward thought.

"I did just as I wanted to yesterday--I had a stroll and met a rich young fellow, but why is it that this simple spot gives me more real pleasure than the ride and acquaintance yesterday?" wondered Nita, never realising that outdoor life and wholesome association was changing her likes and character, slowly but surely.

Had Miss Miller but heard the girl's admission, how relieved she would have been, but Nita kept her thoughts to herself.

During the girl's absence, the other girls indulged in gossip, as is most natural with a group at that age. Miss Miller was in her tent planning some work for the afternoon while the girls were busy making sets of rubbing-sticks after the model used by the Guide.

"Say, girls, did you ever hear of anything so nervy as Nita's going off like that?" exclaimed Jane, looking toward the Guide's tent to ascertain where Miss Miller was.

"Hum! If my mother _dreamed_ of such things she would make me come right back home!" added Elena.

"I s'pose Nita thinks it is perfectly all right! You see she was brought up that way and can't gauge actions as we do," said Hilda, in apology for the absent one.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Hilda, because my Daddy asked me as a personal favour to him to bear as much as I could from Nita and do everything possible to wean her from her habits of the past by helping her to look at things as we do! I'll confess, she tries me awfully, sometimes, and I haven't much patience with her weaknesses, but I've given my word to Dad!" said Zan, flushing at the thought of her shortcomings in the ordeal.

"How do you suppose she ever met that boy?" asked Jane curiously.

"She just was brazen enough to invite acquaintance! Why, Nita'd flirt or dance with any one--as long as he had on fine clothes and was an easy mark to her glances!" scorned Elena.

Miss Miller had come from her tent unobserved and overheard the latter words. She felt distressed at the attitude the girls took and sat down beside them.

"I heard what was just said, girls, and I feel that I must add my opinion to yours. I shall be greatly relieved to know that this is the last we will hear of the discussion over Nita's short-comings. I am not reckless enough to permit her to continue this conduct without having deeply considered every phase of the matter. I am merely giving her, as one might say, rope enough to hang herself! That is, to let her find herself and the real enjoyment of camp-life, or let her rush on until she is too far in to recover her footing with us. I have every hope now, that she is finding herself and will be one of our best Woodcrafters!"

To this the girls had nothing to add, so the Guide concluded by saying, "Please do not discuss this again, and try not to think of it either. Just leave the case to me and let me handle the situation as I am advised to do. I am not alone in this plan of regenerating the child, and it was with the sense of my obligations that I promised to do all I could."

Miss Miller went slowly back to the tent to get the papers for a Council and left the girls bending low over their work but no more was said about Nita's short-comings.

Before the Council convened, Nita came back to the Bluff and took her place in the semi-circle. After the opening song and roll-call, the Guide looked over her honour roll.

"Nita, I'm sorry but we will have to give you a demerit for absence at Council yesterday, and also defer giving you any _coup_ for following a trail accurately as we did. I know you can soon catch up in this but it is more fun when we all work together," said Miss Miller.

Nita said not a word and controlled her features admirably at the mild reproach from the Guide. The marks were placed on the paper and Miss Miller looked up smilingly.

"Who can claim a reward for not chewing gum for three months?"

"I haven't chewed any since that day in school when you lectured the class, explaining what bad effects it had on the glands and throat, to say nothing of the waste of saliva!" said Zan.

"How long was that?" asked the Guide.

"Oh, that must have been more than three months ago, Miss Miller. I haven't chewed since then either!" cried Hilda.

It turned out that not one of the girls had indulged in gum-chewing since that day when they heard how the habit hurt one's health eventually. So Miss Miller was proud to give credit where it had been won.

"Now, girls, Jane and Zan have won a _coup_ for fire-making with rubbing-sticks and material of one's own gathering, but no one has aspired for a grand _coup_ in this line. I should think it to be a simple matter to practise until the fire could be made in one minute--try for it and see! At this meeting we will fill out and sign the claims for fire-making _coups_." Miss Miller then took a number of printed Honour Claims from her leather case and the two girls each received a _coup_ claim duly witnessed, and a duplicate to paste in her Tally Book, while the original would be filed at Headquarters when the Band was registered.

