Dirk stared at the friendly face of the leader, and at Brick Ryan’s happy grin. It must be the most wonderful adventure in the world, the Long Trail. But next season—that was a long time to wait!
CHAPTER X
OFF FOR CAMP SHAWNEE
“Come in!” called the Chief, looking up from the papers on his desk. “Oh, hello, Dirk! Sit down and tell me what’s on your mind.”
Dirk Van Horn carefully closed the door of the little office, and faced the genial camp director.
“If you aren’t too busy, sir, I’d like to ask you something.”
“Never too busy to talk to campers! But it’s a fact that I haven’t seen very much of you, Dirk, since your folks brought you up here to Lenape. Of course”—the Chief smiled slightly—“I’ve heard reports of your doings, now and then. How do you like Lenape so far?”
The boy looked at the man ruefully. “I’m beginning to wonder,” he said, “if you shouldn’t ask how Lenape likes me!”
“You’ve learned a lot, if you know that, Dirk.”
“I have learned a lot. I’ve only been here a few days, Chief, but even I can see that I have been an utter chump, all along. It’s taken me a long time to get things straight, and I’m still pretty green, I guess. But from now on, I want to tell you I’m trying to be a real camper!”
The Chief leaned back in his chair, and rubbed his chin reflectively. “You seem to be in the right frame of mind to do it, Dirk. We leaders can help some, but unless a boy learns these things from other boys and by thinking about them himself, we can’t do very much. But I know,” he went on, “that you didn’t come here this morning just to tell me you want to be a true Lenape camper. What’s on your mind?”