It was indeed an attractive group of girls who met on Saturday morning, dressed in their new Scout uniforms, with their packs strapped to their backs. Perhaps they felt a trifle self-conscious, but they had no need to be ashamed of their appearance, for their suits could not have fitted them more neatly if they had been made by a fashionable dressmaker.
As soon as they left the building, they formed in a line—two abreast—and swung along in step. Miss Phillips told them that when they left the village and struck the open country, they might sing as they marched.
“And that reminds me,” she said, “I want some Scout songs of our very own, and I happened to mention the matter to Miss Allen, and she offered a canteen as a prize for the best song submitted before June first. So get to work, girls. You needn’t attempt to write the music—unless you want to—but take some familiar tune and make up new words.”
The day was clear and just cold enough to make the walk bracing. The girls had gone to bed early the night before, and were in perfect trim for the hike. And they were very happy. They would be glad to welcome the new girls the following week, and make them their “Scout sisters”; but for the present they were content to enjoy this last intimate little adventure alone.
Miss Phillips had secured copies of the Nature Calendar of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences; and the girls had made a list of some of the February birds to look for. They had noted the characteristics of the hemlock, the spruce, and the red and white cedars, and were anxious to put their knowledge to a test.
Ruth and Ethel had been given two dollars from the treasury, with the instructions to purchase wholesome food. “We shall have our first lesson in out-door cooking,” Miss Phillips had said, “so be sure to buy something that we can cook over a camp fire. But don’t get anything like raw beans,” she had laughingly instructed them, “for they require twelve hours’ baking, and we don’t expect to make it an overnight hike this time!”
So Ruth and Ethel had done their purchasing, and had wrapped their articles into eight packages; they gave each girl a bundle to carry, but refused to tell what they had bought. And, of course, everybody tried to find out by feeling her package, but in most cases this failed to reveal the identity of the contents.
After ten minutes’ walk, the Scouts had left the town, and struck the woods. Miss Phillips blew a series of short whistles and called the girls together for instructions.
“We are going to lay a trail,” she said. “Frances, Ethel, Dorothy, and Ruth are to go ahead, and put down the signals; the rest of us will wait here ten minutes and then follow.
“Lay your trail until you come to a good place to make a fire and eat lunch. Choose a spot somewhere near good water, and be sure that you are well protected from the wind. If you can find a flat rock, so much the better; but be sure that the ground is dry.”