"I am going to try for a degree in swimming, Miss Miller. I'd love to have the right of being called _Shingebis_ as you are," said Zan, eagerly.

"Good! I like to hear that, Zan. And I don't see why Jane couldn't try, too. The other girls are learning fast and will soon be able to swim correctly and begin to practise fancy swimming."

"Shall we swim now?" asked Hilda, eagerly.

"Hardly!" laughed the Guide. "I wanted to have the others make the rubbing-stick fire and at least do a Test for the Degree of Gleeman, then take a walk over to the garden and find out how many of you can identify vegetables and fruit trees without being told."

"That will take all morning!" pouted Nita, who was becoming very expert in swimming.

"Yes, I know. Then we will have lunch and finish sewing on our suits. Later we will take our daily swim," replied Miss Miller, preparing to bring the Council to an end.

The Fire Tests were completed and the Band started across the woods toward the garden. They reached a section of the corn-field where the beautiful stalks were almost ready to tassel. Between straight rows of the green corn thick-stemmed vines crept in and out. Here and there a deep orange flower lifted its head.

"Aren't those yellow lilies a queer kind?" said Nita, stopping to examine one.

Zan laughed merrily. "They're not lilies, Ninny! They're pumpkin blossoms!"

Even Nita smiled at the wide difference between the two flowers, although the form was so similar.

"I never knew pumpkins grew like _this_!" said Elena.

"There's lots of things you girls don't know now, but you will before we leave this farm!" retorted Zan.

"I don't see what you folks need so many pumpkins for! Just look at all the vines," said Jane, waving a hand at the large expanse of field where yellow spots of colour showed.

"Oh, Mrs. Sherwood cans lots of them, and we keep lots in our cellar through the winter. Dad sends lots to Homes and the boys use dozens for Hallowe'en night. Last Fall Fiji had over a score sent to the boys at the Y. M. C. A. for their party."

"If I had a lovely place like this, I'd just love to make others happy by giving away the things like Zan's folks do," murmured Hilda.

"Yes, and when you think of all the money we spend on visiting summer-resorts and paying high prices for travel, then compare it to cost of maintaining a farm like this one, it would about balance each year, and soon pay for the first cost of a farm," said Miss Miller.

"That's just what Dad said before we took this one. We used to pay exorbitant rents each Summer for cottages in the big mountain-resorts or at the sea-shore and only have a few weeks' good out of it. Dad only paid as much for this farm as it cost him for two Summers' outing previous to coming here. And will you believe it, Muzzer kept strict account of everything that year to satisfy herself of the truth, and we really had more first-class food produced at the farm, and for next to no cost, to say nothing of the different times we used to come down and spend week-ends all Fall and Winter, and paid off the cost besides!" said Zan.

By this time the Band reached the fence between two fields. Here was a new kind of a vine that looked like the pumpkin vine.

"Oh, and see the cute little pumpkins already forming!" exclaimed Hilda.

"That's summer squash! Anybody like squash?" said Zan.

Miss Miller had been the last member of the party, for she had stopped here and there to inspect growing things. She came up to the girls at Zan's question and replied, "Yes, I like it when it's fresh, and I know how to cook it, too."

"Then we can have some squash, pretty soon. Bill can pick it when it's ripe--he knows the right time," said Zan.

"Seems to me, Zan, that the squash vines haven't enough soil to nourish the roots during the demand made upon its strength by the ripening fruit," commented Miss Miller, examining the stem where it entered the earth.

"We'll speak to Bill about that," replied Zan, watching the Guide with interest.

Having passed through the corn-field, the Band reached the general vegetable garden. The first plants they found needing attention were the tomato vines. They had been trained on trellises but many of them had slipped and fallen with the weight of their own fruit and foliage.

"They seem to be all green leaves!" said Hilda.

"What do you call this--and this here!" exclaimed Zan, exultantly displaying a cluster of bright green tomatoes.

"They must be late tomatoes, Zan, aren't they?" asked the Guide.

