A Campfire Girl's First Council Fire

by Jane L. Stewart

  CHAPTER IX

  A CLOSE SHAVE

  "I never thought of that, Bessie! Do you suppose he'd really go afterthe girls and look for us there?"

  "You could hear how mad he was, Zara. I think he'd do anything he couldto get even with you for running away like that. It made him lookfoolish before all those men and it'll be a long time before folks lethim forget how he was fooled by a girl."

  "What are we going to do?"

  "I'm trying to think. If I could get word to Miss Eleanor, she'd knowwhat to tell us, I'm sure. I'm afraid she'll be wondering what's becomeof me--and maybe she'll think I just ran away, and think I was wrong todo it."

  "But she'll understand when you tell her about it, Bessie, and if youhadn't come I never would have got away by myself. I'd have been afraideven to try, if there'd been a chance."

  "The worst part of it is that if Farmer Weeks really has any right tokeep you, or if you were wrong to run away, it might get Miss Eleanorinto trouble if they could find out that she's been helping you to getaway."

  They were walking along the road, but now Bessie, who had forgotten theneed of caution in her consternation at the thought of the new plightthey faced, pulled Zara after her into the bushes beside the highway.

  "I heard wheels behind us," she explained. "We mustn't take anychances."

  They stopped to let the wagon they had heard pass by, but as it camealong Bessie cried out suddenly.

  "That's Paw Hoover!" she said. "And I'm going to speak to him, and askhim what he thinks we ought to do. I'm sure he'll give us good advice,and that he's friendly to us."

  She hailed him, and the old farmer, mightily surprised at the sound ofher voice, pulled up his horses.

  "Whoa!" he shouted. "Well, Bessie! Turning up again like a bad penny.What's the matter now?"

  Breathlessly Bessie told him what had happened, and of Zara's escapefrom Farmer Weeks, while Zara interrupted constantly to supply somedetail her chum had forgotten.

  "Well, by gravy, I dunno what to say!" said Paw Hoover, scratching hishead and looking at them with puzzled eyes. "I don't like SilasWeeks--never did! I'd hate to have a girl of mine bound over tohim--that I would! But these lawyers beat me! I ain't never had no truckwith them."

  "Will the law make Zara go to him, Paw?" asked Bessie.

  "I dunno, Bessie--I declare I dunno!" he answered, slowly. "He seemsalmighty anxious to get hold of her--an' I declare I dunno why. Seemslike there must be lots of other girls over there at the poor-farm hecould take if he's so powerful anxious, all of a sudden, to have a girlto work for him. I did hear say, though, that he'd got some sort of apaper signed by the judge--an' if that's so, there ain't no tellin' whathe can do. Made him her gardeen, I guess, whatever that is."

  "But Zara doesn't need a guardian! She's got her father," said Bessie.

  Paw shook his head. He looked as if he didn't think much of the sort ofguardianship Zara's father would give her. He was a good, just man, buthe shared the Hedgeville prejudice against the foreigner.

  "I reckon you're right about not wantin' to get those young ladies I sawyou with mixed up with Silas, Bessie," he went on, reflectively. "Toobad you can't get hold of that Miss Mercer. She's as bright as a button,she is. Now, if she were here, she'd find a way out of this hole beforeyou could say Jack Robinson!"

  "I believe she could, too," said Bessie. "If you'd seen the way shestarted out after Farmer Weeks when I told her I thought he must havegone to Zebulon!"

  "Zebulon? Was she a goin' there? Then maybe she ain't come back yet, an'we could meet her on the way. Eh?"

  "Oh, I'm afraid she must have gone back to the girls long ago," saidBessie.

  "Well, you jump in behind there, and get under cover. Ain't no one goin'to look in--you'll be snug there, if it is a mite hot. An' I'll justdrive along an' see if I can't meet your Miss Mercer. Then we'll knowwhat to do. An' I'll spell it over, an' maybe I'll hit on some way tohelp you out myself, even if we don't meet her. Like as not I'll comeacross Silas Weeks, too, but he'll never suspicion that you're in herewith me. Ha! Ha! Not in a million years, he won't. No, sir!"

  Bessie laughed, and she and Zara jumped in happily.

  "We've got ever so many friends, after all, Zara," she said, in awhisper, as they drove along. "Look at Paw Hoover. He's been as nice ashe can be, and he thinks I set his place on fire, too! I'm sure thingswill be all right. We'll find the girls again, and everything will bejust as we had planned."

  "Bessie, why do you suppose Farmer Weeks is so set on having me to workfor him? Doesn't that seem funny to you? I'm not as clever as lots ofgirls he could get, I'm sure."

  "I can't guess, Zara. But we'll find out sometime, never fear. Did heand your father ever have anything to do with one another?"

