CHAPTER IX--JANET FORMS A SECOND PATROL
Mrs. James and Natalie had engaged Amity to call for them and drive themto the station to meet Janet, and when the expected visitor arrivedthere was a great display of delight on Natalie's part. All the way fromthe train to the farm the two girls were eagerly exchanging personalexperiences since they had parted in the city.
"Say, Nat," began Janet, when a lull in confidences gave her time toremember other things, "Mr. Marvin told Dad that you had started avegetable garden all by yourself! Is that so?"
Natalie smiled joyously. "Yes, and this morning I found my first tinygreen spears above ground, Janet! It is lettuce!"
Janet laughed. "You are the last one on earth that I expected to take totruck-farming."
"But it is the most fun, Janet! I wouldn't get half as muchentertainment out of travelling or motoring as I am having from mygarden."
The moment the girls arrived at the house, therefore, Natalie insistedupon Janet's going to her garden to see the tiny greens that were theresult of the seed-planting.
"Why, look at the fine things growing in those other beds!" exclaimedJanet, allowing her gaze to wander from the place where the almostimperceptible green was showing above the ground.
"Oh yes,--those are tomatoes, potatoes, radishes, cabbages, and otherthings. But these particular beds are my very own work, so I feel agreat joy in them."
"Aren't the others yours, too?" asked Janet.
"Yes, but the plants were given me by Farmer Ames. He threw some out ofhis own gardens because they were too crowded for the best results. Iplanted them, but I did not _raise_ them from seeds. My baby plants hereare all my very own!"
Janet laughed. She understood just how Natalie felt. It was the resultof all her own endeavor--these tiny seedlings.
"Well," said she, after admiring the garden beds to Natalie's utmostexpectations, "I can't see what there is left for me to do, if you havesucceeded in your farming so soon."
"I have been thinking of something for you to do, Janet. We've got allthose barn buildings, but they are empty. If only you could keepchickens and a pig,--wouldn't that be great?" said Natalie eagerly.
Janet laughed aloud. "Turn me into a stock farmer? I never thought ofit, but now that you present the idea, it surely sounds fascinating.Can't you see me currying the horses, and milking cows, or chasing a pigaround the farm?"
"I am in earnest, Jan! You can easily keep chickens and sell eggs. Asfor a pig--why, Mr. Ames's brother wants to sell a few of a litter hehas at his farm. They are the cutest little things I ever saw. You'llwant to own one when you see them."
Janet laughed again, as Natalie's suggestion was so foreign to anythingshe had thought of. Not that it was unacceptable, however. The more shethought of the plan, the more it appealed to her as being worth whiletrying out.
That evening Mrs. James sat with the two girls talking over the plan ofkeeping chickens and other farmyard stock.
"I can manage the initial investment all right, from my allowance that Ihave saved up, but how do I know that the poor creatures will not die orget sick under my management?" said Janet laughingly.
"We've got Mr. Ames near at hand, if a chicken gets the pip,--that iswhat they get more than anything else, I've learned," said Natalie.
Both her hearers laughed hilariously at her remark, and Janet finallysaid: "Well, I just think I'll experiment for fun! Where can I buy somechickens?"
"Oh, any farmer will sell you a hen," returned Natalie.
"But I want more than one hen," said Janet.
"You'll have to raise them yourself, just as I am raising vegetablesfrom seeds. You get a hen, put some eggs in a nest and make her sit uponthem. In three weeks you'll have all the young chicks you want to startwith," explained Natalie.
"It's too bad to-morrow is Sunday, or I'd go over to Farmer Ames in themorning and see about hens and a pig," said Janet regretfully.
"We're all invited to go to the Scout camp to spend the day to-morrow.But you and I will start for Ames's early Monday," replied Natalieeagerly.
So it was decided, after several hours' serious talk, that Janet shouldventure to raise chickens and keep a pig.
The next day was very pleasant, and being Sunday, Mrs. James permittedthe two girls to sleep an hour longer than was the daily custom. Whenthey were through with breakfast, and had visited the gardens to see ifany fresh spears of green had made an appearance since the previousevening, they all started for the Scout camp.
