“We are on our way to meet Uncle Elk, as I believe you call him,” added the physician; “he should drop in on us but, as has been said, we can afford to waive ceremony when in the backwoods. Mrs. Spellman has never seen him—nor have I for that matter—and we want to make his acquaintance.”
“You will find him one of nature’s noblemen; we are likely to see him here at any time.”
The leader looked toward the margin of the woods, as if he expected the coming of their Instructor in Woodcraft, but he did not appear. The mother gave a few words of advice to her child, who did not seem to hear or at least to understand one of them, and then was assisted into the canoe, followed by her husband and the couple took their departure, heading eastward.
Before leaving, the physician repeated his proffer of services should any of the party find himself in need of them. The Scouts cheered him and his wife as they glided along the shore of the lake, the daughter withdrawing her attention from her new friends long enough to blow kisses to her parents.
Cousin Mike naturally took charge of Sunbeam, who as naturally gave herself over to his care, although the others postponed their departure to their fields of exploration and amusement for the sake of enjoying her company for the time.
When Corporal George Robe came forward to speak to the child, Mike waved him off.
“Howld on, me bye; ye haven’t been properly inthrodooced to the young leddy, who is Queen of Gosling Lake.”
The good-natured corporal looked inquiringly into the grave face of the guardian.
“If ye hev no objection, Sunbeam,” said Mike, in his loftiest manner, “I take the liberty of presinting Corporal Robe of the Wolf Patrol to yer leddyship. He isn’t half as purty as he thinks he is, which is the difference between him and mesilf.”
The smiling corporal offered his hand to Ruth, who looked shyly up at him and startled every one by the abrupt question: “Can you stand on your head?”