“Yes,” admitted Margery. She already had taken some peppermint drops that Miss Elting had administered. After a further rest the girls assisted her to her feet and walked her slowly up and down the road. She was then permitted to sit down and rest again. Tommy, an expression of concern on her impish face, crouched before the now pale-faced Buster, munching a hard biscuit.
“Come, girls,” said Miss Elting finally. “It is nearly five o’clock. We were to meet Jane at five, and we must have a good two hours’ walk ahead of us still. Now that Margery is feeling so ill we shall not be able to make nearly as good time as that. I wonder if we hadn’t better find the highway and finish the day’s tramp on that?”
Margery protested that they must not change their plans on her account. She declared that she could walk as well as any of them.
“Margery will repent her rash assertions before she has gone a mile,” laughed Hazel.
“No. I think she will be all right, now,” replied the guardian. “Margery, if you find that you are feeling worse, at any time, you must be sure to tell me at once. Now, girls, march!”
The little company plodded along. Harriet linked one arm within Margery’s. The latter, while feeling much improved, was still a little weak and Harriet Burrell’s sturdy arm was appreciated.
About six o’clock they came to a long hill that sloped gently down into a valley. The greater part of the valley was covered with trees. It appeared to be a dense forest of second growth, the trees not being very large. The guardian consulted the map.
“Yes. We are on the right trail. We must keep straight on through the woods. According to this map there should be a trail that leads directly to the other side of the valley, and when we reach that point we shall have finished our day’s journey.”
“I am afraid we are going to be caught in the dark, Miss Elting,” said Harriet.
“If we find the trail we do not need to worry about that. We can’t very well go astray. I would suggest that, when we get down farther into the valley, we spread out and look for the wood trail. The one who first discovers it will shout. By taking this open formation we shall be saving time. It certainly seems to me that the distance to be covered to-day is more than ten miles.”