"Yoh-all go on ahead, an' I'll be along affer-while. I'se goin' to totealong a pan of hot biskits fer the club," said Rachel.
"All right, then we'll warn the cook that she need not worry about Scoutbread for dinner," laughed Mrs. James.
Janet was curious to visit the camp and see what a lot of Girl Scoutsdid with themselves. Natalie had told her about Miss Mason's proposal tointerest some of the Greenville girls, that, with the five who wouldlive on the farm that summer, they might organize a second Patrol, andthe two Patrols could then apply for a Troop charter.
The Sunday visit proved to be very interesting and satisfactory, forboth girls saw how much the Scouts could do that they had never dreamedof before. The Sunday dinner that was prepared and served by these girlswas delicious, and everything in camp was conducted according to Scoutrules. When Mrs. James and her two charges were ready to start for thehouse, both Natalie and Janet were enthused with the ambition to launcha campaign for a second Patrol without delay.
The dinner that was prepared and served by these girlswas delicious.]
On the walk back home Natalie said: "We ought to write the girls to geta Scout book for themselves, and then come to Green Hill as soon aspossible. We need them to go around and talk up the Scout idea withgirls about here."
"I wish to goodness Helene was old enough to be a Girl Scout. That wouldgive us six girls, instead of five," said Janet.
"Helene can be a Scoutlet--because she is under twelve--but I am notsure that that would count in our Patrol," said Mrs. James.
That night a letter was written to each of the three girls remaining inNew York, telling them to go straightway to Headquarters and secure acopy of "Scouting for Girls," the handbook that is necessary for a Scoutto read and apply. Also the three girls were urged to pack up and cometo the farm without losing any more valuable time. But no mention wasmade of the reason why this request was urged.
Natalie was up an hour before breakfast on Monday and hurried to hergarden to see what had grown since the day before. To her great surpriseand joy, she found the corn had sprung up an inch above ground since shehad visited her beloved gardens the day previous. So excited was shethat she raced back to the house, shouting as soon as she came withincall:
"Jimmy! Jimmy! My corn's all up! Way up, so'se you can see the blades!"
Rachel hurried out of the door to learn what had happened, and when sheheard the corn had sprouted and caused all the commotion, she laughedand shook her fat form in amusement.
Mrs. James and Janet were most sympathetic, and hurried with Natalie tothe bed. Sure enough! The green blades were bravely holding up theirpointed green heads as if to bless their young planter.
"That's because yesterday was such a hot day, and the night was damp anddewy," remarked Mrs. James.
By this time Natalie had gone to her other vegetable beds, and nowcalled out: "Oh, oh! The beets and beans are up, too!"
To the great delight of the farmerette, it was found that all the shootshad now broken through the soil and tiny green heads were showing inneat rows wherever Natalie had planted seeds. This was very encouraging,and the three returned to the house for breakfast in an exalted frame ofmind.
"I don't s'pose there is anything more I can do to-day to hurry themalong, is there?" Natalie wondered aloud, as they finished breakfast andwere discussing the wonders of a vegetable garden.
Mrs. James laughed. "No, I should advise you to start out as Janet andyou planned, to interest girls in a Scout Patrol to-day. By
permittingthe vegetables to grow unwatched, they will surprise you the more.Perhaps the corn found courage to come out of the ground when it heardyou were not around to annoy it. Had we been about the place yesterday,instead of at camp, the corn may never have dared come out of hiding."
Natalie glanced at the speaker to see if she was in earnest, but Janetlaughed merrily at the words.
"Well," ventured Natalie, "as we ought really to find enough girls tofill our quota for a Patrol, I think we will visit some of the familiesto-day, and then attend to our farm work later."
"How shall we manage to get around to the different houses, Nat, if theyare so far apart?" asked Janet.
"I'm going to sit on the steps and watch for Mr. Ames to go by. When hecomes in sight I shall ask him to drive us to the Corners. He will stopat Tompkins' for an hour, most likely, and by that time we can be readyto come back. I want to call on Nancy Sherman and Hester Tompkins. Theyare both about our age. On our way back from the store, we will ask Mr.Ames to tell us when he can drive us to his brother's farm to buy thepig. He may say we can go this afternoon, and if he does, we'll go!"
