CHAPTER XXXII HADEE

Natalie grasped the edges of the doorway¹ so unexpectedly opened before her, and clung there. The light shot into the secret room, revealing a figure huddled² up in one corner—a timid, shrinking form, from which faint moans came.

“It’s a girl!” gasped³ Mrs. Bonnell. “The poor creature!”

The figure in the corner raised itself up, and stared at the intruders.

“Water—water,” moaned the girl. “I am so sick!”

As the eyes of the Camp Fire Girls became more accustomed to the semi-gloom of the room, they caught a glimpse of the gay colors in the dress of the figure in the corner.

“It’s Hadee! The Gypsy!” gasped Natalie.

“Yes, I am Hadee,” murmured the girl. “You have found me. Oh, I am so glad! I feared no one ever would. I thought I would die here, and—my leg is broken!”

“Oh, you poor creature!” cried Mrs. Bonnell. “Girls, we must have a doctor right away. Marie, run down to the shore and see if you can find a boat anywhere about. Signal to them—wave your handkerchief—scream!

“Mabel, see if you can get me some water—bring it in anything—in some of the dishes—in our baskets. Natalie, get me some sticks I can use for splints to bind⁴ up her leg until the doctor can get here. Alice, you help me with—her,” and she motioned toward the Gypsy girl.

Thus did the Guardian⁵ effectually assume charge of matters. It was the best thing she could have done to take the minds of her charges off the startling events that had happened in the last few minutes.

“Which leg is it, dear?” asked Mrs. Bonnell, as she went over to the figure in the corner. “I’ll try not to hurt you, but—I must look at it.”

“The right one. I fell night before last as I was coming up the stairs, but I managed to drag myself in here.”

“And you’ve been here alone ever since?” asked Natalie.

“Yes, and I thought I would die.”

Mrs. Bonnell was examining the broken leg. It was a simple fracture, but considerable inflammation had set in from the neglect, and when the injured leg was touched ever so gently there came a moan of pain from the stricken girl.

Hadee had raised herself up on her elbow, while Mrs. Bonnell was pouring cold water on the fracture and binding⁶ it up.

“Oh!” moaned the Gypsy girl, and then she fell back senseless.

“She’s dead!” gasped Mabel.

“Nonsense, it’s only a faint. Sprinkle some water on her face while I finish binding up this leg,” said Mrs. Bonnell. “She’ll come to all right. Loosen her dress at the neck.”

As Mabel did this something rolled out of the upper part of the insensible girl’s garment. It was something that gleamed and sparkled in the light.

“My mother’s diamond ring!” cried Mabel seizing it.

Hadee opened her eyes.

“I—was going to—give it back,” she murmured. “That is why—I ran away from the—from the camp—so they wouldn’t take it.”

“There now, don’t talk,” soothed⁷ Mrs. Bonnell. “You can tell us all about it when you feel better. We’ll make you as comfortable as we can until the doctor comes. I hope Marie can manage to find some one to send.”

There was a tramping of feet on the floor below.

“Some one is coming!” cried Natalie.

“It’s the boys—our boys!” exclaimed Mabel. “Oh, how good!”

“They mustn’t come in here!” decided⁸ Mrs. Bonnell. “There has been enough excitement for Hadee. I must keep her quiet. Natalie, you and Mabel slip down and tell them what has happened. Then one of you bring back some more water, and a little of the food. She must be nearly famished⁹.”

“I am—hungry,” admitted Hadee. “But I feel much better now, I am so glad you—found me.”

“Don’t come up—we’re coming down, boys,” called Natalie, as she and Mabel started for the stairs.

“What have you found?” demanded Jack¹⁰, for it was he and his chums who had come to the old mill.

“The ghost!” said Natalie. “It’s poor little Hadee—the girl who told our fortunes that time—the girl who ran away from the Gypsy camp. She’s hurt. Marie has gone for a doctor. How did you happen to come here?”

“Oh, we got lonesome over in camp,” said Blake, “so we thought we’d just take a run over here to say how—do.”

“I’m so glad you did!” exclaimed Natalie, with a grateful look at him.

“I’ll take up some food and water,” spoke¹¹ Mabel. “Then I’ll come back. You might see if Marie has been able to signal any one, Phil,” she said to her brother.

“Here’s Marie now,” spoke Jack, as the girl came flying into the mill.

“Did you send for a doctor?” asked Natalie.

“I have mother’s diamond ring back!” cried Mabel, holding up the sparkling gem¹².

“Say, these girls beat anything for finding things!” declared Jack.

“Hadee had it,” explained Mabel. “I’m so glad.”

“What about the doctor?” asked Natalie.

“I met Old Hanson,” Marie said. “He said he’d go right back and get one. Dr. Morse is at some house down the road now most fortunately, and Old Hanson said he’d have him come here. I met the hermit¹³ on the road as I was running to the lake shore.”

“Everything seems to be coming out for the best,” said Jack. “Now let’s have some details.”

Natalie and Marie gave such as they knew to the boys, while Mabel took up the food and water to Alice and Mrs. Bonnell, who had remained with the Gypsy girl.

“But what is she doing in this old mill?” asked Blake. “And what makes you think she is the ghost?”

“I don’t know why she is here,” said Natalie, “except that she ran away from the Gypsy camp for some reason or other, and this was the best place to hide.

“As for her being the ghost—here is your knife and match-box, Blake. I found them in her room,” and she extended the articles to him.

“Stung!” gasped Jack.

“And by a girl,” added Phil.

“So it was Hadee who stole down and took our things while we were asleep,” murmured Blake.

There was the sound of wheels outside.

“Here’s the doctor!” exclaimed Natalie.

1 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

2 huddled   

挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
• We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。

3 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 bind   

vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬

参考例句：

• I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
• He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。

5 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

6 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

7 soothed   

v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦

参考例句：

• The music soothed her for a while. 音乐让她稍微安静了一会儿。
• The soft modulation of her voice soothed the infant. 她柔和的声调使婴儿安静了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 famished   

adj.饥饿的

参考例句：

• When's lunch?I'm famished!什么时候吃午饭？我饿得要死了！
• My feet are now killing me and I'm absolutely famished.我的脚现在筋疲力尽，我绝对是极饿了。

10 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

11 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

12 gem   

n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel

参考例句：

• The gem is beyond my pocket.这颗宝石我可买不起。
• The little gem is worth two thousand dollars.这块小宝石价值两千美元。

13 hermit   

n.隐士，修道者；隐居

参考例句：

• He became a hermit after he was dismissed from office.他被解职后成了隐士。
• Chinese ancient landscape poetry was in natural connections with hermit culture.中国古代山水诗与隐士文化有着天然联系。