“Some day, pretty soon, perhaps the day after tomorrow,” he laughed again, “I’ll show you all about this and the cobwebs. Ted has some town stuff to attend to; and listen, Bobbs” (he stepped over and whispered in Nora’s ear), “Ted is a perfect terror if she is held too late in the woods. She would starve us to death, like as not, if I didn’t get back before the clock cooled striking. So you and Cap just run along and find out what the fairies want from the village, while we mark a few more spots.”
Was there ever such a jolly man? Once again he had quickly avoided embarrassment to Nora. He would not even let her think she should be useful.
“Yes,” called Mrs. Manton from her position astride a small white birch, “you and Cap have a good time, Nora. He will teach you to explore.”
Willingly Nora ran back to the bower she had discovered. Surely it had been fashioned by elves and fairies, for it was perfect in every detail. Unconscious of time, she flitted about making a little window in the wild grape vine, and fashioning a door between the hazel-nut boughs.
A murmuring song escaped her lips, while Cap now and then yelped sharply, impatient to be understood and receive attention.
“Why, Cap!” asked Nora in reply to one of these outbursts, “I don’t quite understand your language. What is it?”
The big dog was vainly trying to make Nora see a nest of late sparrows. The tiny feathered babies could just stretch their little heads above the rim of the straw cup of a nest they cuddled in, and when Cap found them he knew he should notify somebody. The bush was so low, although it was safely sheltered by the thick vines, and a wild trumpet vine loaned two beautiful flowers to cheer the little birds during their mother’s absence. Still, Cap felt certain it was dangerous for such tiny creatures to be there in the very path of any wild, rough animal happening by.
Nora had never seen such baby birds before. First, she wanted to fondle them, but Cap gave warning and she desisted. Then, she wanted to feed them, as if birds could eat the black berries she offered them. But presently the mother bird flew into the bower with such a wild, shrill call, Nora knew her own presence was not desired so near the baby birds, so she followed Cap out into the clearance. As she did she saw approaching a group of girls, and they wore the Girl Scout uniform.
At the sight something within Nora seemed to tighten up. The girls were coming straight to the bower and their laughing voices had the strange effect of all but chilling Nora.
Without waiting to exchange so much as a smile she called Cap and ran off to the surveyor’s camp.