“Oh, keep quiet!” growled George Baker. “I’ll trounce you if you keep on. Are you going to take that thing away?”
“Not until our very good friends, the Meadow-Brook Girls, have had an opportunity to see it and learn what a chance to distinguish themselves they have missed.”
“You have aroused our curiosity,” said the guardian laughingly. “You simply must let us into this new secret. Such boys! I never saw your like! I’ll confess that I am as curious as any of my girls. What have you there?”
“The makings, I said,” answered Dill Dodd—“the making of world champions and championesses.”
“I don’t understand,” answered Miss Elting, glancing from one to another of the boys. The latter were now smiling broadly, all save Captain Baker himself, whose face was gloomy, his gaze fixed morosely on the ground.
Sam Crocker drew a knife from his pocket, opened it and felt the edge of the blade with aggravating deliberateness, then suddenly cut the heavy twine that held the bundle together.
The bundle sprang open. The two lads grabbed the contents and quickly spread them out over the ground in front of the girls’ tent. The Meadow-Brooks were silent for a few seconds; then broke out into exclamations of delight.
“Just look!” cried Margery shrilly.
“Oh, you boys, you boys!” exclaimed the guardian, her eyes glowing with an excitement and pleasure that she made no effort to conceal. “How really unkind we have been to you.”