"Yes, the others are down by the barn--we can pick some of them to-day if you like. Bill says there are lots of them."

"Look, girls! All the cabbages over there. Who'll ever eat them?" called Hilda.

"Bill sends all we need for winter, and lots that are left over are fed the cattle. Pigs like cabbage, and all the cows and horses eat it. Even the chickens cluck over a handful of leaves and peck for hours until nothing but the heavy vein in the centre is left," explained Zan.

"Zan, you're a real farmer! We never knew how much you understood about these things!" said Miss Miller.

"I just love the country and everything in it--that's why!" exclaimed Zan vehemently.

"Well, girls, there's plenty of work for us to do, if you want to do it. I see lettuce all ready for the table, but the weeds are thick about it so that you can hardly tell which is lettuce or which is chick-weed. We ought to clean that out!" suggested the Guide.

Without waiting for consent, Miss Miller carefully stepped between rows of growing things and reached the lettuce patch. Here she stooped and began pulling handsful of green weeds that were just beginning to show a tiny white flower on its head.

Zan followed the Guide and also began weeding. In a few minutes, all of the girls were weeding out the chick-weed and in a short time the lettuce bed presented a very different appearance.

"My, how nice it looks! And how much better the lettuce seems to be already!" cried Jane.

Miss Miller was delighted at the interest manifested by her charges, and from the lettuce bed she led them to the radishes.

"Oh, the dear little buttons!" laughed Elena, dropping on one knee and digging up one of the red balls.

"What a small bed--doesn't any of your family like radishes?" queried Nita of Zan.

"This is only one seeding; Bill plants some seed at different times so all of the radishes won't be ready at the same time. They're not fit to eat after they are too large and pithy. These are the second planting. We have had radishes sent to the city all spring and summer, thus far."

"You are certainly to be envied, Zan--having all the fresh vegetables, eggs, butter and tender chickens you want!" exclaimed Miss Miller.

"More than we want--Daddy gives loads of farm truck to the Poor House and the Old Ladies' Home, of which he is the visiting physician."

"I suppose the poor things are as glad to have nice things to eat as anybody else--we're all human as far as eating is concerned," commented Miss Miller.

"We may as well pull some of these radishes for lunch, Miss Miller; they will soon be too pulpy to be good," said Zan.

"All right, but you must show the girls how to pull them out of the ground--so many smaller ones grow in the same soil and the roots often twine together. By pulling out one at a time and loosening the soil first, the younger one will remain safely and continue growing until large enough to use," advised the Guide.

Hilda had found an old basket near the tomato vines and this was taken for the vegetables that might be chosen for camp.

After taking the radishes wanted, the Band moved over to the other patches of vegetables. Miss Miller saw some young, growing beets, and turned to Zan, asking if she might cut off some tops.

"What's that for--fodder for Groutch?" laughed Nita.

"No, we will have some delicious beet greens for lunch to-day, besides the lettuce and radishes."

The Guide pulled some parsley, broke off the green tops of some young celery, and then sought for a few carrots and turnips. They were still very small but she selected the largest ones. These were placed in the basket with the other things, while the girls wondered what it was for.

"I believe I see some onions down by the barns," said Miss Miller.

"Yes, they should have been planted away off at the other end of the garden, as we all dislike onions and they smell horrid while growing!" replied Zan, pursing her mouth and wrinkling her nose.

"We'll take a few onions, then. I dislike them as a vegetable to eat, but they are a very necessary item for seasoning or flavouring many foods," said Miss Miller.

"I am curious to know why you pulled such a small quantity of parsley and other green things?" asked Hilda.

"I guess you forgot that to-morrow is the day the butcher wagon stops at Sherwoods'. Bill says that he stops every Tuesday and Saturday, and we will have to provide meat enough to last for the other days, or go without it. Personally, I should not miss meat, but you girls have been accustomed to it every day, and I thought we would learn to do without it gradually. I am going to give you your first dinner without meat to-morrow, but you will have a good soup instead. That is why I pulled these vegetables--for a splendid soup."

"Sounds most appetizing just now, Miss Miller, for to tell the truth, I am starving!" said Jane.

