If she failed a second time, she determined to go down the hill until she was able to secure aid. But this meant leaving Kara alone, which even for a short time she did not wish to do.
The waiting was the difficult task. To her own embarrassment Tory realized that she was thinking more of her own hunger than of Kara’s need as the minutes wore on and no one arrived. Fortunately she had saved a small quantity of coffee in their thermos bottle the day before. This must be for Kara when she finally awakened.
There was nothing to occupy one save to rise now and then and stir the hot ashes to a fresh blaze, covering them afterwards with the green wood of the small beeches that straggled up the hill away from the shadow of the pines.
The noise of footsteps up the mountainside actually failed to arouse Tory until they were not far away.
She first heard an exclamation from Kara. She had not been so sound asleep for the past hour as she had preferred to pretend.
Kara sat up, her arms outstretched as if she were a child begging to be lifted up.
Tory started toward her. She then turned and ran forward with a cry of relief. Had Fate allowed her to choose her own and Kara’s rescuers she would have selected the two figures now appearing at the brow of the east side of the hill. They wore the uniforms of Boy Scouts and were the brothers of one of the girls in her own Patrol. They were also her own intimate friends.
“Don, Lance!” Tory exclaimed, a little breathless and incoherent. “How in the world did you find this impossible place? Kara and I have been fearing we might have to stay here always!”
Don held out his hand and caught Tory’s, giving it a reassuring pressure. He was a big, blue-eyed fellow with fair hair and a splendid physique.
In contrast Victoria Drew appeared small and fragile and incapable.