CHAPTER VIII

IN THE NIGHT.

It was with sincere reluctance that Florence and Daisy made their adieus to their new friends; indeed, it seemed almost as if they were willing to abandon their trip to extend their visit at Mae’s. Marjorie, however, who could not forget John’s estimate of the young men’s characters, breathed a sigh of relief when they left Lima for good.

How soon do you expect to meet your new friends again? asked Ethel of Daisy.

Not very soon, replied Daisy. They are going to be off the Lincoln Highway for a while—going north to round up some frat brothers in Toledo.

Then we won’t have the fun of watching for the red car any more! sighed Alice.

It’s not much fun, now the mystery is explained! remarked Lily peevishly.

The mystery of their interest being Daisy and Flos, teased Ethel. Seriously, though, please tell us when your next date is—for we know that you have one!

Well, I have to admit that we did make one, said Daisy, blushingly. They’re going to look us up at our hotel in Chicago.

Marjorie, who happened to be riding with Mrs. Remington in the little car, did not hear the remark at the time, but later when Lily repeated it to her, she frowned darkly.

I almost wish that something would happen to delay us, she said. I’d be willing to sacrifice one of our eleven extra days just to keep the girls from seeing those young men!

Not eleven any more, Marj! corrected Lily. We’re not travelling this Sunday again, so that means another day counted out.

Sure enough, agreed Marjorie. But what is a day or so when everything is going so perfectly?

Sh! Don’t boast, Marj! We have a long distance to go yet. Oh, won’t it be great when we come back, and can take our own sweet time about it?

Yes, but the excitement is half the fun. Still, I would like to go and see Mae, and stay a little while longer this time. She invited us to stop on the way back, you know.

Yes, I’d like to stop too, added Lily. Oh, how I wish that this summer would last forever!

You’ve said that every summer, Lil—and we still continue to have good times! Marjorie reminded her.

The days that followed seemed only to prove the truth of Marjorie’s statement. The weather continued fine, and the road good; each evening the girls made their camp and stopped for the night. The rain obligingly held off until the week-end, when the party was comfortably established at a little inn.

And tomorrow night we have to camp again, observed Marjorie, as she watched the sun trying to peep through the clouds at sunset. I hope the ground gets dry.

The only thing that worries me is food, remarked Mrs. Remington. We’ll have to camp several days, and there may not be many stores along the way. We must buy plenty.

If we only had more room to pack it! sighed Lily. That one hamper isn’t very big.

Nevertheless, they packed it scientifically and succeeded in storing enough to supply a much larger party for a week. Then they set off early in the morning to make their daily hundred miles.

The sun, which had appeared early in the day, vanished under the clouds by noon, and a light rain fell during the afternoon. The prospect of making camp under these conditions was not alluring, and the girls began to look for houses. But the few that they saw were mean and tumble-down, obviously unfitted to afford accommodations for a party of seven. At last, however, the rain ceased, and Marjorie suggested that they make camp.

They were in a flat open space now, where only a few groups of trees dotted the landscape here and there. The ground itself looked damp and uninviting. The girls surveyed it with dismay.

I don’t care much about sleeping on this! remarked Marjorie, as she looked about her.

Maybe we could sleep in the cars, suggested Lily.

I’m afraid not, answered Mrs. Remington. There’s too much baggage, and too little room. But I think we really might as well eat our supper here. Can we get along without cooking much?

Yes, indeed, answered Ethel, who had superintended the buying. We have plenty of delicatessen stuff. But don’t you think we ought to have something hot to drink?

And a fire would be awfully welcome, added Lily.

How about coffee? inquired Alice, already starting upon her search in the hamper.

No, cocoa, advised Mrs. Remington. We don’t want to take any chances of staying awake on a night like this.

And we want to turn in early, put in Ethel.

At least if we can find a spot— began Marjorie, squinting her eyes in all directions for a suitable location. How about that little grove of trees over there?

