“No, and we wouldn’t even if we had brought the whole camp outfit1 with us,” replied Marie. “We’d still find that we wanted something we didn’t have.”
“But we have enough!” declared Mrs. Bonnell, looking at what she carried, and then at the burdens borne by the girls. It was two days after the episode of the hornets, and the members of Dogwood Camp had sallied forth2 to make another effort to locate the Gypsies. And, to prevent a repetition of their unfortunate experience the previous time, they were well equipped, as will presently be set forth.
They had managed to conceal3 from the boys their real destination, by a harmless little subterfuge4 that it is needless to recite. Sufficient to say that it was rendered all the more easy because the boys had a ball game in prospect—two nines made up of cottagers and campers—and they were to play at a certain distant and fashionable hotel.
“Which means that they will be away late enough so that they won’t have to come to rescue us,” said Mabel.
“There will be no need this time,” asserted Mrs. Bonnell. “I have the little axe5 with which to blaze the trees.”
“It sounds like a French lesson, doesn’t it?” asked Alice, with a laugh.
“The hairpins6 did very well,” said Natalie with another laugh, at the remembrance of their pretty Guardian7-chaperone diligently8 scratching the bark of the white birch trees with her wire coiffeur retainers.
The day after the boys had “played tag with the hornets,” as Alice put it, there had been rain, but the Camp Fire Girls had put in the enforced idle time to good advantage by getting ready for the trip to Bear Pond.
Marie had artfully interviewed Reuben when he came with some eggs, and had carefully jotted9 down the directions to be followed. He told them of a shorter route to the place, necessitating10 a little longer row, but less of a walk.
Then they had carefully packed some baskets of provisions, and had even arranged to take along some coffee, and an old pot in which to boil it over an open fire.
“Well, I guess we’re ready to start,” announced Mrs. Bonnell, after an early breakfast.
“Did you bring the compass?”
“How many bottles of olives did you put in?”
“I hope there are enough sandwiches.”
“And a drinking cup.”
“What about matches?”
“Did you lock my trunk, Natalie?”
“What shall we do with the keys?”
The above are only samples. Three or more pages of similar import might be set down, but to no purpose. They were about to leave their camp, and, against the visits of an intruder they had locked most of their valuables such as they did not take with them—in their trunks. Then the tent-flaps had been carefully tied shut, a weird11 array of knots being used, having been copied from a boy-scout book that the Guardian had with her.
“If a burglar can untie12 those,” said Mrs. Bonnell as she finished the last one, “he’ll be so short tempered that he won’t bother to take the few little things we have left here.”
“But how can we untie them?” asked Marie.
“Oh, I can easily pick them out with a hairpin,” answered the resourceful Mrs. Bonnell. “Hairpins to a woman are what a screw-driver is to a man. I never could get along without them. From buttoning shoes to opening bottles of olives, they run the gamut13 of utility.”
The day was fair, with no promise of rain, but, even if it should come, the serviceable suits, of which each girl had two, would neither be damaged, nor would they readily permit of the wearers being drenched14.
And so they started off.
“I do hope that Reuben doesn’t tag after us, or want to come with us,” said Alice, when they were in the boats.
“Why, did he say he would?” asked Mabel.
“No, but he was rather hinting when we questioned him about Bear Pond. I wouldn’t be surprised but what he got one of his ‘half days off,’ and became our escort.”
“He means all right,” murmured Natalie. “Poor fellow!”
“You may well say that, if you accept any more flowers from him,” warned Alice.
“I don’t see why. They are only wild blossoms, and I’d pick them myself if he didn’t.”
“That’s Nat!” exclaimed Mabel with a laugh.
They rowed leisurely15 to another cove16 about which Reuben had told them, and then, once more concealing17 the oars18, they struck off into a path that, they had been assured led directly to Bear Pond, and to that portion most likely to be the camping-place of the Gypsies, since it was near a main-traveled road.
“Be sure we have everything!” exclaimed Alice, as they disembarked. “For it may be a long time before we get back.”
“Don’t look for trouble,” warned Mrs. Bonnell.
Laden19 with their parcels and bundles containing mostly food, for they intended to have a substantial lunch in the woods, they trudged20 on. Mrs. Bonnell industriously21 blazed the trail as they proceeded, though it was scarcely necessary, for the path seemed often used.
“But we may be able to see the white blaze of the wood in the dark,” she insisted.
“Oh, if we could only bribe22 a few lightning bugs23 to stay on each chipped-off place,” suggested Marie, “we could easily pick out the path then.”
They laughed at her quaint24 conceit25, and proceeded. The way was easier than the first one they had essayed, and they made better time. In the distance they had occasional glimpses of farmhouses27 set down in some hollow. Farmhouses of an ancient régime, it seemed, since the land about them was little tilled now. There were only small gardens, not prolific28 ones at that.
They came from the path out upon a country road, with many and deep ruts in its dirt surface.
“We are to keep along this for half a mile, and then take the path to the right,” read Marie from the written directions that had not been forgotten this time.
“Oh, there’s an old well sweep, and I’m sure there must be an old oaken bucket going with it!” cried Mabel. “I must have a drink,” and she started toward the gate of a farmhouse26 they were approaching.
“The germ-covered bucket!” murmured Alice. “I’d rather have a tin pail.”
As they reached the gate a yellow cur rushed out at them, barked vociferously29 and interspersing30 his disapproval31 with snarls32 of anger.
