“I’m perishing of hunger,” presently announced Jane, who was worried that the two cooks would forget to watch the stew. “When do we eat?”
“Our supper should be nearly ready by now,” Miss Gordon smiled. “We may as well turn back.”
Upon reaching the fireplace again, the minds of the Brownies were greatly relieved. Faithful to their duties, Veve and Sunny had kept the fire burning. Furthermore, they had stirred the stew at intervals, preventing it from sticking to the pan.
“How delicious that food smells!” cried Belinda. “May we eat now?”
Miss Gordon tested a potato to determine if it were done through and through. She smiled and nodded.
The girls lined up with their paper plates, and the Brownie leader dished out generous portions. Even so, enough was left in the cooking pan for second helpings.
“Hikes are wonderful,” declared Connie dreamily, as she seated herself at the long wooden bench and table. “Especially the eating part. I wish we could have an outing every day.”
“So do I,” agreed Veve. Her freckled face was smudged and flushed because she had hunched so close to the fire. “Camping would be fun too!”
Now at mention of the word “camping” all the Brownies looked directly at Miss Gordon. Recently, she had hinted that the troop might plan such an expedition sometime during the summer. School soon would be out, and so far the Brownie leader had given them no further information.
Accordingly, the Brownies were quite surprised when Miss Gordon said casually: “How many of you would like to go camping this month?”