Of the ten toilers, Blanche Shirly was the only one who failed to do herself credit. She made a half-hearted attempt to follow Miss Drexal’s instructions, then slumped in the middle of her task and looked helplessly on while Marian and Anne, their own work completed, good-naturedly rallied to her assistance and completed her bed for her.
Aside from the beds, the tents held nothing in the way of furniture except the trunk, a huge box for food supplies, and the box of kitchen things. Blue Wolf had thoughtfully pounded nails into the lower ridge plate of the tents. On some of these the girls hung their packs, reserving others on which to hang their clothing at night. They were wholly content with their quarters, however. It quite accorded with their ideas of living the primitive life. All except Blanche, of course. She was inwardly wondering how she could manage to endure such discomfort. She was also a wee bit abashed at her own helplessness. It galled her to have to appear so entirely out of her element. Yet her grudge against Ruth still forbade her to show the least inclination toward a usefulness which Ruth might note and approve.
Their beds made, Emmy, Ruth and Marian devoted themselves to building a low fire in which to roast potatoes. Miss Drexal and Anne commenced a businesslike unpacking of cooking utensils. Sarah, Jane and Frances delved among the supplies with much playful squabbling. To Betty fell the work of selecting a level spot on which to lay the tablecloth, and decking it with the necessary, but limited amount of dishes and cutlery. To her had also been entrusted the coffee-making. Blue Wolf had already set off for a nearby spring with the two water pails. Blanche alone found nothing to do. After wandering aimlessly about without offering to help anyone, she retired disgustedly to the tent and lay down on her bed, anxiously waiting to be called to supper. Whatever might be her failings, lack of appetite was not one of them.
Due to the length of time it had taken to get supper nicely started, it was after six o’clock when the hungry band seated themselves Turk fashion on the ground about the sylvan board, and hungrily devoured a supper of white bread, roasted potatoes, crisp bacon, steaming coffee, canned beans, warmed over, with canned peaches and fancy crackers by way of dessert.
“What are we going to do when our bread gives out?” asked Sarah, reflectively crumbling a cracker. “We had only six loaves to start with. I know because I unpacked them.”
“Make corn cakes, of course,” was Jane’s prompt information. “Didn’t you see that nice fat bag of corn meal? I’m going to bake some myself for supper to-morrow night. I wasn’t brought up in the South for nothing. Mayn’t I, Miss Drexal?”
“Yes, if you like. You and I will initiate the rest of the girls into the corn cake mystery. We shall have to depend on our corn meal a good deal. Blue Wolf will, of course, go to Tower twice a week, by canoe, for supplies. Even so, we shan’t be able to keep much bread on hand. It dries too quickly.”
“By the way, where is his majesty?” asked Emmy. “He certainly must be good and hungry after all he’s done to-day.”
“He will eat his supper when we have finished. Nothing would induce him to lend his august presence to this chattering crowd,” smiled Miss Drexal. “I suppose he is down by the lake hovering about his beloved canoes. He made both of them, and insisted that we should make use of them.”
“Then we ought to do something nice for him,” declared Ruth. “Let’s clean off the table and set a place for him. One of us can put his supper on the table for him, while two of us go after him and escort him to the feast. That is, unless you think he mightn’t like it.” She glanced inquiringly at the Guardian.