Supper was prepared amidst much confusion, which would also have to be remedied.
“‘Too many cooks spoil the broth,’” the camp leader quoted, “and I’ll arrange it so that those who know something about the business of getting up meals will have regular turns helping Jim at the job.”
“What about the greenhorns, sir?” asked Asa Gardner.
“For the moment they get off scot-free,” laughed Mr. Bartlett. “But they will have to act as scullions and wood-bearers to the cook. That’s the penalty for ignorance. The one who understands things always gets to the top of the heap, and the one who doesn’t know beans, except when he tastes them, has to do the drudgery in this world. So if you’re wise, Asa, hang around when the meals are being prepared and pick up all the information you can.”
“I certainly mean to, sir. And I want to say right now that I’ve eaten twice as much supper as I would have done at home. It was just bully!”
“Oh! you’ve come by your camp appetite in a hurry it seems,” laughed Dick.
They sat around for a long time afterwards, chatting, and singing some of their school songs. For the first evening Mr. Bartlett meant to be easy with the campers, he told them. The real discipline would begin in the morning.
It was a novel experience for some of the lads who had never camped out before. The fretting of the water along the shore; the mysterious murmur of the soft wind through the tops of the pines and hemlocks; the cries of certain night birds, such as an owl and a heron and a hawk, foraging for food; gave them an excuse for looking half fearfully around at times, and wondering if the darkness were peopled with all manner of strange creatures. And the boys had not forgotten Mr. Nocker’s remarks about watching out for a thief.
“What did he mean by looking out for a thief?” asked Leslie.
“I don’t know,” answered Peg. “Maybe we’ll find out some day.” And they did—as we shall learn later.