I agree with you there, Joan, said Julie.
Then we are pleased with my plan to ride out and inspect the old campsite on Saturday, eh? ventured Mrs. Vernon.
Yes, indeed! chorused four voices; even Ruth agreed with her friends about this week-end outing.
By Saturday the girls had paid for the tent and outfit bought of the man, and had nineteen dollars left for expenses at a camp that summer. They were at Headquarters (they named the tent on the back-lawn Dandelion Headquarters) an hour before the time decided upon for the early start to the mountains. But it was as Julie said:
Better too early than too late!
Mrs. Vernon was giving last instructions about packing a luncheon to take with them, then she came out and joined her Patrol.
What do you think, Verny? Eliza said she would bake us a crockful of ginger-snaps and cookies every week this summer, and send them to camp for us, because we would not be home to eat.
How are you going to get them? I asked mother about the campsite and she said it was three
or four miles from any village, said Ruth, this being the first inkling she had given that she had inquired about the camp.
Why Rural Delivery will leave it for us, Daddy said, replied Julie.
And my mother said I could make fudge to sell to my family and friends. She would give me the sugar and chocolate. Father ordered two pounds then and there so that makes a dollar more that I shall have earned before next week, said Joan.
I can make good fudge, too. Ill ask May if I may sell it! exclaimed Julie.
Our waitress left last night, and mother said she would pay me a quarter a night if I would wash the dishes. But I hate doing dishes. The greasy water gets all over your hands and then they smell so! said Ruth, not willing to be left out of this working-community.
Did you do them? eagerly asked the girls.
Of course not! I didnt want to feel all warm and sticky for the rest of the evening. Besides, I manicured my nails so nicely just before dinner.
Dear me! I wish your mother would let me do them for a quarter a night! sighed Betty, anxiously.
Even if she did, would you give that money to the Patrol? wondered Ruth, doubtfully.
Sure! Arent we all earning for the general good?
Well, Ill ask mother if shell let you do them, replied Ruth, magnanimously. She actually felt that she was bestowing a favor on Betty by allowing her to wash her dishes and donate the earnings to the camp-fund.
CHAPTER THREE THE OLD CAMPSITE
When all was ready, the merry party started off with Mr. Vernon wishing them a good time. They were soon outside of town limits, and skimming over a good hard country road. Then Mrs. Vernon drove slower and spoke of the place they were bound for.
Of course you know, girls, that it is not necessary for you to select this site if you do not like it. I am merely driving you there because it seems to meet with our present needs for a camp-life. We still have other places we can investigate, as there is a pyramid of catalogues on the table in the tent.
But every one of those camping places will cost us so much money to reach, and that wont leave us anything for board, said Joan.
Father told us last night that he always wanted to get a crowd of the boys to go with him to that camp you all made when you were girls. But his chums wanted to go so far away that they never got anywhere to camp in the end, said Betty.
Yes, and he said he wished he could have his boyhood over again. Then hed spend his vacations in camp even if it was near home, added Julie.
Mrs. Vernon smiled. I remember how jealous a few of the boys were when they heard us talk of the fun we had in camp. Bettys mother was so sorry for them that she invited them to visit the camp now and then. Betty takes after her mother for having a great heart.
Maybe we can invite our folks to visit us, too, said Julie, eagerly.
So we can if they will come and bring supplies, said Ruth.
Every one laughed at this suggestion, and Ruth added: Well, we cant afford to pay for visitors, can we? I wont be surprised to find that we shall have to break camp and return home in a months time, just for lack of funds to go on with the experiment.
We wont do even that if we have to chop cord wood to pay our way, laughed Mrs. Vernon.
Are there big trees on the mountain, Verny? asked Betty.
We girls thought it a great forest in those days. To us it seemed as if the trees were giants but we had not seen the Redwoods of California then, Mrs. Vernon chuckled as she spoke.
What do you call it now? asked Joan.
This ridge has no individual name that I know of, but the range is an extension of those known by the name of Blue Mountains. The place I have in mind is one of the prettiest spots on this particular spur of hills. You will find forest trees, streams, pools for bathing, softest moss for carpets, flowers for study, wild woodland paths for hikes in fact everything to rejoice a nature-lovers heart.
Dear me, cant you speed up a little? asked Julie.
No, dont, Verny well land in jail if you go faster! exclaimed Ruth.