Hiding, with a shame-faced expression in her eyes, Nita stood back of a tree near the supper. She advanced at the question.
"Your place is waiting, dear," added the Guide.
With an air of bravado, Nita sat down and began telling of a boy-cousin who had visited in the Rocky Mountains and had built a fire-place exactly like the one Miss Miller constructed.
The other girls seemed abashed at Nita's presence for a short time, but the Guide replied to the girl's hurried talk and soon the others were drawn into the general exchange of fun and story-telling.
"I'll wash the dishes," eagerly offered Nita, as the Guide rose to visit the fire and see if the water was boiling.
"All right, Nita, then the three girls who did double duty by going back and forth twice to Bill's can lay down on the moss and rest," assented Miss Miller, and that was all that was said to Nita about her habit of getting out of anything she was not inclined to do. The girls took their cue from the Guide and rolled over on the grass and watched.
"Elena, after the cloth is shaken fold it carefully in the right creases. That keeps it smooth and tidy. If it is folded regardless of ironed folds, it soon looks mussy and soiled. I will take charge of the left-overs from supper thank goodness there isn't much and Nita will wash and wipe the dishes."
The atmosphere of the camp resumed a serenity fully appreciated by all, for anger displayed by one made all wretched.
"Girls, we will try to get up at the hour we want to rise every morning this summer five o'clock. It is now seven-thirty. Whenever you are ready to retire say so and we will sing a camp-fire lullaby," said Miss Miller, as the girls sat about the dying fire too tired to talk.
"I'm ready for bed now," ventured Elena.
"I feel as stiff as anything! My back feels as if it would break!" added Hilda.
The Guide laughed. "That's from swimming. You'll soon get over it if you practice every day."
"I hope to goodness I can swim to-morrow. The way I feel now, I should say I couldn't move in the water!" laughed Elena.
Nita said nothing but she must have felt as lame as the other beginners; as all seemed to long for bed, Miss Miller rose and smothered the few red coals by covering them with dead grey ashes.
"Never leave a camp-fire with a spark of fire in it. At early dawn, or at least past midnight, fire always revives and, unless its flame has been choked by outside means, it flares up and consumes anything in its reach."
"Miss Miller, I wonder why it is that, without apparent fuel or fanning, fire will renew itself during the wee hours of the night!" exclaimed Zan.
"I never heard, but it is an interesting suggestion, Zan. We'll have Elena make a note of
that in her book so that we will remember to ask that question at Headquarters when we visit there."
"Do you ever expect to see them?" asked Hilda, meaning the officers of the Woodcraft Indians.
"Why, certainly! Don't you?" returned Miss Miller.
"I didn't know but that we'd be a nuisance. So many members call, I suppose," replied Hilda, with consideration.
"Hilda, that's very good of you. If every member was as thoughtful of the time of the Founders, how much better it would be."
No one stirred that night, for every one was healthily tired and repose was natural. Even Miss Miller set a small alarm clock to awake her at five, for she thought she might over-sleep during the cool hours of early morning.
At five, the ringing of the alarm awakened every one; while the girls yawned and wished it was midnight, the Guide jumped out of bed and looked at the wonderful appearance of Nature. Dew-drops sparkled in the rising sun, and the Falls sent forth a new note in its musical repertoire. Even the grey surface of rock seemed to be of warmer and softer material than it had been in the twilight.
"Girls! Up up up! The day is glorious!" called the Guide.
"So is the bed!" returned Hilda, yawning aloud.
"I just heard a crow laughing at you!" retorted Miss Miller.
"'He who laughs last laughs best,' I've heard said!" came from a smothered voice in Hilda's tent.
By this time the girls were thoroughly aroused and soon the talk consequent upon beginning a new day, came from the tents.
"Miss Miller, are you going to take a dip this morning before breakfast?" called Zan.
"No, I've already used the modern wash-basin by the creek," replied the Guide.
Nita and Elena came out and found Miss Miller brushing her hair before a tiny mirror that had been hung from a stump of a bough near her tent.
"Where's the basin you spoke of?" asked Hilda, also coming out.
"Over there by that laurel bush: I think it is Tennessee marble it is veined exactly like it," said the Guide.
The girls ran over laughingly and found a great round stone partly in the water, and in the top of the stone, a nicely hollowed place about the size of an ordinary wash-basin. At one side a tiny hollow made an admirable soap-dish.
"How did you get water into it?" cried Nita.
"You'll find a tomato can near the bush!" replied Miss Miller.