“I’ve never eaten around a camp fire,” said Lily. “It’s going to be such fun!”
“How will we know what signals to lay?” asked Ruth.
“I am going to tell you some of the simple ones: perhaps we shall learn those more difficult later on from the Boy Scouts. Has anybody a pen-knife?”
“I have, Captain,” said Marian, producing one.
“Will you lend it to Ethel? Now, Ethel, you can blaze a trail by cutting off a piece of bark from a tree along a path which you are following.
“But that is not to be the only signal. You can break a twig, and leave it hanging, or you can set a small stone on top of a larger one to mark the trail.
“Now for the turns—if you want us to follow the path to the right, put a long mark on the right of the tree trunk beneath the blaze; or bend your twig out straight to the right; or when you put your little stone on top of your big one, place another small stone beside them to the right—and, of course, vice versa for the left. Do you understand?”
“Yes, yes,” cried the girls.
“One thing more—has everybody matches in her knapsack?”
Fortunately everybody did have, for Miss Phillips had especially warned the girls to be provided with them.