She stood still trying to make up her mind when suddenly she saw a flicker of flame ahead. She walked on a few paces and then stopped. A short distance away she saw two figures bending over a camp fire, then she discovered the outlines of a small building. A habitation at last, though it appeared to be only a rough log cabin. “If there are women there it will be all right,” she told herself.
She crept closer, and stealthily regarded the two figures. Presently one of them stood erect and she saw that he wore the uniform of a Boy Scout!
With a little cry of joy she ran forward calling, “Boys! Boys!”
The boys quickly turned, to be astonished by the apparition of a slim girl in a blue serge frock and sweater, a basket of flowers on her arm, her hair dishevelled, her hands stained. “Ye gods and little fishes!” exclaimed one of the boys.
The other one regarded her closely as she came nearer, then rushing toward her with outstretched hands he cried, “By the living Jingo, if it isn’t Joanne Selden!”
“Bob! Bob Marriott! how in the world did you get here?” said Joanne half laughing, half crying.
“How did you get here? That’s more to the point,” said Bob, shaking her hands vigorously.
“I lost my way,” admitted Joanne. “I don’t see how I did it, but I mistook east for west and didn’t discover my mistake till the stars came out.”
“But where did you start from? I thought you were in Washington.”
“I was this morning. I came up with Cousin Ned Pattison and his wife. Cousin Sue and I went off to gather arbutus and I got separated from her. Cousin Ned’s farm is somewhere hereabouts. In my present state of mind I can’t tell you where, but it is where I should be this minute and where I must be as soon as I can get there. They’ll be worried to death, and probably are scouring the woods for me by now.”