Way over there? demanded Alice incredulously, fixing her eyes upon the only trees anywhere near them. That’s too far from the road—

You mean that you’re afraid?—

No, Marj—not for ourselves. But suppose the machines should be stolen!

Nonsense! laughed the young lieutenant. We could hear if they were. Besides, nobody steals cars out here—everybody owns them. And we have good locks.

All right! I’m game if everybody else is.

The girls all pressed into the larger machine when supper was ready, and succeeded in finding some sort of places to sit. Alice and Daisy, it was true, were obliged to curl up on the floor.

I’m glad that we bought plenty of food, remarked Ethel. We ought to have some left over.

Wait till you see how much I eat! warned Alice. I’m simply starved!

I guess that we didn’t take long enough for our lunch, reasoned Mrs. Remington. We were too anxious to get along.

Well, we certainly have covered ground today, asserted Ethel, proudly. The bad weather didn’t bother us!

How many miles did we make? asked Marjorie.

A hundred and sixteen.

Now if we only had a good comfortable bed— began Lily, but she was interrupted immediately by Marjorie.

Just wait till I find you a place! I have a notion that it will be as fine as the Waldorf-Astoria—

Where? demanded two or three at once.

After supper I’ll show you!

As soon as the meal was concluded and the food packed again into the hamper, they followed Marjorie to the spot she had selected for the camp. It was some fifty yards from the road; a little, secluded grove of trees, overgrown with vines. Underneath the ground was comparatively dry; it would be the best possible location for their camp.

Do you really think we can all squeeze into there? inquired Lily doubtfully.

Yes, if we allot each girl so much space and no more, calculated Marjorie. And we hardly need to put up our tents!

Suppose it pours? asked Alice.

Alice, you’re always bringing up too many objections! cried Ethel. We have to take chances on a trip like this.

But suppose we can be seen from the road, persisted the other. I’d hate to have the tourists watch me snore!

No one can possibly see us! And besides, we can use our tents to cover the ground, and keep us dry.

In the end Marjorie’s common sense prevailed as it usually did, and the girls locked their cars and prepared for sleep. They managed to stretch mosquito netting over themselves, from tree to tree, and settled down to the spots which they were assigned. Marjorie slept nearest to the opening, with her revolver at her side.

It was some time before she was able to go to sleep; besides the occasional sound of a passing car, she imagined that she could hear footsteps, and she kept listening intently. The sky had entirely cleared now, and the stars were shining; as she lay there on the canvas she kept opening her eyes and gazing up at them. She did not feel in the least afraid, camping out there in the open, but she sincerely hoped that nothing would happen for the other girls’ sake. Anything out of the ordinary might throw some of them into a nervous state, which up to the present they had been able to avoid. Once this calm were disturbed, it might be very difficult to induce them to camp in the lonely places along the road. And Marjorie preferred them to the regular sites.

So she continued to listen intently; once she was almost sure that she heard a machine stop out on the road. Not wishing to arouse the others, she cautiously raised herself to a sitting position and peered out through the trees. But she distinguished only the two reds lights of the silent cars by the side of the road.

She was just about to lie down again when she thought that she heard a faint scuffling noise, which seemed to come from the direction of their cars, and she made up her mind to investigate. Managing to creep through the enclosure without causing any disturbance, she stepped out clear of the trees. Accustomed now to the darkness, she looked down towards the road, and to her sudden alarm, identified the shadowy outline of a third car, behind both of theirs, and carrying no light. A sense of fear took possession of her, and she grasped the tree to steady herself; then, in another moment the car started quietly, and drove away. When it was almost out of sight she saw it flash on its lights.

The tree branch at her side rustled slightly, and she turned sharply around. Ethel Todd stood at the opening beside her.

What’s the matter, Marj? she demanded, in a whisper.

Nothing, replied Marjorie. I just thought that I heard something.

And did you?