"We'll buy the pig, all right, but we'll also get the Ames girl to saywhether she wants to be a Girl Scout with us," laughed Janet, admiringNatalie's clever plan.
"Janet," remarked Mrs. James, "don't you see a great improvement inNatalie's ambitions? In the city she never gave a thought to planninganything. Now she is all plans for the future."
"Yes, I see Nat blossoming out into a regular organizer," laughed Janet."If I don't watch out she will usurp my throne. I was always the leaderin the crowd of girls at school, but Nat is fast getting ahead of me."
The very idea of Natalie advancing ahead of Janet made the girl laugh.But it pleased her, too, to hear her friends praise her. She knew, aswell as anyone, that she was lazy and procrastinating in the city. Butnow she was eager to do things and to do them at once!
While she sat on the side piazza waiting for Mr. Ames, she watched therobins alight on the trees beyond the fence that divided the lawn fromthe field. They called to others, and chirruped at a great rate, as theyfluttered in and out among the green branches.
"What do you suppose makes them gather in _those_ trees? They have beenthere all day yesterday and to-day. Can they be building communitynests?" wondered Natalie aloud to Mrs. James.
"I rather think they are after the cherries. The fruit seems to haveripened quickly these last two days, and robins are very fond of ripecherries."
"Whose cherry trees are they, Jimmy?"
"I don't know, Natty, but the field is said to belong to this farm, so Iam going to ask Mr. Ames if the cherries are on our property. You see,they grow on the line with the fence, so I cannot tell what the land-lawsays about them."
Mr. Ames was now seen driving leisurely along the dusty road, and thethree who were awaiting him walked down to the gate and stood under thegreat elm tree watching his approach.
"Good-mornin'," called he, when within hearing.
"Good-morning," chorused the waiting group.
"I be'n thinkin' sence yistiddy, when I druv past them churry trees,there, that you'se oughter pick 'em right off! Ef you don't the durnedrobins'll spile all the fruit fer youh," announced the farmer, notwaiting to draw up to the gate.
"Oh, we wanted to ask you if the trees belonged to us," returned Mrs.James.
"Why, sure! Who else kin claim 'em?" said he.
"They stand on the fence-line, so we were not sure," explained Natalie,showing off her newly-acquired land-learning.
"It ain't that they're standin' on the survey line, but that the lastfarmer here used them trees fer fence-posts to nail the wire on. Thatsaved him three hull chestnut posts, see?"
"Oh, I see!" returned Mrs. James. "But how far off the line is hisfence? Are the trees inside or outside the wire fence?"
"Well, as fur as I remember now, he ran the fence about a foot this sidethe line-path. Your proppity ackchully goes out a foot furder on theroad, but runnin' the wire where he did, he managed to get the use outenall them trees what grow along the road. He saved 'most fifteen dollarsin posts by doin' that."
Mrs. James studied the situation for a few moments and then said: "Whenwas the wire fence stretched on this line?"
"Why, lemme see!" and Farmer Ames shoved his hat over one ear while hescratched his head for the necessary intelligence to beam forth. "Thatwas the last year, before one, that he lived here."
"Then the fence has stood on that line about three years?" persistedMrs. James.
"Yeh, about that."
"Well, then, I'll tell Mr. Marvin to order you to change it. When youget time you can plan to put up posts on the _right_ property line andremove the old wire fence."
Natalie and Janet wondered why anyone should bother over such a littlematter, but Mr. Ames understood, and smiled.
"I reckon you knows somethin' about proppity law, eh?"
"I know this much--that if that fence is allowed to stand withoutprotest for a certain time the land becomes public property, and Nataliewould have a lawsuit on her hands if she ever sold it or wished to claimit again. The fence should never have been placed back from the line,even if it saved fifteen dollars. Those three cherry trees are worth tentimes that sum, and once they become public property we can never regainrights in them."
