“We’ll do it, Mr. Ames! Even if I have to pay for the work out of my own money—we’ll have this lake without any delay. I wish you’d come and start work to clear the weeds just as soon as you can,” declared Mrs. James.
“Can you spare Sam all day tomorrow, if I come over to work?” asked the farmer.
“Yes, not only Sam, but Norma and I are going to help in this work. Perhaps some of the other scouts will join us, and every one can find something to do in the clearing of the place. While you are throwing out the muck, I intend to convey it to places conveniently near where it can be well mixed with manure and be ready to spread out on the floor of the pond as soon as you are ready for it. Yes, you come over in the morning, and we will be ready for you, Mr. Ames,” said Mrs. James.
That evening the scouts sat under the group of pine trees listening to Mrs. James describe her vision of a water garden. Each one had something to say, and every one wanted to help with the interesting development of the lake. So the work was detailed off in order to give every one a certain contract to fulfill.
There were large and picturesque rocks to haul, to pile up or group, in order to add to the natural beauty of the garden. Frances suggested a way to haul these rocks.
“We’ll get a chain and tackle from Ames and fasten the fingers of the clutch about a rock. The chain can be hooked to the back of the car and then I’ll drive while the rock is being dragged along the road to the lakeside.”
“You’ll have a dreadful hard job dragging an uneven rock over the dirt road. It will gouge up the ground and half bury itself all along the way. It would be much easier if we could wheel the rocks in some way, instead of dragging them over the road,” said Janet speculatively.
“Maybe we can borrow that old truck from the station man, at Four Corners, and hook the handle to the automobile and just pull it along with the rocks on it,” ventured Norma.
“That’s a good idea! I’ll drive in first thing in the morning and get it. Si Tompkins will ask the man for me. We won’t hurt it any more than trunks and ploughs and other things it has to move from the baggage cars to the farmers’ carts,” said Frances.
“Oh, no one will worry about hurting it,” laughed Natalie. “It is in such a battered state that nothing more can injure it.”