"I haven't chewed any since that day in school when you lectured the class, explaining what bad effects it had on the glands and throat, to say nothing of the waste of saliva!" said Zan.
"How long was that?" asked the Guide.
"Oh, that must have been more than three months ago, Miss Miller. I haven't chewed since then either!" cried Hilda.
It turned out that not one of the girls had indulged in gum-chewing since that day when they heard how the habit hurt one's health eventually. So Miss Miller was proud to give credit where it had been won.
"Now, girls, Jane and Zan have won a coup for fire-making with rubbing-sticks and material of one's own gathering, but no one has aspired for a grand coup in this line. I should think it to be a simple matter to practise until the fire could be made in one minute—try for it and see! At this meeting we will fill out and sign the claims for fire-making coups." Miss Miller then took a number of printed Honour Claims from her leather case and the two girls each received a coup claim duly witnessed, and a duplicate to paste in her Tally Book, while the original would be filed at Headquarters when the Band was registered.
"I am going to try for a degree in swimming, Miss Miller. I'd love to have the right of being called Shingebis as you are," said Zan, eagerly.
"Good! I like to hear that, Zan. And I don't see why Jane couldn't try, too. The other girls are learning fast and will soon be able to swim correctly and begin to practise fancy swimming."
"Shall we swim now?" asked Hilda, eagerly.
"Hardly!" laughed the Guide. "I wanted to have the others make the rubbing-stick fire and at least do a Test for the Degree of Gleeman, then take a walk over to the garden and find out how many of you can identify vegetables and fruit trees without being told."