“Oh, mercy!” cried Natalie, shrinking back.
“Good doggie! Good old fellow!” called Mrs. Bonnell, coming to a standstill, while the girls huddled33 behind her. “Nice old chap!”
“He isn’t at all nice!” declared Alice. “How can you say such things?”
“That’s always the way to talk to barking dogs,” insisted the Guardian. “Don’t let them see that you fear them.”
“No—don’t!” laughed Natalie, as she saw the fear-huddled group. “We are a living monument to—bravery!”
“Maybe his bark is worse than his bite,” whispered Mabel.
The dog did not seem disposed to retreat. He had run out into the road, and disputed their progress, in spite of the many soothing34 “good-doggie!” and “Nice old fellow!” verbal sops35 that Mrs. Bonnell threw to him.
“Maybe he’s hungry!” suggested Marie. “Wait a minute!”
She began exploring the lunch basket she carried and presently threw something to the cur. He made a spring for it, and then bolted into the yard.
“Why, Natalie Fuller!” cried Alice aghast. “That was one of our best chicken sandwiches!”
“You didn’t think I’d give him anything but the best; did you?” inquired Natalie, as she tossed back her long braids. “I was going to offer him some olives, but he didn’t stay for dessert. Come on, girls. Now he’s gone we can advance.”
“I don’t believe I want a drink—at least not here,” said Alice. “But we can get past the house, and maybe there’s a spring farther on.”
The dog evidently accepted the chicken sandwich as a peace offering for he barked no more. There was no sign of life about the house as the girls passed it. They soon came to a roadside watering-trough, cut out of one solid log, into which, from a wooden spout36, there flowed a stream of clear, cold water.
The drink was refreshing37, and they filled some milk bottles they had brought with them for this purpose, since at Bear Pond the water was not fit to use.
Again they struck into the cool, green woods, glad of the change from the hot highway. Birds flitted around them in the trees, calling in sweet notes, and now and then some startled creature of the forest darted38 away from beneath their very feet. They heard the distant call of crows, and the lowing of cows hidden in the fastness of the wood.
“We are almost there,” declared Marie consulting her elaborate directions. “It’s about half a mile from this spring,” and she pointed39 at the one where they had halted for another drink—a spring stone-lined, in the center of a grassy40 plot, and shaded by a great, gnarled oak. A spring so clear that the sand bottom seemed but a few inches below the surface. Yet when they replenished41 their water bottles they realized that it was nearly three feet deep. Cold and refreshing was the water.
And then, a little later, they emerged from the forest and stood on the shore of Bear Pond. They could look down its lonesome length and see the rock where they had first stood. The place did not seem to have changed.
“It’s as dreary42 and Dead Sea-like as before,” said Natalie in a whisper. Somehow it seemed natural to whisper at Bear Pond.
“Well, now to see if we can locate the Gypsy camp,” suggested Mrs. Bonnell. “It is early yet. We don’t want lunch for an hour. Let’s explore a bit first.”
They walked on, keeping as near to the shore of the lake as possible. Suddenly Natalie, who was in the lead, held up a hand for silence.
“Hark!” she called in a whisper.
From somewhere in the woods ahead of them came the sounds of barking.
“Dogs,” said Marie.
“And Gypsies always have lots of dogs,” added Mabel.
They pushed on. The barking became plainer. They saw a gleam of white amid the trees.
“The Gypsy camp!” exclaimed Natalie. “We’ve found it!”
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1
outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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subterfuge
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| n.诡计；藉口 | |
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axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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hairpins
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| n.发夹( hairpin的名词复数 ) | |
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7
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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8
diligently
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| ad.industriously;carefully | |
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9
jotted
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| v.匆忙记下( jot的过去式和过去分词 )；草草记下，匆匆记下 | |
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10
necessitating
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| 使…成为必要，需要( necessitate的现在分词 ) | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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12
untie
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| vt.解开，松开；解放 | |
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gamut
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| n.全音阶，(一领域的)全部知识 | |
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drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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16
cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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18
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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trudged
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| vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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industriously
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bribe
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| n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通 | |
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bugs
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| adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误 | |
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24
quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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conceit
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| n.自负，自高自大 | |
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26
farmhouse
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| n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房） | |
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farmhouses
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| n.农舍，农场的主要住房( farmhouse的名词复数 ) | |
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28
prolific
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| adj.丰富的，大量的；多产的，富有创造力的 | |
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29
vociferously
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| adv.喊叫地，吵闹地 | |
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interspersing
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| v.散布，散置( intersperse的现在分词 )；点缀 | |
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disapproval
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| n.反对，不赞成 | |
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32
snarls
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| n.（动物的）龇牙低吼( snarl的名词复数 )；愤怒叫嚷（声）；咆哮（声）；疼痛叫声v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的第三人称单数 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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33
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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35
sops
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| n.用以慰藉或讨好某人的事物( sop的名词复数 )；泡湿的面包片等v.将（面包等）在液体中蘸或浸泡( sop的第三人称单数 )；用海绵、布等吸起（液体等） | |
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36
spout
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| v.喷出，涌出；滔滔不绝地讲；n.喷管；水柱 | |
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37
refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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38
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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39
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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40
grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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41
replenished
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| 补充( replenish的过去式和过去分词 )； 重新装满 | |
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42
dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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