"With all this stuff around you!" said Zan.

"But it's raw! I'd eat it quick enough if it was cooked!"

They had reached the part of the garden back of the barns and Zan ran over to the tomato vines and began turning over the thick leaves. Hanging down near the ground were many great red luscious tomatoes, and she pulled one off and took a deep bite. It looked as if it tasted good, and so the other girls followed Zan's lead. Soon, all were enjoying tomatoes the like of which they had never tasted before, as the ones city buyers get have been picked before ripe and shipped by freight. Transportation takes some days and the wholesale market uses a few days more before the grocer receives them, so they would rot if they were gathered when good and ripe.

"Um-mm! That was the best thing I've ever tasted!" said Nita, smacking her lips.

"Let's have another!" suggested Elena.

Miss Miller laughed and gave consent by helping herself to a second tomato.

"Some of these must go in that soup! And we will take a number of them for lunch and to-night," added the Guide, as the girls helped themselves.

"I see some delicious meals waiting for us this summer, as I gaze about this garden! With that rhubarb almost ready to cut, what pies and stews we can have! Then, those string beans in that patch of dwarf beans, and the peas hanging on the bushes--why, there is such an endless variety growing that we will have to turn regular cooks to be able to enjoy all that Nature has provided," exclaimed Miss Miller.

"We don't know how to cook, and you shouldn't spend so much time cooking for us," remonstrated Jane.

"I do not intend to. I'm going to show you girls how to cook your own meals. The one who won't cook gets no meal!"

What turn the conversation may have taken can never be told, for at that moment a loud sound came from the barn.

"If I didn't know that Daddy sent our old horse to a pasture for the summer, I should say that noise was a horse!" said Zan, running past the others and along the path that led to the out-houses.

The others followed quickly, and were in time to see Zan stand in astonishment. They joined her and there, in the small enclosure by the side of the barn, stood a horse looking at them. At sight of Zan, the animal lifted his nose and neighed.

"Of all things! It's our old pet that we've had here every summer! Why, Cheokee, how _did_ you get here?" cried Zan, racing over and throwing her arms about the horse's neck.

Cheokee nosed his little mistress affectionately, while the girls looked on. "I should think she'd be afraid to go so near a horse," said Elena, the timid.

"You wouldn't feel afraid of a little poodle, would you?" asked Miss Miller.

"But a little dog can't hurt you while a big horse might bite or walk all over you!" replied Elena.

"Not when he knows you, as this pet knows Zan. He is just a great big poodle--in a way; he is as tame and is as eager to please and be petted as any lap-dog!"

While they waited for Zan to rejoin them, Bill Sherwood came from the barn with a pail of water for Cheokee.

"Bill, when _did_ Cheokee come here?" cried Zan.

"This mornin'. I got a wire from your pa sayin' he hed sent orders t' Hamilton t' leave th' hoss fur you-all t' use this summer. Hamilton's man came by whiles you'se was up in th' garden. Mebbe Cheokee wasn't glad t' be home!" said Bill, holding the pail for the horse to drink from.

"And maybe we're not happy to have him!" ejaculated Zan.

"That means we can take trips through the country, and at times go on a jaunt and stay all night! Would you girls like to camp out now and then?" said Miss Miller.

"Would we?" retorted Hilda.

"Just try us, and see!" added Jane, laughing.

The others also joined in the clamour for a trip and an all-night picnic, and Miss Miller laughed.

"You didn't know what you started, did you?" said Zan.

"Isn't that slang?" asked the Guide.

"Humph! Guess maybe it is--too bad," sighed Zan.

"We're all sorry to give you a mark but it will have to be done if this slang habit is ever going to be broken," said Miss Miller regretfully.

"Say, you two, why don't you do your part in deserving marks! You're a lot of quit----" Zan laughingly remonstrated and was just about to add another mark to her record, but she caught herself in time, before the last syllable was pronounced.

They all laughed and Miss Miller said, "Now, that's a good sign!"

Zan suggested that they stop at the house and get some jelly and pickles as the other jars were empty. This done, they took the path for the Bluff.

