Read Ebook: The Girl Scouts' Canoe Trip by Lavell Edith

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Ebook has 1603 lines and 55919 words, and 33 pages

"Now--to get back to the subject in question. Suppose we all sit down here. The ground's dry enough, isn't it, Michael?"

"Dry enough for anybody what hasn't got the rheumatiz."

"All right!" laughed Miss Phillips. "Then I guess we'll take a chance."

The happy party seated themselves upon the ground which was well covered with pine needles and dry leaves. Here and there they found patches of moss, but it seemed dry enough not to cause them to avoid it. Miss Phillips began all over again.

"As you have guessed," she said, "we are going down the Silver Creek. I am allowing two weeks for the trip, although it may take us longer. As far as I know there is only one portage."

"What's a portage, Captain?" asked Lily.

"Lily Andrews! And you a Latin student. Didn't you ever hear the word 'porto'?"

Lily blushed; of course she remembered now. It was one of the first verbs in the grammar: "porto, portare--to carry."

"There is this one place where the stream is very rapid and filled with dangerous rocks, so we shall have to carry our canoes about a hundred yards," explained Miss Phillips.

"Frieda knows all about how to do that," remarked Ruth, significantly.

The girl flushed, and Marjorie gave Ruth a cutting look. Evidently the flags of war were to be hoisted again.

"Is that the dangerous spot Michael was talking about?" she asked, in order to hide Frieda's embarrassment at Ruth's reference to her runaway escapade in the stolen canoe.

"I suppose so," replied Miss Phillips. "It can be done in a canoe, but I prefer the safer way."

"Oh, Captain, aren't we to have any adventure at all?" sulked Ruth. "You know, if there isn't some naturally, we may provide it for ourselves; and then maybe you'd be sorry!"

"Except Marjorie," put in Ruth.

"No, even including Marjorie; for she has never been on a long trip. And it will all be very new to you. Then, at the end of the trip, we shall reach Silvertown, and spend a week there. On Wednesday of that week there will be a canoe meet--races, righting canoes, etc.; and our benefactor will award a silver cup."

The girls scarcely took in their captain's words. Had they really heard her aright--or could there be another place by the same name as Silvertown? Ruth jumped up excitedly.

"It's not only possible, but a decided fact. The cottage is all in readiness!"

"But Captain, that's one of the most fashionable resorts in the country! Why, I've heard that it costs hundreds of dollars a day to live there!"

"It does cost a good deal, Ruth," admitted Miss Phillips, still noncommittal.

"And to get a summer house takes thousands--they're so in demand, and the place is so small."

"Very true."

Ruth stamped her foot impatiently, and even the other girls grew a little exasperated. Miss Phillips seemed really mean to tease them so.

"How could we--the humble members of Pansy troop, Girl Scouts--ever dare to hold a canoe-meet on their priceless lake?" asked Ethel Todd.

"Well, we're going to; that's all I can say," replied their captain. "And now, you all understand, I am sure, how much we want to become expert canoeists and bring credit to the troop. So, all during the trip we want to practice as we go along, until the summer guests at Silvertown think we are regular Indians.

"Of course, Girl Scouts will be an entirely new thing to these people; but they are all interested in boating, and horseback riding, and all sorts of athletics; so there is no reason why they should not look favorably upon us. I have heard, too, that they give a great carnival in the interests of charity each year, and it is possible that the winner of the silver cup may receive an invitation to take part in that. But that, of course, is only conjecture!"

"Ye Gods!" breathed Ruth, in awe. "Adopted by that bunch; your social position would be assured for life!"

Ruth looked daggers at Marjorie; the latter had sent her a return blow in answer to her knock of a few minutes before at Frieda. But she was not cowed; it would take more than that to defeat Ruth Henry. Instead, she made a mental note of Marjorie's irony, and resolved that she would make her pay later.

"The next thing, I think, is the choosing of canoe-mates. You all know that we shall have two persons to each canoe--one in the stern who steers and does the hardest work, and one in the bow who watches for rocks ahead and also paddles.

"Now would you rather draw lots to see which girls go together, or would you rather select your own partners? It is immaterial to me, so long as everyone is satisfied."

"Oh, let's draw lots," said Frances, carelessly.

"I don't agree with you," put in Ruth. "We not only travel with the girl, but we occupy the tent with her, don't we, Captain?"

"Yes, except that I will have a tent of my own, and Frieda, who as cook will have more equipment than the rest of you, will sleep by herself. And Frieda and I will travel in the same canoe, but the rest of you girls--the eight of you--will have four canoes and four tents."

"Then let us choose our own canoe-mates!" pleaded Ruth.

"But who would have first choice?" questioned Marjorie.

"Draw lots!"

"All right--as you wish," agreed Miss Phillips, producing a tiny note-book from which she tore out several pages.

On separate slips she placed numbers from one to eight, requesting the girls to draw at random. With her usual good luck, Ruth Henry drew number one; while Marjorie Wilkinson discovered that her paper read "eight."

"I want Lily Andrews!" announced Ruth, triumphantly, to the consternation of the girl mentioned.

"Are you satisfied, Lily?" asked the captain.

Lily hesitated a moment, and glanced shyly at Marjorie. But her chum smiled back at her frankly, and Lily knew that she did not mind.

"Perfectly," replied Lily.

Frances Wright, who held number two, chose Ethel Todd; and Doris Sands selected Marjorie. This meant, of course, that the two freshmen, or rather sophomores, as they now were--Alice Endicott and Florence Evans, should be together.

"You can decide among yourselves which is to be stern man," concluded the captain; "or you may even alternate, if you wish. Now suppose we man our canoes, just as we have decided to travel, and practice a little bit."

A trifle stiff from sitting on the ground, the girls jumped up eagerly, glad of the opportunity for action. Miss Phillips obtained the paddles from Michael, and the girls began to turn the canoes right-side up.

"Why, they haven't any names!" exclaimed Marjorie, in surprise.

"No," replied Miss Phillips; "I forgot to tell you that you are to name them yourselves, and if you will write and tell me your decisions, I will have them painted on the edges before we start on our trip."

Alice clapped her hands joyfully. It would seem so much more like their own canoes if they chose the names, she thought. And all of the others immediately expressed their approval of the plan.

"And now for the paddling," said Miss Phillips, after the girls had pushed their canoes from the shore, and were drifting along rather aimlessly. "Put your shoulders and body into it--then your arms won't get tired. And, above all, don't reach far ahead into the water, or dip too deep. For those are the signs of a novice.

"Both girls watch cautiously for rocks, and rapids, and tree-trunks; but always let the girl in the stern do the steering. Remember--she is the boss, the captain of the boat, as it were. Finally, don't paddle in deep, fierce water--keep away from it. And be sure to keep out of eddies. Now suppose we all paddle down stream for half a mile or so and I will watch your motions and give you directions. Of course we cannot become experienced canoeists all at once."

The canoes shot ahead, following the direction indicated by the captain. After a short distance the stream became narrower and swifter. Tall banks on either side, covered with trees whose trunks bent toward the water, almost obscured the sun and the sky from view. The girls were enchanted with the beauty of the scene and the joy of the new experience. For some minutes they were too deeply impressed to speak. And although Miss Phillips noticed some very awkward strokes, she had too much tact to spoil the spell of the scene by criticism. That could very well wait.

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