Part 10 (1/2)

To be awakened early in the morning by the songs of birds and innumerable woodland sounds, and find one's self in the very center of a forest, is no common experience. To the girls, as they looked up through the leafy canopies, and then across the green aisles formed by trees that looked as if they might have stood there since the beginning of time-it was all very wonderful.

”How beautiful this is!” exclaimed each one, as she opened her eyes upon the wooded scene.

”Girls,” cried Ruth, ”I wouldn't have missed this for worlds! No wonder Zerlina hates to live in a house in the summer time. Isn't this fun?

Shall we go over there and wash our faces in that little brook!”

Off they scampered, a curious procession for the deep woods, each with a burden of toilet articles, soaps and sponges, wash rags, mirrors and brushes.

”Well,” exclaimed Miss Sallie Stuart as she knelt beside the stream and dipped her hands into its cool depths, ”I never expected to come to this; but it is very refres.h.i.+ng, nevertheless.”

”This is Nature's bathtub, auntie, dear. We should be thankful to have it so near. I suppose that is the reason the Gypsies chose this spot to camp in,” said Ruth.

”My dear child,” replied her aunt, ”I know very little about the Gypsy race; but I do know one thing: that a Gypsy never took advantage of any kind of a bathtub, wooden, tin, porcelain or Nature's.”

The girls all laughed joyously.

The fright of the day before had not left a very deep impression. Sleep and a feeling of safety had almost effaced it.

Presently they were back at the tent making tea and boiling eggs supplied by Granny Ann from the Gypsy larder. Ruth wanted to build a fire, but they decided that the ground was too dry to risk it. The Gypsies had dug a small trench all around their camp fire. If they had not, those splendid old woods would have been in serious danger of burning, explained Barbara, who had been reading a great deal in the papers about forest fires.

It was arranged, after breakfast, that one of the men should ride over with a note to Major Ten Eyck's, asking the major to send for them at once, and also to dispatch his chauffeur to mend the slashed tires.

The Gypsy camp had been astir long before the automobilists arose, and the men were now sitting at their ease around the clearing, smoking silently, while Granny Ann and two other women were moving about the tents, ”cleaning up,” as Ruth expressed it.

”They have a lovely chance to learn housework,” said Grace. ”But they do seem to air their bedclothes. Look at all those red comforts hanging on the bushes.”

”It's easier to air them than to make up the beds,” observed Mollie.

”All you have to do in the morning, is to hang your blanket on a hickory limb, and when you go to bed, s.n.a.t.c.h it off the limb and wrap up in it for the night.”

”Do you suppose they sleep in their clothes?” pondered Barbara.

”Why, of course they do,” replied Ruth. ”You don't for a moment imagine they would ever go to the trouble of undressing, only to dress again in the morning?”

”Girls, girls,” remonstrated Miss Sallie, ”we must not forget that we are accepting their hospitality. Besides, here comes that young woman with the voice.”

”Let's take Zerlina as a guide, and go for a walk,” cried Ruth. ”I'm so full of life and spirits this morning that I couldn't possibly sit down like those lazy men over there, who seem to have nothing to do but smoke and talk. Auntie, dear, will you go, or shall we fix you a comfortable seat with the cus.h.i.+ons under this tree and leave you to read your book?”

”I certainly have no idea of going for a walk,” replied Miss Stuart, ”after what I've been through with these last two days. Nor do I want you to go far, either, or I shall be terribly uneasy.”

But Miss Sallie was not really uneasy. It was one of those enchanting mornings when the mind is not troubled with unpleasant feelings. Perhaps the Gypsies had bewitched her. At any rate she sat back comfortably among the cus.h.i.+ons and rugs, with her writing tablet, the new magazines and the latest novel all close at hand, and watched the girls until they disappeared down the leafy aisles of the forest. How charming their voices sounded in the distance! How sweet was the sound of their young laughter! Miss Stuart closed her eyes contentedly. The spell of the place was upon her, and she fell asleep before she had opened a single magazine or cut one leaf of the new novel.

In the meantime, the four girls, led by Zerlina and her dog, were following the little stream in its capricious windings through the forest.

A squirrel darted in front of them with a flash of gray and jumped to the limb of a tree.

Zerlina made a sign for the girls to be silent. Then speaking to her dog in her own language, he sat down immediately on his haunches and never moved a muscle until she spoke to him again. She walked slowly toward the tree, where the squirrel sat watching them uneasily. A few feet off she paused and gave a shrill, peculiar whistle. The squirrel p.r.i.c.ked up his ears and c.o.c.ked his head on one side. Zerlina whistled again and held out her hand. The charm was complete. Down the limb he crept until he reached the ground, paused again, surveyed the scene with his little black eyes, and with one leap, settled himself on her shoulder.

”Oh!” cried the impulsive Ruth and the spell was broken.