Fifteen minutes had hardly slipped past when Miss Sallie and “The Automobile Girls” were sound asleep, Bab with her pistol at her side.
CHAPTER VIII—THE HAUNTED POOL
To be awakened early in the morning by the songs of birds and innumerable woodland sounds, and find one’s self in the very center of a forest, is no common experience. To the girls, as they looked up through the leafy canopies, and then across the green aisles formed by trees that looked as if they might have stood there since the beginning of time—it was all very wonderful.
“How beautiful this is!” exclaimed each one, as she opened her eyes upon the wooded scene.
“Girls,” cried Ruth, “I wouldn’t have missed this for worlds! No wonder Zerlina hates to live in a house in the summer time. Isn’t this fun? Shall we go over there and wash our faces in that little brook!”
Off they scampered, a curious procession for the deep woods, each with a burden of toilet articles, soaps and sponges, wash rags, mirrors and brushes.
“Well,” exclaimed Miss Sallie Stuart as she knelt beside the stream and dipped her hands into its cool depths, “I never expected to come to this; but it is very refreshing, nevertheless.”
“This is Nature’s bathtub, auntie, dear. We should be thankful to have it so near. I suppose that is the reason the Gypsies chose this spot to camp in,” said Ruth.
“My dear child,” replied her aunt, “I know very little about the Gypsy race; but I do know one thing: that a Gypsy never took advantage of any kind of a bathtub, wooden, tin, porcelain or Nature’s.”
The girls all laughed joyously.