“Of course not. You didn’t know that you were entertaining an angel unawares; did you?”
Natalie was continuing her story.
“Reuben answered me, after a bit,” she said. “I was never so glad to see any one in all my whole life as I was to see Reuben. I’ll never forget his kindness.”
“’Twasn’t nothin’!” he protested.
“Yes, it was!” insisted Natalie. “He came in, helped me to get up, and then, by leaning on his shoulder, I managed to get down to the lake. He had his boat there, and I got in that, as I thought I could rest better than in the canoe.”
“We towed that back,” put in Reuben. “I tied it down on shore.”
“And so here I am,” resumed Natalie. “Oh, I do hope I’m not going to be laid up.”
“If those boys will leave I’ll attend to your sprain,” said Mrs. Bonnell significantly, and the young men took the hint and left. With the application of cloths alternately wrung out of hot and cold water, Natalie’s ankle was soon much easier. It was not a bad sprain, as sprains go, and the Guardian assured her she would be out again in a couple of days.
Then Natalie had to tell the story all over again, with repetitions of certain parts, while, on their own behalf, the Camp Fire Girls related how they had instituted one search, and were about to start another when the missing one came back.
As for the boys they could be heard discussing the affair in loud voices as the two parties went to their several camps.