So much time had been spent at the garden, that they had just time to prepare the dinner before one o'clock. The hour for dining had been twelve, but time flew so quickly at Wickeecheokee, that it seemed impossible to be ready at twelve.

During the meal, Zan told many clever things the horse had done and how trusty he was. She then gave an account of the way the boys and she had christened him Cheokee.

"He's been in our family ever since he was two years old. Daddy used him for one of his practice horses when he had to have two. Then, when he gave up going out at night, he kept Cheokee for his day use. We called him 'Bill' then. Daddy got an automobile a few years ago, and we came down for our first summer on the farm that year. Of course we wanted Billy with us. Then we found out that the farmer was called Bill so we thought he might not like it to have a horse called by the same name. And besides, we felt that a horse for a doctor and a horse in the country for fun ought to have names showing their occupations. Bill sounds all right for the city, but we wanted something fancy for him in the country. After a lot of thinking Fiji suggested Wick. That didn't fit. Then Bob said, Keeok. I didn't like that either. After starting on the name of the farm we kept on until Fiji said, Chokee. That made us all laugh and Muzzer said it was awful! It made her think of strangulation. So we modified it by calling him Cheokee, but the boys _would_ use that name Chokee. We led Bill to the creek and invited the Sherwoods and some friends of Muzzer's who were visiting us, and Bob spoke a piece he had rendered at school that term, while Fiji placed a daisy wreath on the horse's head. I took a brass finger bowl and sprinkled the water on his head and we named him Cheokee. Then, we started a song but Cheokee saw Bill coming up the slope with a measure of oats and he scrambled out of the water and went for his dinner. By the time he got his nose out of the bucket and looked at us, the daisy wreath was hanging from one ear, and he had oats clinging to his nose and face. Oh, that was a funny sight!" and Zan leaned back and laughed at the memory.

The girls grinned in sympathy, and Miss Miller watched the girl who had been blessed with a father who had common sense enough to allow his girl to grow naturally, without any foolish notions, or without wasting any valuable time over her toilet.

Miss Miller thought to herself: "Zan is youngest by several months of any member of this Band, yet she has the physique and mentality of a perfectly healthy girl of fourteen. Then, too, she is so free from guile and full of intelligence, that she is an admirable associate for this or any other camp to have with it."

Miss Miller unconsciously turned her eyes on Nita, who formed such a contrast to Zan. Her very eyes expressed hidden thoughts that she dwelt upon, but would have been ashamed to admit. Her every action seemed to say, "I know I am pretty, and I shall make the most of it." Her indolence, her preference for sweet things to eat, the habit to excuse herself for any error, or misrepresent facts, all were making their lines in her face, and later would have seared her soul.

"If I can only prove equal to her!" thought Miss Miller. "I should love to replace that falsity with a genuine nature, but it must not be at the expense of my other charges!"

While the dishes were being washed, Jane said, "Could we use Cheokee for a ramble this afternoon?"

"It would be fun, Miss Miller, and he hadn't far to come this morning, you know," added Zan.

"Then say we take a short drive and let our bath go until later in the afternoon. We had planned to sew, but I will admit that no one dreamed of an addition to our camp that would open new channels of pleasure."

"Can you hitch him?" Elena asked of Zan.

"Pooh! of course! And you'll have to learn how, too."

"Oh, I'd be so 'fraid to get up close!" shivered Elena, laughingly.

"We'll take all of that fear out of you before you go back home, young lady," threatened Zan, grinning at her delicate companion.

The girls soon had the big surrey pulled out of the carriage-house and Zan led the horse out of the enclosure. Miss Miller assisted in harnessing one side while Zan did the other. The girls stood by and watched with interest.

"Who'd ever think Zan could do these things when you see her at school?" said Jane.

"Or at dancing school?" added Nita.

"Which goes to prove that a lady is always a lady no matter what tasks she does, as long as she remembers her birth-right!" ventured Miss Miller.

At the signal from Zan, the girls climbed in the surrey, with Elena, Zan, and Miss Miller on the front seat.

