The others crowded close to the railing to follow the direction of Nelly’s pointing finger, and great interest was manifested in the unusual sight.
“Pooh! One of the bigger boys caught a fish yistiddy! A real live fish, it was, an’ he said it was swimming in the big crick what comes from dis little one,” bragged Maggie, proudly.
“Caught a real fish!” gasped the group of astonished city waifs.
“Yep! And lemme tell you’se somet’ing else! Dere are reel berries a-growin’ on bushes over on dat hillside!” and Maggie pointed at a sunny slope a short distance from the camp grove.
“My!” chorused most of the little girls.
“An’ birds, an’ bumblebees, an’ snakes, an’—oh, heaps of awful stinger things what you’se have to run from er jump over!” warned Maggie with awesome tones and rolling eyes to impress her hearers.
“Snakes won’t sting, Maggie, unless you tease them. And even then there are many snakes quite harmless. As for a bumblebee! The big, clumsy fellow is as good-natured as a puppy,” said Miss Martin.
“Say, Miss Martin, you knows an awful lot of stuff, don’t you?” exclaimed Maggie, admiringly.
“I ought to, Maggie, as I am three times your age. Maybe you will know more than I do, when you grow up to be my age,” replied the lady, smiling at the earnest little face.
All during this walk, the other children had been silent, as they were not yet quite at ease. All was so new and interesting that they had no words with which to express their feelings, but Maggie had been a Little Citizen almost two weeks, now, and so felt qualified to act as official guide to newcomers.