“Was the demonstration satisfactory?” she questioned.
“I should say it was,” answered Margery. “It nearly scared me out of my wits.”
“I suppose we shall have to mend the string now. The farmer’s big boots broke it in two places. However, we needn’t worry about any person getting into this camp to-night without giving us warning of his approach,” said Harriet. She repaired the broken “burglar alarm,” then returning to the tent adjusted the sticks and the pail, placing several other pieces of tinware with it. The girls then gathered about the campfire, where they chatted, told stories and exchanged experiences until a late hour.
Harriet got out the map just before they retired. After consulting with Miss Elting for some time, it was decided that they should take a short cut across a rugged country, using their compass to guide them, meeting Jane some twelve miles further on. She would have to drive more than twenty miles to make the point. The girls did not enjoy the highways very much. In the first place, the roads were dusty; many curious people were to be met with on the roads; then again they thoroughly enjoyed breaking new paths through the forests and over fields and hills. Now that all the crops had been garnered there was no danger of doing damage to the farmers’ fields by tramping across them. Jane was instructed to wait for them after driving into the next town for fresh supplies.
“It’s curious that we don’t run across any melon fields. The first one I catch sight of I’m going to raid,” she declared.
“No, Jane, you mustn’t do that,” objected the guardian. “What we get we must pay for.”
“Certainly,” agreed Jane. “But there isn’t any sport in just walking up and paying for melons. It’s a heap more fun to forage for them.”
“But, Jane, think what it means to take an object of value that doesn’t belong to you. It is stealing!”
“That’s true. It surely is,” agreed Jane. “I won’t ever mention any such thing again.”
“Thank you,” returned Miss Elting with a smile that amply repaid Crazy Jane for her decision.