The in the Woods Part 2 (2/2)

But now there was a sudden roughening of the smooth surface of the water; white caps were lashed up by a squall that broke with no warning at all. And Bessie, filled with horror, saw the canoe overturned by the wind. She saw, too, what eyes less quick would have missed -- that the paddle, released from Minnehaha's grasp as the boat upset, struck her on the head.

For a moment Bessie stood rooted to the spot in terror. And then, when Minnehaha did not appear, swimming, Bessie acted. Forgotten was the danger that she would be discovered -- her fear of the man on the other side of the lake. Wanaka might not have seen, and there was no time to lose. The accident had occurred in the middle of the lake, and Bessie, rus.h.i.+ng to the beach, pushed off a canoe and began to drive it toward the other canoe, floating quietly now, bottom up. The squall had pa.s.sed already.

Bessie had never been in a canoe before that day. She made clumsy work of the paddling. But fear for Minnehaha and the need of reaching her at once made up for any lack of skill. Somehow she reached the spot. By that time the other girls had seen what was going on, and help was coming quickly. Some swam and some were in one of the other canoes. But Bessie, catching a glimpse of Minnehaha just rising to the surface, didn't wait for them.

In a trice she leaped overboard, and, swimming strongly, reached her new friend. As Bessie had feared, Minnehaha had been stunned by the blow from the paddle. Otherwise she could have reached the sh.o.r.e by swimming, or could have supported herself by the upturned boat. Bessie caught hold of her, and, supporting her with one arm, used the other to reach the canoe, to which she clung.

And in a moment she was safe. Willing hands reached for her burden, others helped her to climb back into the canoe, in her wet clothes, since she had plunged in fully dressed. And then they went ash.o.r.e, while one of the swimmers climbed into the canoe Bessie had deserted and paddled over for Wanaka, who had seen the whole episode.

They hurried Bessie into a tent and helped her to get into dry things, which one of the girls lent to her, and then Bessie joined those who were busy with Minnehaha, who soon showed signs of returning consciousness. So Bessie did not see or hear what was going on outside.

For the man who had been standing with Wanaka on the other sh.o.r.e had seen Bessie, and he had known her. No wonder, since it was Paw Hoover himself, from whom Wanaka had bought fresh vegetables for the camp. He had insisted on helping her to carry them out, although Wanaka, thinking of Bessie and Zara, had told him she needed no help. But she could not shake him off, and on the way he had told her about the exciting happenings of the previous day, of which, she told him, she had already heard in the village.

”By G.o.dfrey!” said Paw Hoover, as he saw the rescue of Minnehaha, ”that young one's got pluck, so she has! And, what's more, Miss, I've a suspicion I've seen her before!”

Wanaka said nothing, but smiled. What Paw Hoover had told her had done more to confirm the truth of Bessie's story than all the talk she had heard in Hedgeville. She liked the old farmer -- and she wondered what he meant to do. He didn't leave her long in doubt.

”I'll just go over with you,” he said, ”if you'll make out to ferry me back here again.”

And Wanaka dared not refuse.

”Had an idea you was askin' a lot of questions,” said Paw Hoover, with a chuckle. ”Got lots of ideas I keep to myself -- 'specially at home. An' say, if that's Bessie, I want to see her.”

Wanaka saw that there was some plan in his mind, and she knew that to try to ward him off would be dangerous. There was nothing to prevent him from returning, later, with Weeks or anyone else.

”Bessie!” she called. ”Can you come out here a minute?”

And Bessie, coming out, came face to face with Paw Hoover! She stared at him, frightened and astonished, but she held her ground. And Paw Hoover's astonishment was as great as her own. This was a new Bessie he had never seen before. She was neatly dressed now in one of Ayu's blue skirts and white blouses, and one of the girls had done up her hair in a new way.

”Well, I swan!” he said. ”You've struck it rich, ain't you Bessie?” Aimin' to run away and leave us?”

Bessie couldn't answer, but Wanaka spoke up.

”You haven't any real hold on her, Mr. Hoover,” she said.

