“Have we got them all?” questioned the young man.
“Yes, thank goodness,” answered Harriet.
“We are under great obligations to you, young gentlemen. We are in no condition to properly express our appreciation this evening. I hope we may have an opportunity to do so in the morning,” said Miss Elting.
“We are very glad to have been able to help you. We needed a little exercise,” laughed the young man. “Yes, we shall see you again, but we haven’t finished our work yet. What do you say? Shall we fix up some litters and carry the young ladies out?”
“I don’t know. We shall see in a few moments. Give them a chance to rest. They are completely exhausted.”
“Certainly. We fellows are going on ahead to examine this path. We'll return presently.”
The boys trudged off down the trail.
“We shan’t go far,” called back the leader, then strode off after his companions. Harriet and Miss Elting made the girls as comfortable and presentable as possible, though it was apparent that both girls and clothes needed a thorough scrubbing.
“I don’t know how we are going to reach camp,” pondered the guardian, while waiting for Grace, Margery and Hazel to rest.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” exclaimed Harriet; “Jane met these boys this afternoon. Two of them are acquaintances of hers. They are high school boys from the town of Proctor. Like ourselves they are out on a long tramp, and they are camped right near where we are to camp for the night. They assisted Jane to put up the camp and get everything in order. Then, when night came, Jane began to grow worried. She declared that something had happened to us. One of the boys wanted to know which way we were to come and Jane told them.”