Thus the two girls learned a bit of amazing real estate law while theystood by the wagon. When Mrs. James concluded, Natalie told Mr. Amesthey wished to go to the store, so he gladly made room for them on theseat beside him.
Janet and Natalie had no difficulty in enlisting Nancy Sherman andHester Tompkins in a proposed membership of the new Patrol, and thesetwo girls promised to interest Mabel Holmes and Sue Harper. So therewere already four girls, each about fourteen years old.
"I'm sure Dorothy Ames will join right off, 'cause she knows a girl atWhite Plains who is a Scout, and Dot wanted to start something like ithere. But we didn't know how to begin," explained Nancy Sherman.
When Mr. Ames was ready to drive home, his two companions were readyalso. Soon after they had left the Corners Natalie spoke of their desireto visit his brother's to buy a pig.
Janet instantly added: "And I want some chickens, too. Must I have a henset on eggs to raise them?"
"You kin do as you like about that! I kin sell you'se some young chickscheap, and you kin raise 'em. Then you kin buy a settin' hen and raise abrood that way, too. An' you'se kin keep some old fowl fer layin' aigsto use in the cookin'."
"Dear me, how much would all that cost me?" worried Janet.
"Wall, the aigs fer settin' ain't more'n other kinds. Th' old hen'llcost yuh about two dollars. Layin' hens cost about one-fifty each, an' agood rooster'll cost near abouts two-fifty. The leetle chicks won't costno more'n twenty-five cents each."
"Oh, that is fine! I can do that, all right!" cried Janet delightedly.
"How much will the pig cost her?" asked Natalie.
"Not much. When my brother has such a big litter as this one is, I'veknown him to give away a few of the little porkers before they cost himanything fer feed."
Natalie and Janet exchanged looks! Plainly they said: "Oh, if only thosepigs haven't cost him anything for feed!"
"How about keepin' right on to my brother's farm, now?" asked Mr. Ames,as they drew near the Green Hill house.
"That will be all right! We'll just let Jimmy know," replied Nataliedelightedly.
Farmer Ames was a kindly soul, but he had a keen sense of business aswell. When he heard the two girls talk of buying a pig and chickens, hewished to close the bargain without delay for his brother and himself.If they had time to think it over, they might change their minds, and hewould lose a sale. So he proposed that they go right on then andconclude the business.
"How about paying for them, now, Mr. Ames?" asked Janet. "I have towrite home for my money, and that will take a few days."
"Oh, don't let that worry you any. Let my brother do the worryin' abouthis pay," laughed Mr. Ames joki
ngly.
Mrs. James consented to their going to the stock-farm then and there,but reminded the girls that the chicken-coops and pig-pens were notready to receive any living creatures yet.
"Oh, we'll fix all that when we get back," called Janet as they droveaway.
Janet found the stock-farm so interesting that she almost forgot thereal cause of their visit--the enlisting of Dorothy in the new Patrol.The little pink pigs were so alluring in their antics that Janet decidedto buy the three which had been separated from the mother and had beenweaned.
The price asked seemed ridiculously cheap, compared to what butchers inthe city charged for a pound of pork. So the three pigs were placed in asmall box and the top was slatted down to keep the lively little thingsin bounds.
When this thrilling business matter had been concluded, Natalie toldDorothy about the new Patrol they wished to launch. They had no troublewhatever in gaining Dorothy's eager consent to become a member, as shehad long wanted to be a Scout. So the two girls started homeward aboutnoontime, feeling that they had accomplished a wonderful day's businessin many ways.
"We'll jest stop at my house to let you choose some hens an' chicks, an'I'll deliver 'em in the mornin', when I drive by."
"Why can't we take them along with us to-night?" asked Janet.
"Cuz it is hard work to ketch hens in the daytime whiles they arescratchin' around. But onct they go to roost at night, it is easy to gethold of 'em without excitin' 'em too much."
Natalie and Janet gazed at the various chickens they found about theplace, and Natalie whispered to her companion when the farmer was notnear by:
"Janet, choose the biggest ones you see, because Mr. Ames said they wereall the same price. Some of these are awfully small while some are greatheavy hens. You won't be taking advantage of him, you know, if he saidwe could take any we liked."
