Shirley was in the lead, her eyes on the ground, watching eagerly for signs of animal footprints.
"Here's a deer track!" called Bet with a laugh and Shirley ran back at top speed.
"Well, maybe it's only a rabbit's," teased Bet.
"And I thought you were my friend, Bet Baxter!" Shirley answered, as she took the lead once more.
It was stinging cold. Every few minutes the girls had to stop and clap their hands together and stamp their feet to restore circulation. They pulled their wool caps well down over their ears and faced the sharp wind. They had crossed the main highway and struck into the woods on the other side, hoping to reach Cruger Lake by lunch time.
They walked and walked till long after the time set for lunch, but saw no sign of the lake.
"Let's build our fire in the woods, girls, and we'll go on to the lake afterwards. I didn't know it was so far." Bet slung her pack to the ground, and the others followed her lead.
"What's for lunch?" asked Joy Evans. "I'm starved!"
Outdoor cooking was a hobby with the girls and they soon had a fire started. And when a bed of coals was ready, a big steak with onions sizzled merrily.
Everybody was hungry from the long walk, and steak and sandwiches disappeared before the onslaught of four ravenous girls.