A Campfire Girl's First Council Fire / The Camp Fire Girls In the Woods

g the road, Bessie spied the la

"Cheer up, Zara. It won't be lo

before long they came to a small lake. On its far side, among the trees near the shore, a f

essie," said Zara, frightened

we are-here's the hut! See? Isn't it nice and comfortable? Hurry now and help me to pick up some of these branches of pine trees. They'll make a comfortable

tired to do anything else. It was long after midnight, and both had been through enough to exhaust them. The sense of peace and safety that they found in this refuge in the woods more than made up for the strangeness of their surr

ghing and singing merrily as they dried their hair. Looking over across the lake, in the direction of the fire she had seen the night before, Bessie saw that it was still burn

ot ready yet for the strangers to discover her. "Girls

the city and here on

with the brown hair pretty? And she's older th

girls. And did you hear what she called he

ter. That's the name of the girl that Hiawatha l

girl isn't an Indian. She's ever so much lighter than I

t's right enough. It must be so

ra had pointed out, had spied

s!" she cri

the girls suddenly broke out into a son

r aye, Woh

helo, Wohe

work, Wohel

elo, Wohelo

Bessie, who, frightened at first when she saw that she had been discovered, now returned the look shyly. T

d talk to us?" asked t

d the door of the cabin, loo

stranger. "We are Manasquan Camp Fire Girls, you know, an

'am," said Bessie,

un, isn't it? But you're not alone, are yo

and she's with me," said Bess

Girls, and the great movement they had begun, meant to do for American

anaka. "We'll take you over to camp in the canoes, and you can have dinner with us.

essie. "I'm awfully hungry-

t. But the thought of a real m

Why, haven't you had brea

she could not deceive this tall, slim girl, wi

e was overcome with the thought of how hard things were go

ot to come over with us and have something to eat, right away. Girls, launch the canoes! We

they did things. In a moment, as it seemed, the canoes were in the water, and Bessie and Zara had been taken into different boats. Then, at a word from Wanaka, the paddles rose and dipped into

e fire, and in less than a minute the savory odor of frying bacon and stea

that smell go

ie s

ing to taste even better than i

weren't used to that. They had always had to wait on others, and do things for other people; no one had ever done much for them. It was a new experience

no more, Wanaka came to her, gently, and took her by the hand. She seem

little talk, Bessie," she suggested. "I'm sur

in Wanaka she had found, by a lucky chance, a friend

s she led the way to t

the camp and wherever the Camp Fire Girls meet we often call one another by our ceremoni

me all about it, Bessie. Haven't you any parents? Or did they le

k and drudgery, and of Jake's persecution. Her eyes narrowed slightly as Bessie described the scene at the woodshed, and told

ou had set the shed on fire-and on pu

it," said Bessie. "I guess he didn't stop to think about what th

ed at her v

"You weren't bound to them-they didn't agree to keep you any len

said B

er you liked," said Wanaka, thoughtfully. "And tell me ab

you see. And when they took him off to prison Zara was left all alone. He used to stay around the cabin all the time, and Zara says he would work late at night and most of the day, too, making things she never saw. Then he'd go off for two or t

ge thought he was a counterf

er and Jake said. The

himself if he wants to, as long as he doesn't do anything that's wrong. But why didn't Zara stay? If her father was cle

s. I know she doesn't, because once or twice when they said she'd done that, she'd been in the woods with me, walking about

clear, frank eyes that never fell, no matter how Wanaka stared into them

and as if you hadn't had much chance," she sa

yes filled

sure they would never have left me that way. And I don't believe what Maw Hoover was a

serve them. You heard us singing the Wohelo cheer when we first saw you. Wohelo means work, and health, and love. You see, it's a word we made up by taking the first two letters of each of tho

er where we are; or Farm

. But you'd rather have me find out from others, too, I'm sure. You see, it would be very wrong for us to help girls to run away from home.