"That's so! I might take those big white hens with the yellow legs,"replied Janet.
"Yes, they're nice-looking, too. Those dappled ones are not a bitpicturesque; nor are those smaller hens with red-brown plumage. Thewhite ones will look so nice walking around our lawn."
So Janet selected six of the largest white hens she could find in theentire flock of several hundred chickens. Mr. Ames remonstrated in vainthat she had better take Rhode Island Reds, or some of the guinea hensinstead. She _wanted_ the big white ones.
"And we'll take that lovely rooster with the wonderful tail," addedJanet, selecting one with marvellous hues in his cock-plumes when thesun changed its colors to variegated beauty.
"He ain't no good fer a rooster, Miss," said Mr. Ames.
Natalie whispered advice again. "Janet, I believe he wants to keep himfor himself. Don't let him do it."
"Mr. Ames, I'll take the one with those pretty feathers, or I won't buyany!" declared Janet firmly.
"Oh, all right, Miss. I don't care what you choose as long as you wantthem. But I'm tellin' you-all, them hens is old and that rooster issickly," explained Mr. Ames, in a tone that said plainly: "I wash myhands of all your future complaints."
"Now how about the young chicks you told us about? Can I buy some ofthem?" asked Janet, when hens and rooster were noted on a paper.
"Yeh; come with me and I'll show you the kind you'd best get to startwith. They're about three to four weeks old and kin scratch ferthemselves and eat whatever they find. You kin let them run wild, andthey'll get stronger that way."
Then the chicks were selected and Mr. Ames found a hen that was wantingto set on a nest of eggs. So he picked up the hen and put her in afeed-bag. Both Natalie and Janet cried in fear lest she smother beforethey reached home.
"Nah, she's ust to such ways. I'll set her when we git over to GreenHill, and you gals kin pick out the eggs and slip 'em under her to-nightwhen it is dark. Then she won't bother you."
All this was very interesting to the two girls who had never heard aword about raising chickens, or setting hens, before. So Mr. Ames drovethem home in high spirits. The crate holding the pigs was left by thekitchen steps, and the hen placed in the coop on some china eggs, untilJanet could select other eggs.
On his way past the house again, Mr. Ames called to Mrs. James: "Themchurries oughter be picked soon. Ef you want me and my man to do it, wekin come this afternoon, likely."
Rachel overheard and said: "Mis' James, pickin' ox-hearts is fun fergals. Dem trees is jus' bustin' wid fruit a-waitin' a lot of young gals'hands to pick 'em. Ef I wuz you, Honey, I'd give Mr. Ames an answer inth' mawnin'. One night moh won't hurt the fruit, nohow."
The farmer sent an angry glance at Rachel, but she met it witheffrontery. When Mrs. James said, "I think I will wait until to-morrowbefore deciding," Rachel grinned at the discomfited man.
He drove away without loss of time, and merely said: "I'll bring themchickens over to-morrer."
The moment he was out of hearing, Rachel said eagerly: "Why, Mis' James,them Girl Scouts down at camp'll give their haids to climb them treesand pick cherries on shares fer you. Charity begins to home, so let ourgals get the benefit, says I!"
"Oh yes, Jimmy! Then Janet and I can help them, too. It will be heaps offun, I think. We have a good ladder in the barn, and another shorter onein the cellar, so some of us can pick the outside boughs while theothers climb up and do the inside branches," planned Natalie.
Mrs. James studied the blue sky seriously. Then said: "I suppose weought to pick them at once, then, while the weather is good. Once a rainsets in, cherries will rot. The birds, too, are ruining the ripe fruitwith their pickings, so we ought to begin work immediately afterluncheon."
"I'll tell you, then!" exclaimed Natalie. "While you and Rachel get theluncheon out, Janet and I will hurry to camp and ask Miss Mason if hergirls want to do the work."
"I'm sure they will be crazy to do it," added Janet.
