"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.

CHAPTER XII-MEADOW-BROOK GIRLS UP A TREE

Supper, that night, was a jolly affair. Miss Elting decided that, though the boys were full of pranks, they were lads well worth knowing. She, naturally, was very particular as to the a.s.sociates of her charges, but she approved of the Tramp Club. The boys, even as their captain had averred at the first meeting, were "full of mischief." Despite their love of fun however they were straightforward, manly young men.

The party broke up about nine o'clock that evening.

"To-morrow the contest begins," reminded the captain.

"So it does," answered Harriet, as though she had overlooked that fact.

"What time do you start?"

"Oh, I don't know. What time do you start?"

"After breakfast," laughed Harriet.

"Ha, ha! That's another joke," chuckled Dill.

"It isn't as yet. Perhaps it may be to-morrow night," replied Harriet.

But just how much of a joke it was to be, or on whom, Harriet Burrell at that moment did not know. She rather suspected it would be on the Tramp Club, but in this conjecture she was wrong.

"Oh, Harriet, why did you ever get us into this?" groaned Margery, after the departure of the boys. "Here am I half dead, with swollen feet and aching bones, and now I've got to enter a race of I don't know how many miles against a lot of athletic boys."

"As I said before, Margery, you may ride in the car if you prefer."

"No; I'm going through with this hike if it kills me."

"That's the way to talk!" nodded Harriet briskly. "Faint heart never won strong race."

"Have you any plans for fooling the boys, Harriet?" asked Jane.

Harriet shook her head, but, after a gesture of apology, drew Jane aside, whispering with her.

"Can you spare us a moment, Miss Elting?" asked Harriet. Soon the three were in earnest council.

"I agree," called Tommy ironically. "What ith it? I'm thtrong for it!"

"It's going to be hard work," declared the guardian, "and it'll be rough traveling during the last five miles, but we'll be there by noon. We made no agreement with the boys to stop at any particular place?"

"No, Miss Elting," Harriet answered.

"Then everybody to bed!" ordered the guardian tersely.

At three the next morning four sleepy girls were tumbled out of bed by a barely less drowsy chaperon. But swift, silent work had to be done.

Harriet put wood on the still glowing coals of the fire, then prepared coffee and a light meal.

"Thtop it!" screamed Tommy, when energetic Jane "struck" the tent, bringing it down on a pair of heads, the other of which was Margery's.

Jane McCarthy, heedless of their protests, hustled relentlessly. The girls and their guardian ate as best they could, under the circ.u.mstances. By the time the light breakfast had been eaten all the packing had been done, and everything was ready for moving, except the dishes and supplies. These were packed by Margery, Hazel and Tommy. At four o'clock all was in readiness for the start.

"We are going to travel eastward over the mountains, girls," explained Harriet. "We shall have dense forests to go through and rugged paths to follow, but we shall save a number of miles and a great deal of time by going that way. We ought to reach Meadow-Brook some hours ahead of the boys if they take the road, as I heard Mr. Baker say they would. We shall touch the road occasionally, especially after we get over the mountains. And you, Jane, must leave a sign on the fence. We will do the same. Wherever we touch the highway we will make a sign, also putting down the time. Those boys don't know anything about our secret signs, and they mustn't."

"Are we all ready?" asked the guardian.

"Yes."

"You had better start your car quietly, Jane," suggested Miss Elting.

Jane nodded. She understood. The camp of the Tramp Club was not so far away but that the boys could hear the motor plainly if they were awake, which the girls very much doubted, as the Tramps had confessed that they sat up late nights, telling stories, playing Indian war games and scouting in the woods.

"Shoulder packs!" commanded Harriet.

A few moments later the four girls with their guardian, after having put out the fire, started from the field. They were headed for the highway.

Jane stood beside her car, waving to them until they were out of sight, then she calmly climbed into the vehicle and went to sleep. Crazy Jane had a plan of her own.

About five o'clock the camp of the Tramp Club began to show signs of life. The captain roused his companions. It had been his intention to get out earlier, but he had overslept, as had all of his men. Still, he did not consider that there was any necessity for great haste. Of course he had not the slightest idea that the Meadow-Brook Girls had broken camp at any such early hour.

The boys, while losing no time, made no effort at great haste. It was nearly six o'clock when they finished their breakfast and half an hour later, before they strapped on their packs and started down the road.

Dill Dodd chuckled triumphantly as he pointed to Jane McCarthy's automobile standing right where it had been since the previous afternoon.

"All sleepy heads over there," nodded Sam. "We could beat that outfit and sleep all the time."

"Wait a minute," answered George. "I don't see the tent, do you, fellows?"

No one spoke for a moment. Then the leader announced that he was going down to the girls' camp. He returned at a trot after having visited the deserted camp and peered into the automobile.

"Well, what is it?" questioned several boys.

"Fellows, we're stung. They've gone!" declared George.