At last all hands began making preparations for bed. Folding cots were opened and made up, fresh fuel was heaped on the campfire, then Harriet and Miss Elting made a round of the camp to see that all was in shape for the night. Jane lighted the big headlights on her car, turning them on the darkest part of the camp, after which they drew the flap to the tent and began preparing for bed. Half an hour later the camp was silent, save for the occasional crackling of the fire. All the dead leaves and inflammable stuff had been raked away and the ground dug up immediately about the fire to prevent it from spreading. The moon now silvered the landscape, and a faint mist was rising from about the Willow Ponds, adding to the beauty of the night.
Midnight came, then the silence became more marked than before. About one o’clock in the morning two men might have been observed skulking about the farther side of the pond nearest to the camp. They took care not to come within range of the headlights of Crazy Jane’s motor car. Had one looked closely at them the men might have been recognized as the same pair that had visited the camp with the bear earlier in the evening. What their purpose was in returning could only be surmised.
It might be revenge or robbery. In either event it was bad enough, and the Meadow-Brook Girls, sleeping soundly, were blissfully unconscious of the danger that menaced them. Their faith in Harriet Burrell’s burglar alarm permitted them to sleep without fear.
All at once there was a mighty crash in the tent. As Tommy Thompson described it afterwards, “it thounded ath if lightning had thtruck a tin thhop.” The tin pail and the other kitchen utensils that had been hung on the long sticks in the tent came down with a clatter and a bang. The tin pail rolled clear across the tent, landed on Margery Brown, bringing from her a scream of terror.
“Quick! Put on your bathrobes!” called Miss Elting. “There is trouble here.”
No need to tell them that. The tin pail already had conveyed this information to the Meadow-Brook Girls.
“Oh, thave me!” wailed Tommy.
Harriet was the first one to run outside the tent.
“There they are!” she cried, having caught sight of two skulking figures near the automobile. “It’s the same Italians. Let’s call for help as loudly as we can. Perhaps that will make them take to their heels.”
It had the desired effect. Seeing that the camp was fully aroused the intruders fled. Then a daring plan suggested itself to Crazy Jane McCarthy. Leaving her companions she started on a run for her car.