Evidently not. I didn’t see anything to cause alarm.

Positively?

Marjorie hesitated; she did not want to lie, and she felt that there would be no danger in giving Ethel the little she did know.

Well, I did see a car stopped by the road-side. But it’s gone now.

A puncture, I suppose, Ethel surmised. What kind of car?

A small one—I couldn’t see very well. It didn’t have any light.

Didn’t have any light! repeated the other girl. That looks suspicious. Did it stop very near to ours?

Yes, right behind it. Marjorie took a few steps away from the trees, in order not to waken the others by their whispering. And, she added, it reminded me of the racer!

Not the red car? demanded Ethel. You mean our friends?—

Yes. I thought of them.

But they’re not anywhere near here, said Ethel lightly. Besides, what would they want?

Oh, I don’t know—maybe some fool practical joke. I had a sort of feeling that they meant to hang around. And I don’t like them. They seem like adventurers or fortune-hunters, or something of the sort.

But we have too much sense to let them adventure with us, and we have no fortunes! protested Ethel. So why worry?

I guess there really is nothing to worry about, replied Marjorie. Still, you know Daisy and Flos are so young, and they do seem smitten.

Well, the youths may be all right at that. You take John’s opinions too seriously, Marj. Come on, let’s go back to bed!

Although Marjorie was able to forget the incident for the time being and to go to sleep, she was reminded of it again the next morning the minute that she opened her eyes. For she was awakened by the announcement that they had been robbed the previous night.

Robbed? she cried, jumping up and running down to the big car, where most of the other girls were already gathered. How much? What?

Not of any money, replied Mrs. Remington. I had that beside me, and I would have wakened up if anybody had come near. But—some of you girls may think that it’s a worse loss than money—all our food’s gone! They took hamper and all!

Marjorie looked from one to the other, aghast at the news, which by this time was familiar to the rest of the scouts. She glanced questioningly at Ethel, and saw by her expression that she had said nothing of their alarm in the night. But no doubt this was the explanation of the halted car.

But what are we to do? demanded Alice, almost hysterically.

We’ll have to go back, replied Mrs. Remington, quietly. For there may be no stores farther on, and we know of the one we left yesterday.

But that will mean a whole day lost! wailed Florence.

Two days, Flos, Ethel corrected her. One day going back, and another day coming forward. What’s the matter with your mathematics?

Two, out of our surplus of ten—that leaves us eight. Marjorie calculated rapidly. Yes, it will be our best plan to spend our time as Mrs. Remington suggests—it will be the most economical in the end.

Couldn’t we beg or buy a meal at one of these shacks that we’re always passing? suggested Florence.

No, we’d be running too big a chance, answered their chaperone. The food might not be good—we might all get sick. Besides, we have several days of camping ahead, and we must store up.

But who do you suppose did it? persisted Alice.

It was then that Marjorie told her story, omitting, however, the fact that she had noticed a resemblance to the red car.

What kind of people could they be to want to steal food? asked Florence. Why food in particular?

That is just what puzzles me, answered Mrs. Remington. They must be campers, like ourselves.

I have an idea! cried Alice. Suppose we steal some from the next machine that comes along! If we only weren’t Girl Scouts—

Come, let’s stop this talking and do something! said Florence, who was beginning to feel the pangs of hunger. Shall we try to catch the car? Would you know it again, Marj?

Hardly. It was too dark. I merely saw that it was a low, small car without a top, and that it carried no lights. I’m afraid we can’t hope to catch it. She cast a significant glance at Ethel.

Well, there’s not much harm done, declared Mrs. Remington cheerfully, as she began to make preparations for departure. We have plenty of money left, and we can afford to lose a little time. So let’s hurry and be on our way again. At least we can have a drink of water for breakfast.

If only we could catch the thieves! sighed Alice, as she walked back to the grove.

Maybe we will yet! Marjorie muttered under her breath to Ethel.