So the two friends ran down to the woodland camp where a bevy of merryGirl Scouts were just finishing their dinner. Natalie told what broughther there, and added: "We ought to be able to pick all the cherriesbefore sundown, don't you think so, Miss Mason?"
"Why, yes, if so many of us work. But we might break down the branchesif we all climb in the trees," said she.
"Some of us will use ladders, and some climb the trees. There are three,you know, so we can plan to be on different boughs to pick," explainedNatalie.
The Scouts donned their overalls which they generally used in outdoorwork about camp, and started back with Natalie. At the house they weretold that the fruit was to be gathered on shares, and each girl couldsell her cherries to Mrs. James, or keep them, as she chose. Then thepickers were given baskets, or pails, and sent to the trees, whereNatalie and Janet joined them after luncheon.
The step-ladder found in the attic was brought down and placed under thetree with the low boughs. One girl mounted this and began to pick fromits top step. The long ladder from the barn was placed against anothertree so that the topmost branches could be reached by careful work, anda short ladder was put against the lower boughs.
Natalie eagerly climbed up in the branches of one of the trees and beganto pick quickly. She had a two-quart tin pail that was hung over a shortbranch near her hands, and as she began to pick the cherries, she sangor called to her companions. Rachel smiled approvingly as she heard her"Honey-Chile" so happy, then she turned to go back to her kitchen andstart a big supper for so many Girl Scouts that night.
After a time, Janet called to Natalie: "Say, aren't a lot of thecherries bad from the pecking the birds gave them?"
"Yes, and it's a shame, too! I pick what seems to be a luscious cherry,and when it is in my hand, it turns out to have a great rotted spot onthe other side," added one of the Scouts.
"If the birds would only keep at the same cherry and finish it, insteadof flying from one to another and taking a nip out of each," saidNatalie.
"Well, you see, they bite the ripe spot out of the cherry, and then flyto another good ripe mouthful. It is easier that way than trying to turntheir heads around the cherry to ea
t the opposite side," laughed Janet.
"Girls!" now shouted Natalie, making a quick dash at something about herhead. "Do these horrid little yellow-jackets annoy you, too?"
"They are after the decayed cherries," called a Scout.
"They are not yellow-jackets, are they? I thought they were hornets,"said another Scout.
"They're both--there is a hornet, now--buzzing about my ear!" criedJanet.
At that very moment, a sharp scream from Natalie caused every girl toturn her head and see what had happened. In another moment a crash ofbranches and a flash of a body falling down through the leaves madeseveral of the Scouts cry out in fright.
Natalie had been picking the cherries from the topmost branches, as sheliked to sit up high and pelt the stones from the fruit she ate, down atthe girls' heads, to tease them. The hornets had a small nest in the topof the tree, but Natalie was not aware of that. As she called andlaughed at her friends, the hornets began to grow excited, and when theyfound the annoyance failed to go away but came ever nearer their nest,they buzzed about and threatened in angry terms. Still Natalie paid noattention to what they said to her. She thought they wanted to feed onthe rotten fruit, whereas they merely wished her to go and leave them inpeace.
At last the disturbance was too much for one of the old hornets. He flewin circles about her head and scolded until his exasperation took formin the offensive. Natalie's neck was a very advantageous spot and shecould not see him when he lit on her collar and quickly crept up to thesoft smooth skin in the nape of the neck.
Without further warning he drove in his dagger-point and Nataliescreamed with pain. Forgetting that she was up in a tree, and must clingfast to the boughs, she suddenly put both hands to her neck. The naturalresult was, she fell down so quickly that her friends could not get toher assistance in time to do a thing.
Smaller twigs and branches had given way with her weight and she wouldhave fallen to the ground, had not a friendly bough caught her under thearms and suspended her momentarily. Then the smaller bough that grewfrom the friendly one snapped short off under the girl's weight, and thesharp up-thrusting section left on the tree ran right through thesuspender-straps at the back of her overalls. There she hung, like a toydoll on a Christmas Tree,--her feet dangling and her head and handshelplessly held out to be taken down by some kind friend.
