“Then say ‘nighty-night’ and go at once,” added the Captain.
“I suppose I must even though the sun has not yet set, but what is one poor man to do with five domineering scouts about him?” sighed he, in mock obedience.
Having given their guest some supper and then shown him to his room and seen that the candle was safely stuck in an empty bottle, the scouts said good-night and returned to the fire, where the Captain still sat thinking.
“Girls, I want you all to sit in the new hut with me, if you don’t mind,” whispered Mrs. Vernon.
“Why—are you frightened, Verny?” asked Julie, while the others looked apprehensively about.
“I feel that it is all so open out here, and the two detectives never came back. In the hut we will have log walls, at least.”
“Come on—hurry up, girls,” cried Ruth, running over towards the door.
“If only we had some revolvers,” said Julie.
“If only I had had more sense than to give in to your coaxing! I might have known this was no place for us,” snapped Mrs. Vernon, angry with herself.
When the campers were seated upon the boards they had placed across the damaged seats, Betty asked timidly: