The Woodcraft Girls in the City Part 14

trail on the far side!" said Jim.

The other two cars came up, and Alfred said: "Can you make head or tail out of the map, Jim?"

"I was jus' sayin' that Master Bob must have been dreamin' about this 'good woodland road,'" returned Jim.

"Let's take this road-it looks fine-and see if we come to a woodland road further on," suggested Miss Miller.

So the opposite direction was taken, hoping they might find the good road mentioned on the map. After riding for twenty minutes more, the chauffeurs suddenly found the sign-post marked on both maps.

"Now ain't that funny! It's the post all right, but we never came by that woodland road!" declared Jim.

"Let's be thankful we found one land-mark they put down for us to follow!" grumbled Alfred, where-upon everyone laughed.

In vain did they seek for other land-marks or objects to correspond to those marked on the maps. They found good roads but nothing to lead them to believe they were following directions. Finally, as they all halted for another conference, Alfred stood up and looked about. He scratched his head back of the ear as if in a quandary.

"Let's hear it, Alfred," laughed Elizabeth.

"Well, I was thinkin'! Your maw came this very road last Spring when she camped her Tribe on Decoration Day. Why not go this way and trust to luck to bring us to the boys' camp?"

"It would be all right for us but what about the boys?" asked Zan.

"They have to pa.s.s by your site on their way up the sh.o.r.e and you can hail them," suggested Jim.

"It's growing late, girls, and we have to pitch tents, get ready to cook supper, and lots of other work," warned the Guide.

"Then let's follow Alfred's advice and take a chance on finding the boys," agreed Elizabeth.

As they started again to cross the Island to find the camping place Mrs.

Remington had used that Spring Elizabeth told them what a Paradise it was. Woods, beach, cliff for diving, spring of fine water, and everything a Woodcrafter could wish for.

Finally Alfred turned in on the hard sandy beach and in a short time stopped by a small promontory of sand that ran out like a finger into the sea. On top of this cliff and as far back as one could see, were the woods, with a clearing in the foreground that Alfred said had been used for the tents when Mrs. Remington camped there.

The Woodcrafters exclaimed in surprise at the place that seemed made to order for them, and Zan added: "Fiji's discovery can't be better than this!"

The chauffeurs helped carry the outfits to the clearing on top of the cliff, and when all was done, Alfred said: "I ought to be goin', Miss 'Lizabeth, 'cause your father comes in on that six o'clock train, you know, and it takes a full hour to get there from here!"

"Oh, it can't be five o'clock yet, Alfred," cried Elizabeth, surprised.

"It is five of five," replied Miss Miller, consulting her watch.

"Good gracious! Where are those boys?" cried Zan.

"We surely must be at the wrong site, but we will remain where we are for to-night, anyway," added Jane.

"Jim, if Fiji 'phones home to ask where we are try and direct him how to find us, will you?" said Zan.

Shortly after the automobiles left, Elizabeth spied a fleck of white out on the water, and with her experienced eye saw it bob up and down.

"Zan, bring the gla.s.ses! I'm sure I see the white launch," cried she, keeping her eye on the distant spot.

"Where? I can't see a thing but some white-caps," said Zan, handing the gla.s.ses to Elizabeth.

"That's because you never spent your Summers on an Island off the Maine coast like I have," laughed the girl, focussing the gla.s.ses.

"It's Fred and his crew, all right!" cried Elizabeth, pa.s.sing the gla.s.ses to Zan.

"Oh yes, I can see them now, but aren't they going very slow for a motor launch?" called Zan.

"Maybe something broke down and they can't get in," said Eleanor Wilbur, who had been more than pleasant and obliging all that week.

"No, they are labouring against wind and tides, I guess," remarked Elizabeth, who was busy with a long strip of linen which happened to be packed with the stores when Mrs. Remington made up the hamper.

"What are you doing?" asked one of the girls.

"I'm using this linen Mother sent for bandages if we had to use them, for a signal flag. I'll stick it out on that dead pine tree on the cliff and Fred will surely see it."

"And we might build a smoke-fire," suggested Zan.

"Yes, do that. Then we can signal them that we are lost," chuckled Jane, running to gather red pine bark.

Finally, the steam whistle on the launch signalled that the boys had seen the smoke and flag, and later the launch beached where it made a good landing-place.

The girls helped the sailors transport their luggage from the launch to the clearing on the cliff, and Zan remarked: "I see you brought the aqua-plane."

"Bet your life! Betsy would have sent us back for it had we forgotten to bring it," laughed Fred, as he climbed the sandy side of the cliff.

Once on top where he found the Guide and other girls making camp, he said: "Where are the other boys? Fishing?"

"No, we never met each other as planned. I think they are camping at some other spot," said Zan.

"They'll hunt us up quick enough when it's time for supper. You see we brought the hampers," laughed Jane.

Fred looked serious, however. "We had a dreadful time rounding the Island where the sea sweeps in through the Narrows. It was all we could do to stem the current. Even as it was, we had to go way out of our road to avoid the swift tide."

"You don't think anything could have happened to them, do you?" cried Zan, anxiously.

"I shouldn't wonder but what they have been over-turned," now added Eleanor, with her pessimistic propensity.

"Not that at all, girls, only they may have been swept so far out of their course that paddles couldn't help them along very fast. Then they may have to camp wherever they are," said Fred.

"All the same, you know as well as I do, that lots of folks are drowned off this sh.o.r.e-'specially boys. You can read about a death that way every day!" persisted Eleanor.

"Then they didn't know how to swim like Fiji and Jack do. Why, they're regular water-rats!" replied Fred, optimistically.

"Swimming won't help much if they have cramps! That sinks you like lead!" countered Eleanor again.

Miss Miller heard the whole conversation and also saw Zan and Jane turn pale when they first thought of danger to their brothers. Until this time they thought it a great joke that they had found such a fine site and were camping with all the foodstuff.

At Eleanor's first exclamation the Guide had frowned, for her religion was one of practical common sense and cheerful optimism. She looked about for something to interest the girls and, at the same time, stop Eleanor from talking, so when she heard the last rejoinder to Fred's attempts at encouraging Zan and Jane, she called to Eleanor: