The at Long Lake Part 2 (2/2)
Dolly said nothing more just then, and for a time they walked along quietly.
”We're about half way to Little Bear Lake now,” announced Dolly, after a spell of silence.
”Why, how do you know?”
”Because I saw a map, and this ridge we've just come to is half way between the two lakes.”
”Oh,” said Bessie.
”Yes. We've been coming up hill so far now, the rest of the way is down hill, so it will be easier walking.”
”That's good; it means that when we're going home we'll be going down for the last half of the trip, when we're tired. That's much easier than if it was the other way, I think.”
”You look tired, Bessie; why don't you sit down and rest!”
”Well, that's not a bad idea, Dolly. I'm not used to so much walking lately.”
”All right, sit down. I'm thirsty. I think I'll just run ahead and see if I can find a spring while you rest.”
So Dolly ran ahead, and disappeared after a moment. Presently, when Bessie was rested, she started again, and soon overtook Dolly.
”We turn here,” said Dolly. ”See, here's another trail, and the signs show which one we're to take.”
”That's funny,” said Bessie, puzzled. ”I thought we went to Little Bear in a perfectly straight line. Miss Eleanor didn't say anything about changing direction.”
”Well, there's the sign, Bessie. If we keep straight on it says that we'll come to Loon Pond. We turn off to the right here to get to Little Bear.”
”Well, I guess the sign must be right. But it certainly seems funny. I hope there isn't any mistake.”
”Mistake! How can there be? Don't be silly, Bessie. There wouldn't be any chance of that. Come on.”
So they turned off, and, as they followed the new trail, the trees began to grow thinner, presently. The whole character of the woods seemed to change, too. They pa.s.sed numerous places where picnic parties had evidently eaten their meals, and had left blackened spots, and the remnants of their feasts.
”It seems to me some of the people who've been here have been very careless, Dolly,” said Bessie, ”Look, there's a place where a fire started. It didn't get very far, but it burnt over quite a little bit of ground before it was put out.”
The trail began to dip sharply, too, and before long they were walking in what was almost open country. Stumps of trees were all about, and evidently wood-cutters had been at work.
”This isn't half as pretty as Long Lake,” said Bessie. ”Oh, Dolly, look! What's that?”
Dolly laughed in a peculiar fas.h.i.+on. For they had come in sight of a sheet of water, and, in plain view, not far from them, by the sh.o.r.e of the lake, they saw a place that could not be mistaken. It proclaimed its nature at once--a regular summer hotel, with wide piazzas, full of people. And on the water there were a score of boats and canoes, and one or two launches.
”This isn't Little Bear Lake!” said Bessie.
”Of course it isn't, silly; it's Loon Pond. I changed the signs while you rested, because I meant to come here, and I knew you wouldn't, if you knew what you were doing!”
CHAPTER V.
THE GYPSY CAMP.
Bessie grew red with indignation for a moment, but before she spoke she was calm again.
”Don't you think that's a pretty mean trick, Dolly?” she said, gently. ”It seems to me it's a good deal like lying.”
”Why, Bessie King! Can't you ever take a joke? I didn't say a single, solitary thing that wasn't so. I said the signs said this was the way to Little Bear Lake, and you never asked me if I'd changed them, did you?”
Bessie laughed helplessly.
”Oh, Dolly!” she said. ”Of course I didn't; why should I? Who would ever think of doing such a thing, except you? You don't expect people to guess what you're going to do next, do you?”
”I suppose not,” said Dolly, impenitently, her eyes still twinkling. ”I do manage to surprise people pretty often. My aunt Mabel says that if I spent half as much time studying as I do thinking up new sorts of mischief I'd be at the top of every cla.s.s I'm in at school.”
”She's perfectly right. I thought at first you had a hard time with your aunt, Dolly, but I'm through being sorry for you. She needs all the sympathy anyone has got for having to try to look after you!”
”Oh, what's the harm? We're here now, and It isn't so very dreadful, is it? Come on, let's go over to the hotel.”
”Indeed we shan't do anything of the sort, Dolly Ransom! We'll turn around and go right straight back to Long Lake, that's what we'll do.”
”I guess not. You don't think I've come this far and that I'm going to turn around without seeing what the place is like, do you?”
”Why, Dolly, you know we weren't supposed to come here alone. I don't think much of it; it isn't half as pretty as Long Lake. What's the use of wasting our time here, anyhow?”
”Why--why--because there are people here! I just love seeing people, Bessie, they're so interesting, because they're all so different, and you never know what they're going to say or do. And there may be someone we know here, too.”
”There can't be anyone I know, Dolly.”
”Oh, bother! Well, there may be someone I know, and that's the same thing, isn't it? Come on, be a sport, Bessie.”
”That's what you said about going in the car with Mr. Holmes the other day, too.”
”Oh, but this isn't a bit like that, Bessie.”
”It might get us into just as much mischief, Dolly. No, I'm not going over there. It's silly, and it's wrong.”
And this time Bessie stood firm. Despite Dolly's pleading, which turned, presently, to angry threats, she refused absolutely to go any nearer the hotel, and Dolly was afraid to venture there alone, though there was very little she was afraid to do. In her inmost heart, of course, Dolly knew that Bessie was right, and that she had had no business to trick her chum into seeming to break her promise to Miss Eleanor.
”Oh, well,” she said, ”I might have known that I couldn't always make you do what you don't want to do, Bessie. You're not mad at me, are you?”
Bessie, pleased by this sign of surrender, returned the smile.
”I ought to be, but I'm not, Dolly,” she answered. ”I think that is one of the reasons you keep on doing these things--but no one ever really does get angry with you, as they should. If someone you really cared for got properly angry at you just once for one of your little tricks, I think it would teach you not to do anything of the sort for a long time.”
”Oh, I don't mean any harm, Bessie, and you know it, and when people really like you they don't get angry unless they think you're really trying to be mean. I say, Bessie, if you won't go over to the hotel, will you walk just a little way over to the other side, and see what that funny looking place is where those big wagons are all spread out?”
Bessie followed Dolly's pointing finger, and saw, on the side of Loon Pond opposite the hotel, several wagons, among which smoke was rising.
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