“Yes. But the boys don’t deserve it. However, so long as we are going to win the race we can afford to treat them well,” teased Jane.
The captain smiled a superior smile.
“We could have gone right on to the end of the route to-day without stopping, if we had wished to do so. But we didn’t want to take an unfair advantage of you.”
“Oh, no. You boys never do take an unfair advantage, do you?” chuckled Crazy Jane. Miss Elting gave her a warning glance. The captain did not observe it.
“Give them another tune, boys,” George ordered.
“First please extinguish those cat-tail torches,” requested Harriet. “You will set the woods on fire, if you are not careful. Everything is so dry now that a fire would start very easily.”
The torches were ground out under foot, after which the Tramp Club played “Home Sweet Home” on the harmonicas. At a nod from the guardian the girls got out their combs and joined in the tune. The woodland inhabitants probably never had heard a concert like this. It sent the birds hopping from limb to limb in great alarm. Fortunately there were no neighbors near at hand, so only the inhabitants of the forest were disturbed.
Jane that day had purchased a large chocolate cake at a baker shop in the village. She brought this out then disappeared into the tent, emerging a few minutes later with a pail of fruit lemonade, while Hazel, who had accompanied Jane, followed her, bearing cups and glasses. Miss Elting busied herself with cutting the cake and Harriet served the lemonade.
“Well, boys, here’s to the candy we’re going to have when we get to our journey’s end,” teased Jane McCarthy, raising her glass of lemonade.
“And here,” returned the captain, raising his glass with a flourish, “is to those beautiful handkerchiefs that we’re going to wear next to our hearts for years and years to come.”