"If it promises to be as fearsome as that," put in Gwen, "I advise you to forego it."
Just here a group of young people came upon the porch. Setting their lanterns outside they came in with a rush, bringing a breath of outside air. "We had such a time getting here," said Nellie Hardy. "Dolly is afraid of everything and suggested snakes at every step. We nearly fell into a great hole full of water, and we stumbled over hummocks. Our lantern went out, and if this rescuing party hadn't appeared we should still be groping around in the dark." She nodded to the others who had come with herself and sister.
"Nell is afraid of things herself," declared Dolly. "At least she is scared to death of cows. I wish you could have seen her yesterday standing on a pile of rocks waving her parasol at Cap'n Ben's cow and shouting: 'Go 'way, sir.'"
"I was a little scared, I admit," said Nell, after the laugh had subsided. "I can't bear creatures with horns, and the cow wouldn't budge."
"Of course not when she had found a nice tuft of clover," said Dolly. "I'm not scared in broad daylight, but in the dark one never knows what unknown terror is lurking."
"Would you be afraid to row over to Jagged Island?" asked Ethel.
"By myself? I simply couldn't, I'd give out before I was half way there."
"I mean with a man, of course."
"Depends upon the man," returned Dolly. "What are we going to do besides eat, Gwen?"
"We're going to write telegrams and play nice foolish childish games, and we shall wind up with ghost stories."