“Throw your shoulders well back and inhale deeply!” she commanded. She then led Harriet slowly up and down the road for a few moments. Harriet’s heavy respirations soon moderated, and ten minutes later her breathing was almost normal.
“I think we had better wait here. Jane will be along looking for us if we do not get to our camping place by night. Do you feel exhausted?” asked Miss Elting.
“A little weak in the knees, that’s all,” answered Harriet. “I shall be ready to move in a few minutes. I don’t want to stay here. We must try to catch up with the boys.”
“No. I shall not allow it. Yon have done quite enough for one day—quite enough to tire out the strongest man. Do you really think you can stand it to walk slowly?”
“Of course I can,” answered Harriet brightly. “See, I still have some sprint left in me.” Harriet ran up and down the road, vaulting the fence on the opposite side of it.
“You have indeed,” laughed Miss Elting. It was the first laugh that had been heard in some time. “You are the most remarkable girl I’ve ever known, or ever shall know. Now we had better decide on which way we shall go. I think the shorter way will be to skirt the orchard and continue on across the fields. We shan’t try the orchard again.”
All the girls agreed with the guardian. They had had quite enough of that particular orchard. Following the road for a short distance they came to the adjoining field, which they entered and continued on their journey. The afternoon was now well advanced. Miss Elting had left a mark on the fence to inform Jane of their route, in case she should come back to look for them. This with the time of their passing would give Jane an idea when to expect them at the place stretched for the camp.
As they proceeded, Harriet’s strength returned to her. By the time they had walked two miles from the scene of their recent exciting experiences she had fully recovered from her recent exhaustion. Tommy, now that she had time to think about herself, was bewailing the loss of her skirt. She firmly declared she would not go to camp with only an underskirt on and announced her intention of sleeping out in the fields.
Six o’clock had arrived by the time they came out on the crest of a hill overlooking the valley in which they hoped to find Jane McCarthy and their camp. They scanned the valley eagerly.
“There’s our tent,” cried Hazel, pointing to a clump of trees to the left of them. No person was in sight, however. This they thought strange.