"You're welcome, I'm sure. I just baked to-day. Hope the cookies are all right. They didn't rise to suit me."

"They'd have burthted if they'd rithen any more," observed Tommy. She was rebuked by a look from Harriet.

"I hope you like them," smiled the woman.

"Oh, they are simply delicious," answered Harriet, with glowing eyes.

"And that b.u.t.termilk! I never drank any that tasted better."

The party ate their fill of the good things, Margery doing even more than her share in disposing of both b.u.t.termilk and food. When they had finished, the tray was empty. The woman offered to bring them more food, but Miss Elting said "no." She gave the woman fifty cents despite the protests of the latter; then, after a brief rest, they started on again, first having expressed their thanks to the housewife, who stood in the door of her home watching the little party until it had pa.s.sed out of sight.

About the middle of the afternoon the girls halted for another rest because of Margery's complaints that she was feeling ill.

"You ate too much," declared Harriet. "It doesn't do to eat so much when one is taking exercise as we are."

"Yeth. Buthter alwayth eatth too much," averred Tommy wisely.

"Oh!" moaned Margery Brown, sitting down all in a heap. "I can't walk another step to-day."

"Do you think we should leave her here?" asked Harriet, with solemn face but twinkling eyes.

"We shall see how she feels after I have given her something to settle her stomach," answered Miss Elting gravely.

"No, no, no!" wailed Margery. "Don't leave me. I'll go. Let me lie still and rest myself a little first."

"You thee Buthter, it doethn't pay to be tho greedy," admonished Tommy.

"Will you please make her stop?" begged Buster. "I can't stand it."

"Tommy!" rebuked Harriet. "Haven't you any consideration for Margery?"

"Yeth. Of courthe I have. But thhe doethn't detherve any thympathy."

"I'm ashamed of you, Tommy, dear. Wait. You, too, will be ill one of these days, then we shall make unpleasant remarks to you," warned Harriet.

Grace Thompson flushed guiltily.

"That ith too bad, Buthter. I didn't mean to make you feel worthe.

Honetht I didn't. I hope you will be better pretty thoon." Tommy kissed her. "There. Ithn't that better?"

"Yes," admitted Margery. She already had taken some peppermint drops that Miss Elting had administered. After a further rest the girls a.s.sisted her to her feet and walked her slowly up and down the road. She was then permitted to sit down and rest again. Tommy, an expression of concern on her impish face, crouched before the now pale-faced Buster, munching a hard biscuit.

"Come, girls," said Miss Elting finally. "It is nearly five o'clock. We were to meet Jane at five, and we must have a good two hours' walk ahead of us still. Now that Margery is feeling so ill we shall not be able to make nearly as good time as that. I wonder if we hadn't better find the highway and finish the day's tramp on that?"

Margery protested that they must not change their plans on her account.

She declared that she could walk as well as any of them.

"Margery will repent her rash a.s.sertions before she has gone a mile,"

laughed Hazel.

"No. I think she will be all right, now," replied the guardian.

"Margery, if you find that you are feeling worse, at any time, you must be sure to tell me at once. Now, girls, march!"

The little company plodded along. Harriet linked one arm within Margery's. The latter, while feeling much improved, was still a little weak and Harriet Burrell's st.u.r.dy arm was appreciated.

About six o'clock they came to a long hill that sloped gently down into a valley. The greater part of the valley was covered with trees. It appeared to be a dense forest of second growth, the trees not being very large. The guardian consulted the map.

"Yes. We are on the right trail. We must keep straight on through the woods. According to this map there should be a trail that leads directly to the other side of the valley, and when we reach that point we shall have finished our day's journey."

"I am afraid we are going to be caught in the dark, Miss Elting," said Harriet.

"If we find the trail we do not need to worry about that. We can't very well go astray. I would suggest that, when we get down farther into the valley, we spread out and look for the wood trail. The one who first discovers it will shout. By taking this open formation we shall be saving time. It certainly seems to me that the distance to be covered to-day is more than ten miles."

"It does seem so," agreed Hazel. "But we have lost considerable time on the way."

They began spreading out when about half way down the hill, calling to each other good-naturedly, shouting as they got farther and farther away. Tommy discovered the road. She ran out into the field waving her arms and crying shrilly to attract the attention of her companions. They hurried toward her. The road, as they soon learned, was a mere path and one not much frequented at that, as was evidenced by the vegetation that grew in the middle of it.

"This looks to me like rather low swampy land," declared Harriet. "It is my idea that we had better stick closely to the path, or we may get into trouble." She did not say definitely what she feared, not wishing to needlessly terrorize Margery and Tommy. Miss Elting understood their danger, however. She nodded. Harriet started along the trail, leading the way, with the guardian following at her heels. They went on in this way for half an hour. The forest grew darker as they proceeded, the vegetation being thick in there. The day was waning rapidly. It was not very long before they were groping their way, rather than finding it by sight.

A scream from Margery, who was at the rear, brought them up sharply.

Then Tommy's voice was raised in a sharp cry of alarm.

"What is it?" shouted Harriet.

"I'm sinking!" screamed Margery.

Harriet instantly knew the meaning of this. Her worst fears were confirmed. They were in the middle of a vast mora.s.s that stretched on each side of the trail.

"Thave me! Oh, thave me!" wailed Tommy.

Both girls were in the mud, but just how deeply Harriet Burrell did not know. Now Hazel added her cries to those of Tommy and Margery. She, too, had stepped off the path. Harriet could hear Hazel floundering in the mire. Miss Elting hurried back to them, regardless of her own safety.

"Be careful!" called Harriet warningly, groping her way to her companions who were crying and screaming for help.

CHAPTER IX-THE TRAMP CLUB TO THE RESCUE

"Look out, Miss Elting," warned Harriet again. "The girls are in the mud."

"So am I," cried the guardian in a voice of alarm. "Oh, it's deep. I'm sinking."

"Stand perfectly still," advised Harriet. "You will get in deeper if you struggle. I'll see what I can do. I may get in, too."

"Be quick, Harriet," urged the guardian. "This is serious. I can't move an inch."

"I'll do the best I can. Oh, I wish I had some good sized limbs of trees to throw to you. Here's one. Where are you, Miss Elting?"