"Not at teas and on shopping expeditions!" laughed Miss Phillips; and the girls smiled at the idea of dainty Doris Sands decorated with such a deadly weapon on her person. A bunch of violets seemed more appropriate for her adornment.
Mr. Remington asked the girls to pay close attention while he explained the general rules and precautions in the use of the axe. At intervals during his talk, he called for demonstrations, first by Jack and then by Dick, until all the important points had been emphasized.
"And now for volunteers!" he called, when his brief discourse was finished.
Ruth Henry stepped forward bravely.
"It's pretty sharp," said Jack, handing the axe to her carefully.
Ruth picked it up, and lifted it boldly to her shoulder. Keeping her eye on a certain spot in the log at which Mr. Remington directed her to aim, she swung the axe too quickly. Her effort was good, but her grasp not sufficiently tight; the tool slipped from her hand and fell swiftly to the ground, missing her foot by only an inch or two.
"Ruth! Do be careful!" shrieked Doris. "Oh, I know we'll kill ourselves!"
"No, you won't," said Mr. Remington, reassuringly. "Now, rest a minute, and then try again."
This time, although she wielded the axe awkwardly, she managed to hit her mark.
All that afternoon the Girl Scouts resolutely stuck to their task, until their hands became sore and blistered, and their shoulders ached from the exercise. Finally, Mr. Remington called to them to stop, complimenting them upon their perseverance.