As soon as some of the ashes had been removed and a new trial made of lighting the dry wild-wood material, it succeeded.
Elena was told to wash the bones and soup meat carefully by the willow bank, and Nita was sent to pare the vegetables the Guide placed before her. Jane and Zan were told to go to the house with the sirloin steak to keep it on the ice in the pantry.
"We must either have Bill move that ice-chest over here or we must build one for daily use," said Miss Miller, as she thought of the convenience it would be to have a larder at hand.
"What's the use carrying the meat there now? While you and the other girls are preparing the soup and things, Jan and I can hook Cheokee to the traces and use him to haul the ice-chest over here. We can tilt it over onto the wheels of the express wagon and tie it securely. When we get to Bill's, his plough horse can haul it up instead of Cheokee."
"Splendid! Zan, I almost wish I could rub out those marks for slang, and give you a merit instead, for all of your helpful ideas," said Miss Miller.
"That reminds me—we haven't held our daily Council yet. When we do, I have a proposition to make," said Zan, smiling as she ran off through the woods.
The ice-chest proved a welcome addition to the camp furniture, for most of the food could be kept inside and keep marauding ants and flies away from it.
Miss Miller placed the bones, soup-meat and the chunk of flank and top-round in the big pot, with vegetables cut in small pieces, salt and pepper, and a gallon and a half of water, thrown in last. The pot was filled to the brim until it began to boil slowly. Then, a slow fire was kept going under the pot until the soup was done—about four hours' time.
The top-round was left in for an hour, and when the Guide took it carefully out of the pot, it was half-cooked through.
"What are you going to do with it—it's only half done?" said Zan.