”That's right, that's right!” said Paw Hoover. ”I cal'late you've had a hard time once in a while, Bessie. An' I don't believe you ever set that shed afire on purpose. If you hadn't jumped into the water after that other girl I'd never have suspicioned you was here, Bessie. You stay right with these young ladies, if they'll have you. I'll not say a word. An' if you ever get into trouble, you write to me -- see?”

He looked at her, and sighed. Then he beckoned to her, and took her aside.

”Maw's right set on havin' her own way, Bessie,” he said. ”But she's my wife, an' she's a good one, an' if she makes mistakes, I've got to let her have her way. Reckon I've made enough on 'em myself. Here, you take this. I guess you've earned it, right enough. That fire didn't do no real damage -- nothin' we can't fix up in a day or two.”

Bessie's eyes filled with tears. Paw Hoover was simply proving again what she had always known -- that he was a really good and kindly man. She longed to tell him that she hadn't set the barn on fire, that it had been Jake. But she knew he would find it hard to believe that of his son, and that, even if he took her word for it, the knowledge would be a blow. And it would do her no good, so she said nothing of that.

”Thank you, Paw,” she said. ”You always were good to me. I'll never forget you, and sometime I'll come back to see you and all the others. Good-bye!”

”Good-bye, Bessie,” he said. ”You be a good girl and you'll get along all right. And you stick to Miss Mercer there. She'll see that you get along.”

Not until he had gone did Bessie open her hand and look at the crumpled bill that Paw Hoover had left in it. And then, to her amazed delight, she saw that it was a five-dollar note -- more money than she had ever had. She showed it to Wanaka.

”I oughtn't to take it,” she said. ”He thinks I burned his woodshed and -- ”

”But you know you didn't, and I think maybe he knows it, too,” said Wanaka. ”You needn't think anything of taking that money. You've worked hard enough to earn a lot more than that. Now I've found out that what you told me was just right. I knew it all the time, but I made sure. Bessie, how would you and Zara like to stay with us, and come back to the city when we go? I'll be able to find some way to look after you. You can find work to do that won't be so hard, and you can study, too.”

”Oh, I'd love that, Wanaka.” For the first time Bessie used the name freely. ”And can we be Camp Fire Girls?”

”You certainly can,” said Wanaka.

CHAPTER V.

AN ALARM IN THE NIGHT.

Bessie, overjoyed by Paw Hoover's kindness and his promise to do nothing toward having her taken back to Hedgeville, spent the rest of the afternoon happily. Indeed, she was happier than she could ever remember having been before. But her joy was dashed when, a little while before supper, she came upon Zara, crying bitterly. Zara had gone off by herself, and Bessie, going to the spring for water, came upon her.

”Why, Zara, whatever is the matter? We're all right now,” cried Bessie.

”I -- I know that, Bessie! But I'm so worried about my father!”

”Oh, Zara, what a selfish little beast I am! I was so glad to think that I wasn't going to be taken back that I forgot all about him. But cheer up! I'm sure he's done nothing wrong, and I'll talk to Wanaka, and see if there isn't something I can do or that she can do. I believe she can do anything if she makes up her mind she will.”

”Did she hear anything about him in Hedgeville?”

”Only what we knew before, Zara, that they'd come for him and taken him to the city. But Wanaka said she was sure that it is only gossip, and that he needn't be afraid. And we're going to the city, too, you know, so you'll be able to see him.”

”Will I, Bessie? Then that won't be so bad. If I could only talk to him I'm sure it would seem better. And you must be right -- they can't punish a man when he hasn't done anything wrong, can they?”

”Of course not,” said Bessie, laughing.

”In the country where we came from they do, sometimes,” said Zara, thoughtfully. ”My father has told me about things like that.”

”In Italy, Zara?”

”Yes. We're not Italians, really, but that's where we lived.”

”But you don't remember anything about that, do you?”

”No, but I've been told all about it. We used to live in a white house, on a hillside. And there were lemon trees and olive trees growing there, and all sorts of beautiful things. And you could look out over the blue sea, and see the boats sailing, and away off there was a great mountain.”

”I should think you'd want to go back there, Zara. It must have been beautiful.”

”Oh, I've always wanted to see that place, Bessie. Sometimes, my father says, the mountain would smoke, and fire would come out of it, and the ground would shake. But it never hurt the place where we lived.”

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