Chapter XI: A Contest of Endurance

"Forty-nine blue bottleth were hanging on the wall," muttered Tommy in her sleep, as Miss Elting and Harriet stepped into their tent at eight o'clock the next morning, after having finished their inspection of the camp. The rest of the Meadow-Brook Girls were still sleeping soundly.

"Poor Tommy," smiled the guardian.

"What is Tommy muttering about forty-nine blue bottles?" questioned Harriet.

The guardian laughed merrily.

"I had the girls say that doggerel about the forty-nine blue bottles while we were stuck fast in the mud. You see, I wished to keep their minds from their troubles. We repeated the song until we were so hoarse we could scarcely speak."

"I noticed that when I returned, but thought you had all caught cold. So it was forty-nine blue bottles that made you so hoarse," laughed Harriet. "I think you deserve the real credit of the rescue. Had you not done what you did to keep up the spirits of the girls there might have been a different ending," declared Harriet Burrell with emphasis. She kissed the guardian impulsively, than stepping softly, to avoid waking her sleeping companions, she made her way outside the tent. Shading her eyes and gazing about she finally discovered a brown-clad figure sitting on a fence. He evidently was observing the camp, for, when he caught sight of Harriet, he waved his hand.

"I'll wager that's Captain Baker," smiled Harriet, waving back to him. "He is a peculiar young man. We are under great obligations to them all, but those boys think girls are of no account. We are going to clash with them. I know we are."

Harriet poked the fire and built it up until a cloud of smoke was ascending skyward. It was not a skilfully made fire, but Harriet had a purpose in making a great smudge that morning. She wished to show the tramps that the girls had just gotten up and were not yet ready to receive company. She had construed Captain Baker's action in watching the camp as being for the purpose of learning when the Meadow-Brook outfit was ready to see them. As the girl cast frequent glances across the fields she saw the other members of the Tramp Club scattered about not far from their own camp, though all of the boys kept a respectful distance from the camp occupied by the girls.

Breakfast was out of the way and the camp of the Meadow-Brook Girls put to rights by ten o'clock. The travelers felt somewhat lame and stiff after their experience in the swamp. Tommy walked with a distinct limp, which Harriet accused her of putting on for effect.

"I'm not pretending," protested Tommy indignantly. "I gueth you would walk like I do if you had been fatht in the mud motht all night."

Harriet laughed good-naturedly.

A halloo out back of the camp cut short any further argument. It was Captain Baker with his fellow "tramps."

"Is it too early in the morning to make our party call?" shouted George.

"No. Come right along," called Harriet cordially. "We got up rather late this morning. Didn't I see you sitting on the fence off yonder?"

"Yes, I was watching for a woodchuck to come out. Fellows, you've all met Miss Burrell, I think. And Miss Thompson."

"Yeth I met them in the thwamp," lisped Tommy.

Miss Elting came out, her face wearing a radiant smile of welcome for the tramps. Their hats were off instantly. She insisted on shaking hands with each of the boys in turn.

"I suppose you have had your breakfast?" smiled the guardian.

"Breakfast!" exclaimed Davy Dockrill. "Yes. We men eat our breakfast at six o'clock. We aren't like girls, who take their breakfast in place of luncheon."

"And eat cookies between meals," laughed Harriet. "How many miles do you walk a day?"

"Oh, a lot," answered George airily.

"How many?" persisted Harriet.

"Well, maybe ten, fifteen, twenty miles, maybe more."

"I'll wager that you take a ride now and then," interjected Tommy.

"We don't. We walk, I tell you."

"We aren't like girls, who have to stop and rest every half mile or so," declared Will Burgess.

"And get stuck in the mud," laughed Fred Avery.

"That'll be about all, boys," reproved Captain Baker, frowning. "I told you these boys were full of mischief. But you mustn't mind them," he added apologetically.

"Oh, we don't mind them at all," smiled Harriet.

"When are you going to start out again?"

"Not until some time to-morrow morning," answered Miss Elting. "We are all a little lame and tired to-day."

The captain nodded gravely.

"Yes; girls can't stand as much as boys when it comes to hard work like a week or so of walking," he said with an air of conviction.

"Yeth they can," resented Tommy. "Girlth can walk jutht ath far in a day ath boyth can."

"You've got to show us before we can believe that," declared Davy.

"Very well; we will show you," answered Harriet quietly. "Name your conditions."

"Do you mean it?" questioned George.

"Of course I mean it."

"You're plucky, all right," he said regarding her admiringly. "But I don't like to have a contest with girls."

"Why not? Are you afraid of them?" demanded Margery.

The boy flushed.

"No, ma'am. It isn't manly, that's all."

"You mean it wouldn't be manly to be beaten by girls, eh?" suggested Harriet.

"Well, yes, I suppose that's what I mean."

