The Woodcraft Girls in the City Part 35

As the Guide sat down a chorus of laughing "How's!" came from the girls for the extemporaneous war-talk.

At a signal sounded on the tomtom, Elizabeth came from the shelter of a huge tree-trunk and entered the Council Ring in solemn manner. She carried the Ceremonial Blanket which was upheld high with both hands in front of her. This blanket was spread out upon the ground, the four corners being four-square to the four imaginary corners of the earth and the four winds.

Standing on the rear edge of the blanket, Elizabeth bowed to the East, then to the South, next to the West, and fourth to the North; last, to Wakanda and to Maka Ina.

She then took the peace-pipe from the Chief and wafted its smoke to the four winds and placed the pipe on the blanket parallel to its front edge near the circle of Woodcrafters, and near the front edge of the blanket.

The Chief then brought the Sacred Otter Skin and placed it over Elizabeth's out-stretched hands. This was presented to Wakanda and Maka Ina, then a magic circle was woven all about the outside of the blanket to ward off all evil spirits.

This motion was done by waving the otter skin, as if swimming, holding it about two feet above the ground, being careful to keep the skin extended horizontally on top of the hands, which were held about eighteen inches apart. The circle woven, the otter skin was placed upon the blanket next to the pipe and parallel with it.

The Chief then brought and presented to Elizabeth the bowl of Sacred Corn Meal. This was lifted up and presented to Wakanda and Maka Ina, then corn meal was sprinkled on the pipe and otter skin, Elizabeth kneeling on the blanket and moving on her knees to accomplish this ceremony.

"This magic circle now woven and complete may not be crossed by anyone holding evil intentions," said Elizabeth solemnly.

Now came the ceremony of distributing the gifts which were brought in baskets or upon large gra.s.s mats and left near the blanket where the Chief could reach them. As each gift was taken up, the Chief handed it to Elizabeth who called out the name written on the package. Then the receiver came up, bowed low before the blanket, and received the gift.

It was then opened, admired, and gratefully acknowledged, before the recipient stepped backward to her seat in the Circle.

When all the gifts were bestowed, Elizabeth bowed and lifted the sacred otter skin and placed it across the bowl of corn meal. Next the pipe was taken up and laid upon the otter skin and then all three were lifted in both hands and held high above her head as she moved backward on her knees to the rear edge of the blanket. There she rose to her feet and departed with the bowl, otter skin, and pipe.

After many exclamations of delight, surprise, and thanks to the girls who had worked so well on the gifts, it was found that not one gift had been bestowed by Miss Miller. This was the proper time for the Guide to speak.

"O Chief! If you and Elizabeth will accompany me to yon cabin I will see that my share of the entertainment is finished."

Wonderingly, the two girls went with the Guide and carried many suggestive packages from the cabin to the Council Ring. Miss Miller carried an enormous bundle, but no one could gain the slightest hint of its contents.

Laughing at the curious faces of the girls watching as the strings were cut, the Guide unwrapped a red, white, and blue paper object that had a long bamboo handle protruding from its midst of rioting colours.

"O Brother Warriors, what can it be?" laughed Zan, looking at the girls.

"O Chief, no one but Wakanda can answer that question!" retorted Jane, creating a general laugh at her irreverent reply.

"But Wakanda gave me the idea to make this and I hold the power to explain it," said Miss Miller, rebukingly, even as she smiled at Jane's retort.

As she spoke she pushed down upon a wire and as the patriotic colours spread out lo! there appeared a giant umbrella in the American colours.

The bamboo pole was the centre-rod and handle.

"Goodness gracious me!" exclaimed Zan. "How under the sun did you ever get it so large and to work so easy?"

"I took an ancient umbrella for a foundation and then bound on the extra reeds to the original ribs to make it longer and larger all round. Then I glued the paper on the tops," explained the Guide.

"It makes a great American shade for us," giggled Elena.

"Ought to be labelled 'Made in America,'" added Jane.

"But what I want to know is 'Why-for and Where-for?'" said Nita.

"I see that no one suspects the plot, so I will have to tell," laughed Miss Miller, sticking the bamboo handle in a wooden block having a clamp to hold it upright-something like the tree holders at Christmas time.

But this holder permitted the upper section of the block to swing around on a pivot fastened to the lower section-block.

When the handle was securely fastened Miss Miller gave the huge umbrella a twirl to see if it worked well, and still the girls stood wondering what it all was for.

"Now get busy, girls, and hand me the packages while I tie them on these sticks," advised the Guide, attaching a small package as she spoke.

"The heavy ones that will drag the ribs down too far we will spread on the gra.s.s and tie a card with the name of the owner on the stick instead of the bundle itself," continued Miss Miller, as a large box was handed her.

With many hands to help, the packages were soon in place, and then the Guide said:

"We will all stand in a circle about the umbrella and as I swing it about we sing:

"Merrily in this Council Ring, Dancing gayly as we sing, What will this umbrella bring When we change to hippety-hop And our Chief calls out to stop?"

"We can dance any step we like, but the moment I call out 'Change!' you all have to change your steps to a hippety-hop step; then when Zan calls out 'Stop' you have to stop short where you are. I will call a name from my list and whoever is opposite that name removes it from the umbrella.

If it happens to belong to the one removing it from the stick, well and good, but if the one who opens it is not the owner, she holds it up to view and calls out the name of the owner. At the same time she starts to run around the ring on the _outside_, and the owner to whom the package belongs must catch her. If she has not caught her in three rounds about the ring, the hunter pays a forfeit to secure the prize. At the end of our game we will redeem the forfeits."

"What an original game!" exclaimed May.

"But so childish!" complained Eleanor.

"Pity we haven't more of the simple childlike pleasures," added Mrs.

Baker, who had overheard the remark.

"Now then, girls-ready?" called the Guide, ignoring the criticism from Eleanor.

"Yes-all ready!" called most of the girls.

The umbrella was given a swift twirl and it spun around while the girls sang the rollicking verse, but Zan forgot to call "Change," so they concluded the song and the umbrella still whirled, the paper packages flying out to the extreme end of the strings.

Everyone jeered at Zan for forgetting to call, and she promised to do better next time. "I only did it that time to give you girls practise,"

said she, laughingly.

The chorus of denials might have deafened everyone had not the Guide shouted: "Now, once again, girls! If Zan makes a second mistake she pays two forfeits!"

"How! How!" followed this agreeable statement, and the umbrella whirled again.

"Change!" shouted Zan at the word, and some of the girls did change the step correctly while others were in doubt.

"Here-a forfeit from each one of you!" demanded Zan, and the punishment made the game more exciting.

"The next time the same one mistakes she pays double!" added Zan, placing the forfeits in a basket. But the girls were beginning to learn how it was played, and the first game ended with everyone laughing or jesting. Miss Miller had Mrs. Baker take a paper from a bag and read out a name.

"Elena Marsh," read Mrs. Baker.

Everyone looked eagerly at the laden stick opposite her, and Jane called: "Here it is, in front of me."

"Jane removes it and runs about the circle with Elena after her," added Miss Miller.

Twice around the ring flew Jane, and Elena, fleet-footed, after her, until in the third round the pursuer caught up and held her captive.