The terrifying scream brought Rachel running from the kitchen and Mrs.James up from the cellar, where she had gone to hunt for more containersfor the cherries. When Rachel saw what had happened she wrung her fathands in agony.
"Oh, m' Honey! My li'l' chile--hang on t' dat limb fer all you'se wuth!"yelled she. Then she rushed over the grass to the rescue,--but Nataliedangled just out of reach above her head.
Janet slid down the rough trunk of the cherry-tree the moment she heardher friend shriek. Her thin stockings hung in strips when she reachedthe ground, and her legs were skinned from knees to ankles, but she feltno pain, as she was so excited over the outcome of this accident.
"Quick! Someone get that step-ladder we had here!" cried she, jumping upand down in her fear that Natalie would let go and fall; yet she was tooexcited to run for the ladder herself.
Rachel instantly comprehended and jumped across the intervening spacebetween the two trees and caught a firm hold of the lower part of thestep-ladder. She never stopped to see if anyone was on the top step. Butone of the Scouts had been standing on it with her form hidden in thefoliage of the tree. As Rachel whirled the ladder out from under her,the Scout was left in mid-air, instinctively clutching the branches tosave herself.
The other Scouts had descended the trees by this time, and some ran overto help save Natalie, while others stopped under the tree where the newaccident threatened to take place.
"Help! Help!" yelled the girl who was dangling from a bough.
Miss Mason had been measuring the cherries impartially, half for theindividual pickers and half for Mrs. James, when the first accidenthappened. She was out of the house and crossing the grass when thesecond scream reached her ears. She saw an old hemp hammock hanging froma clothes pole on the drying-place, and had a sudden idea.
The hammock was snatched and carried over to the tree where the Scouthung. "Here, girls! Spread it out quickly! We will have a life-savingnet and win a reward for our presence of mind!" ordered the teacher.
The Scouts instantly obeyed and the net was spread even as May wailed:"I have to let go! My hands won't hold on longer!"
"All right! Drop!" commanded Miss Mason. "We'll save you."
May yelled and let go. She was caught in the meshes of the old hammock,but the hemp was so rotten that in another moment it separated and letMay down on the grass. However, it had answered its purpose, for thetime, and had broken her fall.
While this "first-aid" was being given, Rachel ran, in great excitement,back to assist Natalie. She had hastily placed the extra-highstep-ladder under the tree and, without taking time to see that thebraces that hold back and front sections firmly apart were _not_ taut,she began to mount the steps to reach her "Honey."
Half-way up, the now overbalanced ladder started to sway uncertainly,and Rachel gasped as she wildly tried to clutch something to steadyherself. Natalie's feet were the only available things in sight.
"Ough! Mis' James! Heigh, down dere--someone grab hol' on dis ladder!"shouted Rachel, her eyes almost popping from her head.
"Wait! Hold on, Rachel!" called a chorus of voices below.
The ladder was still quaking uncertainly when Rachel lost courage andbegan to descend precipitously, without stopping to find a sure footingon the steps. Consequently, she missed the second step from the bottomand sat down unceremoniously in a bushel of ripe ox-hearts.
"Umph!" was the grunt that was forced from her lungs, but the Scouts allhowled with dismay when they saw the result to their patient cherrypicking.
Janet did not stop to see what was occurring to Rachel. The moment shesaw the mammy come down, she ran up the steps and steadied herself byholding to the bough from which Natalie still swung. Miss Mason managedto hold the bottom of the ladder until Janet had guided her friend'sfeet to the top step. Then the strain on the suspenders was loosened andit was easy to unbuckle the straps at the back of the overalls.
In a few more moments, Natalie was helped down the ladder and once morestood on _terra firma_. But such a funny sight was presented her whenshe breathed in safety once more, that she momentarily forgot the hornetsting and laughed wildly.
Mrs. James had called several of the Scouts to help her in pullingRachel up out of the bushel basket upon her feet again. This musculardeed was accomplished just as Natalie stepped down on the ground. ButRachel's percale bungalo-gown was a sight!
