CHAPTER II
THE TRAMPS GUARD THEIR SECRET
Tommy and Margery were the only girls to ran away. Harriet, Jane, Hazel and Miss Elting stood their ground. Hazel for a few seconds was on the point of running when she saw that Harriet seemed to understand the meaning of the sudden uproar, which was still going on.
There came a lull in the whooping and the shouting. Harriet spoke then.
“Now that we are properly scared, you may come out, boys,” she said.
“Boys? My stars!” muttered Jane. “What boys are you looking for, darlin’?”
“Come out! We know you,” commanded Harriet.
Captain George Baker of the Tramp Club stepped out into the light of the campfire, a little shamefaced and uncertain as to how his attempt to frighten the Meadow-Brook Girls might be received.
“Mr. Baker!” exclaimed the guardian.
“Yes, ma’am,” answered George, twisting his hat nervously in his hands. “I—I hope we didn’t frighten you too much. I—we—I thought you knew we were here.”
“We certainly did not. We did know that some one was up yonder in the woods, because Harriet saw and answered signals. Was it you who made the smoke signals?”