"Oh, very well. If you wish to back out, why, of course----"

"Back out? I guess not!" exclaimed Sam. "We'll walk your heads off, if you say the word."

"Oh, mercy, no," protested Harriet, laughingly. "I hope you will not do anything so terrible as that. You haven't said what the conditions are to be. We must have some rules if we are to have a hiking contest. They have rules even in a walking contest, I understand."

Captain Baker pondered a moment.

"I don't know about rules. I think it will have to be a go-as-you-please contest."

"We are willing to abide by whatever you say," replied Harriet.

"Where do you go to-morrow? I mean where do you make your next camp?"

Harriet consulted their map.

"We are going to try to make Hunt's Corners," she said, scrutinizing the map.

"May I see that map?" asked Davy.

"I don't think it would be quite fair," answered Harriet brightly. "You see, our route is marked out on the map. Were I to show it to you, you would know which way we are going. That would give you an advantage. I will show the map to you some other time."

"Of course it would be unfair. We don't want to see the map, Davy," rebuked George. "How far is it to Hunt's Corners?"

"Ten or twelve miles."

"Don't let that trouble you, boys. I'll be on hand with the car and I'll pick up the stragglers," interjected Jane, joining the group. She had been at work cleaning her car. Her face was smudged and her hands blackened. "If any of you get tired out I'll promise to take care of you."

"Thank you," answered the captain, flushing. His companions laughed at him.

"But, Captain," protested Harriet, "we haven't decided on anything. Is this to be a race for one day, or for all the way home? You go right through Meadow-Brook, do you not?"

"Yes. Just as you say. I don't think you can stand it to race all the way home."

"Perhaps not," answered Harriet dryly.

"No. The poor, delicate things," mourned Jane. "Just think how you are going to walk them to death. You boys should be ashamed of yourselves."

"I don't care if the girls don't," laughed George. "Yes. We'll walk you all the way in to Meadow-Brook. The party that gets in first must give the other side something. What'll it be?" asked George.

"I'll take marthhmallowth for mine," piped Tommy.

"That's it. A box of candy for each of you if you win. What do you say, fellows?" questioned George, appealing to his companions.

They nodded, smiling acquiescence.

"Suppose we give each of you a handkerchief if you win," smiled Harriet.

"It's a go," declared Captain George.

"Then I propose this. Each party is to go as it chooses. The one that gets in first wins," suggested Harriet.

"Are tricks barred?" demanded Sam.

"I don't know what you mean by tricks. Strategy isn't," returned Harriet.

"Whew! That's a big word," exclaimed Dill.

"Neither party is to ride, you know," spoke up George, eyeing them suspiciously.

"Certainly not," answered Harriet. "We shouldn't do such a dishonest thing."

"I beg your pardon. Of course not. You girls have a car and, perhaps, you might think it amusing to work a trick on us."

"Our Meadow-Brook Girls aren't that kind, Mr. Baker," interposed Miss Elting severely.

"Ride? You couldn't drag them into the car," declared Jane.

"By the way, young men, have you seen anything of two Italians and a bear?" asked Miss Elting.

"Yes. We met them two days ago," answered the captain. "Why?"

"We had some difficulty with them; that's all."

"I wish we had known that." The captain's lips compressed, a frown appearing on his forehead. "What did they do?"

Miss Elting told the boys the whole story. How the boys did laugh when the guardian described how Jane had chased the Italians about the field with her car!

"We will keep out of the road when you are abroad, Miss McCarthy," said George. "I don't believe you are a safe person to be allowed on the highway."

"You are right, she isn't," nodded Miss Elting. "Well, have you settled your plans for the contest?"

"All the plans we can make. We are to walk to Meadow-Brook. Neither party should actually walk more than ten hours a day----"

"My goodneth," interrupted Tommy. "Ten hourth a day. Thave me!"

Captain Baker smiled a superior smile and nodded to his companions.

"Oh, no. We shouldn't want to wear you out to that extent," replied Harriet mildly.

"In the meantime we wish you to come to supper with us this evening," invited Miss Elting. "We will show you that Meadow-Brook Girls can cook as well as walk. We shan't promise you much of a variety, but there will be plenty to eat. That will give you new strength for the coming contest," she added, with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

The captain accepted the invitation for his friends. He offered to bring over some provisions and some milk. Jane replied that she had arranged for the milk, which she was to go after in her car. It was decided that the boys need bring nothing with them, there being enough in camp for all. The Tramp Club went away, to return at about half past five in the afternoon.

The young men had become very much interested in the Meadow-Brook Girls. As Captain Baker characterized them, "They aren't the helpless, fainting kind. Those girls know how to take care of themselves. Now, what do you think of their fighting off two Italians and a bear? Fellows, we've got to hike some to beat them! They've got something in the back of their heads that we don't know about."

"Pshaw! We can walk them off the earth," scoffed Sam.