Part 20 (1/2)
Tommy twisted her face out of shape and blinked solemnly at Margery, whose chin was in the air. They were all hurrying now, for their morning bath had given them keen appet.i.tes. Miss Elting was first to be ready, then Harriet, but they waited until their companions were dressed and ready to go.
”The Indian lope to the breakfast tent,” announced Miss Elting.
”Forward, go!”
The girls started off at an easy though not particularly graceful lope, the guardian and the Torch Bearer setting the pace for the rest.
They arrived at the cook tent with faces flushed and eyes sparkling, with a few moments to spare before the moment for marching in arrived.
The Chief Guardian smiled approvingly.
”Sleeping out on the bay appears to agree with you girls,” she said.
”I have no need to ask if you slept well.”
”Harriet is the restless one,” answered Jane.
Harriet flushed in spite of her self-control; but no special significance was attached to Jane's remark, for it was seldom that she was taken seriously.
Harriet, after recovering from her momentary confusion, chuckled and laughed, very much amused over what had made no impression at all on her companions.
”I shall ask some of our craftswomen here to build beds for the cabin,” announced the Chief Guardian, as they were sitting down.
”It is not necessary,” replied Miss Elting. ”Our girls prefer the bough beds, which they will build during the day.”
”And what will our new Torch Bearer do to amuse herself after the regular duties of the day are done?” questioned Mrs. Livingston. ”Will she take her group for a swim in the Atlantic?”
”Yeth, Harriet and mythelf are going to try to thwim acroth thith afternoon,” Grace informed them.
”Swim across the Atlantic? Mercy me!” answered Mrs. Livingston laughingly. ”That would indeed be an achievement.”
”I beg your pardon, but I didn't thay 'acroth the othean'; I meant to thwim acroth the pond down in the cove yonder. Harriet could thwim acroth the othean if she withhed to, though,” added Tommy.
”You surely have a loyal champion, Miss Burrell,” called one of the guardians from the far end of the table. ”Still, we have not heard what you are going to do to-day. I am quite sure it will be something worth while?”
”I have about made up my mind to go out in search of buried treasure,”
answered Harriet, with mock gravity. They laughed heartily at this.
Jane regarded her narrowly.
”I wonder what Harriet has in her little head now?” she said under her breath.
”Why, what do you mean?” asked the Chief Guardian. ”Buried treasure along this little strip of coast? Perhaps, however, you may mean out on the Shoal Islands.”
”No, Mrs. Livingston. Right here in Camp Wau-Wau there is buried treasure. I don't know whether it is worth anything or not, but there is a buried treasure here.”
The girls uttered exclamations of amazement, for they saw that their new Torch Bearer was in earnest, that she meant every word she had uttered about the treasure.
”Now, isn't that perfectly remarkable?” breathed Margery.
”Oh, do tell us about it?” cried the girls.