The luscious ripe cherries were mashed all over her skirt, and half ofthe fruit in the basket was crushed as if done by a fruit-press. Rachelwas torn between two fires--that of humble apology to the scout-pickersfor spoiling their "fruits of labor" and concern over Natalie who washolding her hand over the back of her neck. Mother-instinct that was sodeeply rooted in Rachel, although she had never had a child of her own,won the day and she ran over to Natalie to ascertain the extent of thetroublesome sting.
"Oh, mah pore Honey! Mah sweet li'l' chile--did dem nasty bees stingyoh?" Rachel cried, enfolding Natalie in her capacious embrace. Then sheadded, "Now jus' you-all wait a minit, chillun, an' I'll soon git datstinger out."
Consequently she made a soft paste of mud and water, and slapped ahandful of it on Natalie's neck. Then she tied a towel over it to keepit in place.
"Now, Honey, yoh jus' sit heah wid yoh haid down in front, so's dat mudwon't run down yoh back," advised she.
Natalie obeyed, albeit the mud did ooze in trickles down her back andfill up at her belt in a dried lump.
The pain of the sting was soon over, and Natalie tried to gather somemore cherries, but she kept away from the top of the tree where thehornets still buzzed angrily about. The other Scouts also kept a safedistance from that nest.
By sundown all the cherries were picked, and the quantity evenly dividedinto shares. Each girl had made a pile of the fruit she gathered, and sono Scout felt that another was benefiting by her work. But when all wasmeasured out, it was found that the girls had picked about the samequantities, with but little variation.
That evening while enjoying Rachel's bountiful supper, the Scout girlswere told about the new Patrol that Janet and Natalie were hoping tostart. That was a very engrossing subject and no one gave a thought tothings outside, until it was time for the Scouts to return to camp. Thena plaintive squealing came from a crate placed on the piazza, and Janetsuddenly remembered the pigs.
"Oh, horrors! Will little pigs die if they have been left without athing to eat for a day?" wailed she, as she clasped her hands in shockedconcern.
Everyone laughed at her, and Mrs. James said: "Not if you attend to themat once. But they will have to live in the crate overnight, as nothingcan be done about housing them now."
So Rachel mixed a dish of warm milk and corn meal for the wailingsquealers, and soon hushed their clamorings. Janet felt guilty of grossneglect on the first night of her business investment, but Natalie triedto condole with her by saying:
"Well, cherries, and pigs, and new Scouts can't all be gathered in oneday, you know."
This created such a laugh at the quaint combination of the tripleinterests, that Janet felt relieved in mind. After the Scouts had goneback to camp, Natalie reminded Janet of the eggs they were to give thehen for setting.
"We'll do that now," said Janet anxiously.
So the two girls went to the pantry without asking advice of Rachel orMrs. James, and counted out twelve eggs. These were carefully carried tothe hen-coop and after many wild squawkings from the hen, and concernedaction by the two farmerettes, seven of the twelve eggs remainedunbroken and were placed under the future mother of a family.
"My! I wouldn't want to experience a skirmish with a hen very often,"said Janet, counting the scratches on her hands and arms after theyreentered the kitchen.
"Neither would I," agreed Natalie, holding her hands and wrists underthe cold water faucet to let the cooling flood wash away the signs ofbattle with the hen's sharp bill.
"Well, she's got seven sound eggs to hatch, anyway. When we get time tospare, we will put a few other eggs under her, so we can have the fulldozen chicks as Mr. Ames advised."
"I never knew it was such a simple matter to raise chicks, did you?"remarked Natalie, as she wiped her hands on the kitchen towel.
"No, and when you think of all the money we pay for roast chicken in NewYork, it makes you want to live always on a farm, doesn't it?" addedJanet.
But neither girl knew that many store eggs were not suitable forhatching chicks. They had not examined the yolks as chicken farmers do,to see if the egg was fertilized. So they had placed two suitable eggs,and five unfertilized eggs, under the hen. When but two chicks wouldresult from that experiment, what a disappointment there would be. Janetwould be sure to declare that stock-raising wasn't such an easybusiness, after all!
Natalie: A Garden Scout Page 10
