"Oh, what a lovely showing! Just look back!" exclaimed Madaline, "and how finely the boy scouts drum and fife. Will they eat all our picnic stuff, do you suppose?"
"Surely Hal Crane is entitled to some," replied Grace, "and there's Benny. He helped me before we got Hal. I shall have to share with him, of course."
"We're starting!" cautioned Cleo. "Look out for your feet. Don't let our line get out of step!"
"The boys aren't going all the way out," said Grace presently. "I just heard a girl say they are only going to escort us to the city line."
"Then we won't have to feed them," Madaline remarked, her words being discounted by the joking tone of her voice.
It was an imposing spectacle, and all Flosston seemed to appreciate the occasion, for windows were jammed with faces, doors were blocked with figures, and even low roofs were spotted with waving, shouting energetic youths. Not since a wartime parade had there been so much excitement, and only a word from the superintendent to the engineer of Fluffdown mills prevented the latter from blowing the big whistle.
"It might make it look too much like a labor parade," the superintendant decided.
Crossing the line from the borough into the county, the escort of boy scouts switched off to Oakleigh, where they were to take up their own special activities, the principal feature of the afternoon being a ball game with the Marvels.
From this point it was but a short distance to hike to River Bend Woods, and nearing the noted territory the four scout girls experienced a sort of thrill. Grace felt something must happen to clear the mystery of her cave correspondent, and the other girls sincerely hoped something would happen.
Just before entering the pine grove the two captains, Clark and
Cosgrove, halted their troops and issued instructions.