The Meadow-Brook Girls Under Canvas; Or, Fun and Frolic in the Summer Camp

ds and her arms were pinioned at her sides. At first she did not know what to make of this sudden attack, then a warning whisper in a girlish voice brought understanding with it. Harriet

her feet. Her clothing, with the exception of her camp uniform, was handed her and she dressed as best she could under the

ful of discovery, one of the mysterious visitors hastily seized Tommy's clothing from her locker, another took charge of her bathrobe while four of

," thought Harriet

her division proceeded in the opposite direction with Harriet and after walking a short distance came to a halt. The ba

nto the mysteries of the tribe of W

those mysteries is. I don't know whether I a

uished and the hearth left in o

en

r upon thine arm it is meet that thou shouldst learn the touch of the en

ed a muffled ch

ening it is meet that thou shouldst now submit to the final test. Below thee is a pool, a pool

atter how deep, held no terrors for her. She was an expert swimmer. However, the nigh

he swimming honor?" ask

if that is wh

to thee in thy efforts to please them. But beware. The way is far a

At least I shall be no

t they had looked for her to do. It seemed to Harriet that she must have fallen many, many feet before she reached the water, which in reality was not more than three feet below the spot from which

ed from her first astonishment. "I hope you do not wish me to

u-Wau and found not wanting. A helping hand will meet t

d one of hers and assisted her to the bank. The girl felt herself enveloped once more in her b

the stream to where Harriet had been conducted. Wrapped in the folds of her bathrobe, the towel still

n for that branch of the initiation party. "What is the name

uirrel," was t

ittle maiden, thou shouldst prove thy prowess by climbi

mmy, in a threatening voic

othing. No ears will hear.

ould scream. She knew also that they were not very far from the camp becaus

tors have looked into her eyes they would have read t

rel climb?" dem

" she acquiesced, with surprisin

behind

d against the trunk of the tree, and the tow

th the help of the hazers clambered to the lower limb. In the intense darkness she was unable to see clearly anything about her. Feeling her way, cautiously

irlth. It ith

could afford to speak pleasantly to her captors for she was

oing to thhow you that you are. In a minute I'm

unning as perhaps they had never run before. Harriet was left standing alone on the bank of the stream. She was too startled at first to realize what the cries meant. All at once she discovered that the voice was Tommy's. But Harriet was considerably puzzled, for there was not t

her lofty position scratching her hands on the projections of the tree in her hasty descent. Suddenly she missed her footing. Her hands slipped from the limb to which she had been clinging, and she

l alarm was being sounded. Guardians clad in kimonos and bathrobes were running toward Tommy and the tree that was holding her prisoner. Camp Girls eager to dis

ly snatched from the fire as she ran along. Among the torch bearers were Patricia Scott and Cora

s voice than she sprang forward to go to her companion's assi

Grace, oh, Grace

er friend's voice, groped her way to the tree from which Grace was suspended, and a

, what is

a tree," w

't you c

t. I'm

mall tree trunk. "Some one is coming from the camp. I see the lights. This is too bad.

don't. I want to get

t and touch her companion. Perhaps suspecting something of the truth, Harri

sen this cord that holds you

l I fall?" q

e than six or seven feet from the ground. The groun

ttle girl "I want to thtay here. Don'

others get here. They

voice belonged to Miss Elting. It proved to belo

a plaintive voice f

hey gazed up at the limb of the tr

up there?" demanded Mrs. Livin

I am now, Mithith Livingth

think I shall be able to release her," c

iet gave her name. Then the Chief Guardian directed that Harriet should release the prisoner from her difficulty while several of the

op me?" questioned T

n't hurt you,"

t want

nd lowered Tommy into the arms of her friends. This Harriet did with one hand, clinging with the other to one of the lower limbs of the tree. As seve

er so strong?" exc

y as she is strong,"

ence she had requested the guardians to stand ready to break the smaller girl's fall. Aft

what you were doing in the tre

to assist m

here-how did she chan

ow. I was not there when she climbed the tree.

nough to hear the call before any of the others had hea

what were you do

hangin

p there? Did some

t up far enough tho they c

you?" questioned the C

taking a walk with through the

ston. It was a silent procession, except in the case of Grace,

be a day of reckoning. More than one girl in that party was shivering as though from the chill ni