“Dead tired,” laughed Alice.
“Chee-ne-sagoo!”
“The breath of the pine tree calls me to slumber,” answered Natalie.
“Quite poetical,” complimented the voice of Blake Lathrop.
“And, last but not least, ‘Guardian-of-the-pretty-maidens’!” went on the voice calling the roll.
“Guilty!” answered Mrs. Bonnell, with a laugh. “Come on out, boys, and explain why you weren’t here when you were most needed. We came near never getting our tents up, because we forgot to put the poles under, and couldn’t understand why they toppled down.”
“That’s a good one!” cried Jack, as he and the others emerged from the shadows into the light of the first camp fire.
“Where were you?” demanded Alice of her brother.
“We went down to meet you,” he replied. “We couldn’t understand why you didn’t come. We waited until the last boat, and then gave you up.”
“And we here all the while!” cried Marie. “Oh, you boys! Didn’t I tell you we would come on the first afternoon boat?” she demanded of Jack.