Cheokee knew it was to be a lark, and he started off with one of his prancing steps. The girls laughed and shouted at every thing they passed, until Zan turned the horse into a beautiful woodland road. The trees were so thick and tall that but little sunshine ever penetrated to the road. It was consequently cool and dark in the woods.

Miss Miller turned to speak to Elena and was struck at the look on Nita's face. She turned about to see what caused it, and saw a dog-cart coming from the opposite direction. She knew intuitively who was driving the high-stepping horse. There was no room to pass each other on the narrow road, and the banks rose over three feet on either side. There was only one thing to do. The young man jumped down and took his horse by the head, backing him along the road until a small spot was found where he could turn out and permit the load of girls to pass. He stared impudently at Zan as he knew she was the doctor's daughter, camping at Wickeecheokee. He raised his hat as she glanced in his direction and Miss Miller thanked him coldly for his courtesy.

Immediately after, the Guide turned abruptly to address Jane but looked keenly at Nita. The girl failed to notice the teacher, however, for she was leaning out of the surrey looking behind where the young fellow still stood waving his hat.

"Zan, stop at once! Nita's lost something! What was it, Nita--I'll help you find it?" said Miss Miller.

"Why--nothing! I didn't lose anything," replied the girl, flushing the moment she realised that she had been caught.

"Oh, I thought you were looking along the road for something you had dropped. Well, drive on, Zan, it's all right!" said the Guide.

"I might have dropped my hat and had a chance to get out and see Jack Everton," thought Nita regretfully.

The rest of the drive over the woodland road was silent, but the girls soon began chattering again, at sight of interesting things in meadows.

After leaving the woodland, Zan let the horse climb up a gradual ascent, taking his time to do so. The road doubled many times before reaching the top. This was to make the ascent easier, Miss Miller explained. At the summit the girls jumped out and admired the view. Zan unhooked the loose check-rein and let the horse graze for a time.

"We can see Baldy right across the valley--see?" said Zan, pointing in the direction of the knoll.

"Then this must be the mountain we saw yesterday," said Jane.

"It is--it used to be called Pine Tree Hill by the farmers hereabouts, but we shortened it to Pine Nob. It gets the name on account of all the fine pines covering its sides," exclaimed Zan.

"But not a berry to be seen!" remarked Hilda.

"And not a snake!" laughed Miss Miller, looking at Elena.

After the Band had roamed about all they wished to, Miss Miller, who had been carefully examining the place, said, "Wouldn't this make a delightful spot for a night-camp when we begin star-gazing?"

"Oh, yes! And there is a small ravine where the spring of fresh water is!" added Zan eagerly.

"Is there! That was the only drawback as far as I knew--now that is removed," replied the Guide.

"Let's come as soon as we can," urged Jane.

"Very well. Suppose we say the first clear night after to-night!" suggested the Guide.

Returning, Zan chose a different road home. At the foot of Pine Nob Cheokee took the road past the Forks and went on the road that ran in front of the Hamilton place. So near were they that the barking of many dogs could be heard. Zan explained that Mr. Hamilton had thorough-bred dogs that he showed at exhibitions or sold for fabulous prices to dog-fanciers.

When the girls drove in at the farm-gate Bill was nowhere in sight, so they backed the carriage into the shed and unharnessed the horse alone.

The greater part of the afternoon had been spent in driving and there was just time for a bath, before supper had to be started.

It took but a few minutes to get out of camp clothes and slide into union suits. It had become quite the natural thing to see each other in the union suits and no further thought was given to it.

The girls were eager to try their courage again and soon were splashing and shouting, Zan suggesting ways and means of keeping afloat, or trying a stroke. Suddenly, Miss Miller stood up in the water near the willow and exclaimed, "Oh, what a cute puppy!"

The girls bobbed up quickly and looked in the direction of the Guide's glance. There sat a half-grown collie pup on the edge of the Bluff looking knowingly down at the bathers.

"Oh, you little darling! Come here!" called Zan, snapping her fingers at the pup.

The doggy wagged his tail violently and jumped up and down, giving funny little barks.

"Isn't he too cunning for anything!" said Elena.

