The Girl Scouts at Camp Comalong Part 19

"Didn't you think Peg acted rather queer when she met us?" inquired Louise presently.

"She was surprised, that's all. We were surprised ourselves to meet her," explained Julia. "And perhaps too, she fancied we were fixed up and she looked sort of mussy. No one wants to feel that way, you know."

"That may have been it," Cleo accepted, but her voice lacked a.s.surance. "And say, Julie, we didn't tell you we tore down the dynamite sign."

"Not really!"

"Pos--i--tively!"

"And you didn't find the danger?"

"Only in the black letters on a piece of red tin. But those signs don't grow there, although at first we had our suspicions," Cleo stated facetiously.

"And we also suspect caves and bandits," Louise knew exactly the effect this would have on Grace, the adventuress.

"Caves! Bandits! Bears and Deadeyed d.i.c.ks!" came the prompt string of exclamations from Grace. "Oh, let's go out there to-morrow and explore!"

"We knew it; but it is interesting, Grace, and we'll plan our hike for Big Nose Rock if Mackey will agree," Cleo proposed. "Now we must help Madaline and Margaret gather their souvenirs. It's too bad they have to go, but we knew when they came it would only be a few days' visit."

"Good thing we can keep Isabel and Helen. It's such fun to have company," Louise insisted.

"It was real fun last night," Grace reminded her companions. "I thought we really would have to prop our beds on end and sleep standing up. Wasn't it too funny!"

"Not for the poor Norms, although they wouldn't admit it. Bubbles and Struggles had more kinds of fun than I have ever seen even new school teachers fall into," said Cleo.

"Such names! Bubbles and Struggles!" repeated Julia.

"About like Fuss and Buzz," recalled Grace. "By the way, I wonder what has 'happed' to those heavenly twins?"

"Wouldn't wonder but they are calling on other campers," suggested Louise. "They seem so apt to call."

This provoked the inevitable mimicry, and if Fuss and Buzz hadn't inflamed red hot ears at that moment, the old saying must indeed have lost its potency.

The visitors who were leaving, jolly Madaline and capable Margaret, were being helped pack their bags by Corene, who in spite of offers from the other Bobbies still held to the responsibilities of leadership.

It may have been that Corene was anxious to qualify, or it may have been that she really enjoyed the satisfaction she experienced, at any rate it was easy to guess she would be sure to receive "awards" when the camp season would be over, for Corene was almost daily adding to her efficiency laurels.

"If only we could have Elizabeth up here for a week, wouldn't she show us a thing or two about housekeeping?" Julia remarked, when in spite of protestations the cupboard was being "finished" by Julia although Corene had "commenced" it.

"I can imagine Elizabeth's joy at baking cake in your stove oven, Julia," returned Corene.

"She could bake good cake in a camp kettle, I do believe. You know, Corey, Lizbeth is a wizard on bakes."

"Yes, she's headed straight for Pratt's and the youngest of our entire cla.s.s," reflected Corene, flicking a bit of paper napkin from the clock shelf. "I do wonder what makes some girls have such a lot of brains?"

"And some girls have a lot of hair, too," reasoned Julia. "I guess it's just natural."

"There comes the steamer Madaline's sisters are coming on!" exclaimed Corene, as a tooting and blowing announced the arrival of the "Black Hawk." The captain signalled either for folks to land or for folks to embark, and as the "Hawk" flag now flew from the dock near Camp Comalong he would know pa.s.sengers there awaited his arrival.

Dropping their work Julia and Corene hurried to join those already waiting to see the visitors off, for the coming and going, the landing and embarking, was ever a source of excitement at the lake. Not that company could be definitely expected always, but just as a letter carrier _may_ have good news, so anyone of those many steamers coming up from the depot eight miles away _might_ have company for any of the many campers.

Madaline and Margaret were steamed away, amid a wild flutter of waving and good-byes, and back to camp again the Bobbies hurried to prepare for the evening meal.

"We are going to have all the Norms down," announced Miss Mackey, who had been up in the devastated region all the afternoon. "They simply couldn't get things dried out, and I insisted they eat with us to-night."

"Goody!" chirped Grace. "I think company is the best fun of all.

Especially Bubbles and Giggles."

"Giggles?" queried the director.

"Oh, I mean Struggles. She seems to be always struggling to keep from giggling, so I got her name mixed," admitted Grace.

"Perhaps we should ask them to stay to-night," ventured Corene.

"Where would we put them?" demanded Louise, impulsively.

"All bunk on the floor. It's nice and clean. Lots better than we get on a hike when we sleep like ground hogs in holes," said Corene.

"We could house them and I proposed it," said Miss Mackey, "but they wouldn't hear of it and they are going to sleep in the hotel to-night.

They want you all to come over and spend the evening there."

"Joy!" shouted Isabel. "I just want to see what they do at a mountain hotel in the evenings."

"Same as they do at the seash.o.r.e, Izzy, and you know that isn't particularly exciting," Cleo reminded her visitor.

"It was last year when the baby choked on the b.u.t.ton. Don't you remember?"

This recalled an incident told of in the "Girl Scouts at Sea Crest,"

and its mention was enough to send the girls off into their easily acquired kinks. But even fun has its limitations, and the time was racing toward supper with the Norms, and then to the evening to be spent at Hocomo's biggest hotel, the Algonquin.

"Glad I fetched a clean white frock this very day," remarked Louise, and her companions seemed none the less glad that they too had "fatigue uniforms," a simple white dress used by these Scouts on just such occasions as that they were now dressing for.

The storm had driven more than one camp to seek refuge in the hotel that evening, and arriving there the Bobbies were overjoyed to meet a number of their acquaintances from among the summer colonists.

Dancing was of the desultory order, but what was lacking in vigor was made up in continuity, for it seemed there was never rest, stop, nor intermission to the programme. It was just one long, languid, continuous dance.

Around the edge of the "ball room" the Bobbies danced and capered, not venturing out to take the place possibly claimed by the grown-ups. The so-called ball room was merely the largest room the hotel boasted of, and evidently its festive claims were based upon the faded crepe paper that still clung reluctantly to chandeliers and other conveniently set out points.

But the music was "pretty fair," as more than one guest agreed, and it was pleasant to be indoors on this cool summer's evening.

Just after Miss Mackin sent around the whisper that there remained only "a few minutes more," the Bobolinks were attracted by a rather familiar drawl stealing in from a window opened on the porch.

"Sounds like----"

"It is," interrupted Cleo. "Here they come!"

"Our dear friends, Buzz and Fuss," finished Julia. "And please observe!"

This was whispered and actually reached only those ears very close to her, but it seemed as if some magic announcement had been made, for the entrance of those two young women immediately brought a charge of eyes focussed directly at them.