The other fathers laughed appreciatively at his remark, for they had all had similar experiences with their daughters. But the scouts paid no attention to such suggestive words as repaying advanced loans for farm uses, and the elders refrained from starting to collect damages at that time.
CHAPTER XII
THE PIGEON COTE.
The pleasure of looking at the lake and enjoying its water falls and the water fowl that played about in the lower end most of the time, did not wear away in a few days, but the desire to constantly stand on the shore and gaze at the water, began to pall in a few days’ time. The scouts never ceased to love and appreciate the spot; and almost every evening the three girls from the village, the scouts from the camp, and the girls from the house, met under the pines to enjoy the cool of the evening on the lake shore.
Janet had added pigeons to her stock by this time, but they would not remain at Green Hill. The first day she allowed them their freedom, she watched with pleasure as they flew up in the blue sky. But then they made straight for Dorothy Ames’s farm where they had been reared.
Janet wailed and got Frances to drive her over to Dot’s house without delay. There were her pigeons strutting about with the others, and pecking deliberately at the corn on the ground. They were taken captives again that night and brought back to Janet.
In a few days she let them out of the coop again and again they flew in a bee-line for home. The girls laughed at this escape, but Janet was angry and asked Dorothy what could be done to keep them at home to attend to their business of raising a family.
Dorothy now made a suggestion that sounded well but it meant more carpenter work. “You might try a small cote for the different kinds, Janet, and see if they will stay if they have to keep house alone in pairs.”
Janet spoke of this idea when she returned to Green Hill, and Norma eagerly added: “Oh, that is just what Mrs. Tompkins told me today. She says we ought to have our pigeons separated from each other, because the pouters and fantails never agree, and the tumblers and the common pigeons always peck at each other and are dissatisfied in having to live together.”
“I suppose that means I must start a lot of carpentry work again, and build separate houses,” sighed Janet.
“No, Mrs. Tompkins showed me a cote she made for her ordinary pigeons, and it looked fine!” said Norma. “She took a big sugar barrel and after making separate rooms in it, had it mounted on top of a tall pine tree that had been blasted by lightning.