"Come down here--here, doggy, doggy!" coaxed Jane.

The girls stood close together on the edge of the water when the pup suddenly decided to run down to them. He bounded over the grass by the pool and before any one could follow his antics, he jumped in the pool among them.

The girls gave little shrieks and the pup thought it was a signal for play. He immediately caught hold of Zan's suit where it ended about the knee. His teeth felt like tiny steel pins as he clenched the edge of the material, and Zan might have frightened him off had he not upset her into the water. This done, he paddled about and heard the girls clapping madly at the prank. He thought this meant that they wanted some fun too, so he raced to their side and jumped about in the shallow pool, making them squeal and hug each other. The puppy would not be balked of his fun, however, so he tried to get a hold on their fitted suits.

Wild screams and laughter resulted, and suddenly, while the Guide stood under the willow holding her side breathlessly, the entire group, victims and dog, rolled over into the pool.

Of course, there was a mad scene of splashing, sputtering and crying out for help, before either of the girls could rise. The puppy stood on the edge of the bank wagging his tail, his head on one side with black eyes winking at his prey, and his tongue lolling from one side of his wide-open mouth.

When the submerged four could recover a normal state of breathing again, the puppy bent down and began lapping water in as unconcerned a manner as a puppy can assume.

"I wonder if he can swim?" called Zan, who still stood at a safe distance where the dog had ducked her.

"Most likely; he ought to teach the girls the correct method," replied Miss Miller.

Zan whistled and threw a stick down stream to tempt the dog, but he merely watched it float away, and then laid down in the sun to dry.

All the coaxing and chirruping had no effect on the sleepy pup, so the girls ceased their wiles and tried to swim in good style.

During supper, the puppy cried for something to eat, and a bowl of oatmeal left from breakfast, and some warm milk was given him.

"I wonder where he could have come from?" said Elena.

Bill passed by the Bluff on his way to the barn to feed Cheokee, and he said he thought the puppy belonged to Hamilton. A light dawned in Zan's eyes at that.

"Miss Miller, I bet anything, the puppy followed us when we drove past the place. We wouldn't have noticed him, you know, and he, most likely, kept far enough behind so that we didn't see him when we got out. Collie dogs have a wonderful scent, and he could find his way after us even if we were out of sight."

"That seems plausible. Then he must go back home. We will walk over in the morning, and have Bill telephone from the house that the dog is safe."

Bill consented to do this, and the girls hurried supper and did the dishes, so that they could enjoy a romp with the dog.

"I wish to goodness we could keep him!" sighed Zan, watching the pup drag Elena's shoe about.

"We could call him Wickee, couldn't we?" suggested Jane.

"Yes, if we owned him. But pedigreed pups like this one cost too much for our Band to buy, and Hamilton raises all his dogs for money, so it's good-night to _that_ dream!" said Zan.

"Sorry, Zan, to heap trouble on your head; regret for the impossibility of owning the pup and accumulating marks against your record for slang!" hinted the Guide.

"Oh, well, I don't just care a fig! there now! If I only had a dog like this Wickee, I wouldn't say another slang-word in my whole life, really! But what's the use of caring when you haven't got a pet as cute as this one!" Zan grumbled and pouted until she was on the verge of tears. Miss Miller had a hard time to keep a straight face.

"If Mr. Hamilton could only see and hear you now, he would rather lose his dollars than disappoint you," laughed Elena.

Bill's face showed in the dark of the woods just then, and the girls halted their play to ask what was said about the pup.

"Mr. Hamilton swore at first, saying he never could keep this pup home. He was always getting lost. Then he said, "Bill, I promised the doctor a pup of the next good strain we raised here, didn't I, in return for saving the prize collie's life last year. S'posing I give that pup to the girl--if she wants him, and my debt will be paid!"

"I says t' him, Miss Zan will be much obleeged, I'm sure."

"He says, 'All right, tell her the deal is closed--the dog's hers.'"

Bill looked blinkingly at Zan and Miss Miller, and Zan gave a shout as she fell down on the grass and threw her arms about Wickee. So, that's the manner of Wickee joining the camp.