  "They did just at first when we came out here. He came over to our placein the evenings a good deal, and he and my father used to talk together.But I never knew what they talked about."

  "Did they seem friendly?"

  "They were at first."

  "Then I should think he would have tried to help your father when therewas trouble."

  "No, no! They had an awful quarrel one night, and my father said he wasas bad as some of the people who hated him in Europe, and that he'dhave to look out for him. He said he was so rich that people would dowhat he wanted, and after that he was afraid, and whenever he did anywork, he used to get me to stay around outside the house and tell him ifanyone came. And he always used to say that it was Farmer Weeks hewanted me to look out for most."

  "Well, there's not much use in our thinking about it, Zara. The more wepuzzle our brains over it, the less we'll know about it, I'm afraid."

  "That's so, too, Bessie. I'm awfully sleepy. I can hardly keep my eyesopen."

  "Don't try. You've had a hard time to-day. Get to sleep if you can. I'llwake you up if there's any need for it. I'm tired, but I'm not sleepy atall, and this ride will rest me splendidly."

  Bessie peeped out now and then, and she kept her eyes open on thelookout for the spring where Farmer Weeks had surprised Zara. But whenthey passed it, although she looked out and listened hard, she couldn'ttell whether the Camp Fire Girls were on the bluff above the roadside ornot, and she was afraid to ask Paw Hoover to stop and let her find outfor certain, since there was the chance that Farmer Weeks might havereturned with the idea that Zara, having escaped his clutches, wouldnaturally have come back to the place of her capture.

  Bessie understood very well that, while Paw Hoover was proving himself atrue friend, and was evidently willing to do all he could for them, itwould never do for Silas Weeks or anyone else from Hedgeville to knowthat he was befriending the two fugitives. She could guess what MawHoover would say to him if she learned that he had helped her, and ifthere was the chance that Farmer Weeks might get Miss Mercer intotrouble through her friendship for them, Paw Hoover was running the samerisk.

  Until after they reached the crossroads where Bessie had so fortunatelybeen led to take the right turn in her pursuit of Zara earlier in theday, they did not pass or meet a single vehicle of any sort, nor evenanyone on foot. Zara slept soundly, and Bessie, soothed by the motion ofthe wagon, was beginning to nod sleepily.

  She had almost dozed off when she was aroused sharply by a sudden shoutto his horses from Paw Hoover, and she heard him call out laughingly:

  "Hello, there, Miss Mercer! Didn't expect to see me again so soon, didyou? I'll bet I've got the surprise of your life for you."

  Then she heard Wanaka's clear voice.

  "Oh, Mr. Hoover! You don't mean--"

  "Yes, I do--and the pair of them, too," he said.

  "Well, really? Oh, I'm so relieved! I've been half wild about poorlittle Zara. I wasn't so afraid for Bessie--she's better able to carefor herself."

  How proud Bessie was when she heard that!

  "Jump up, Miss Mercer. Then you can talk to Bessie. She's keeping undercover, like the wise young one she is. I'm afraid there's still troublestirring, Miss Mercer."

&nbs
p; "I know there is, Mr. Hoover," Eleanor answered, gravely. And then shelooked through to see Bessie, and in a moment they were in one another'sarms.

  "I've been to Zebulon, and I've found out lots of things," said Eleanor."Bessie, unless we're very careful that horrid old Mr. Weeks will gethold of Zara again, and the law will help him to keep her. I don't knowhow you got her away from him; you can tell me that later. But just nowI've thought of a way to beat him."

  "I knew you would," said Bessie.

  "The law is wrong, sometimes, I'm sure," said Eleanor. "And I'm just assure that this is one of the times. I've seen Mr. Weeks, and no onewould trust Zara to him. He'd treat her harshly, I know, and I don'tbelieve it would be easy to get him punished for it--around here, atleast."

  "You're right there, ma'am," said Paw Hoover. "Silas Weeks has got toomany mortgages around here not to be able to have his own way when he'sreally sot on getting it."

  "Now, listen," said Eleanor quickly to Bessie. "I'm going to change allour plans because I'm sure we can do more good than if we stuck to whatwe meant to do. Mr. Hoover, can you spare the time to drive Bessie andZara to the road that crosses this about half a mile before you come toZebulon, and then a little way down that road, too?"

  "I'll make the time," said Paw, heartily.

  "Then it's going to be easy. I want them to get to the railroad. Thereare too many people around the station in Zebulon, and there'd almostsurely be someone there who knew them. I'm not sure of just where Mr.Weeks is right now. He might even be there himself. So that's toorisky--"

  "I see what you're driving at," said Paw, suddenly. His face broke intoa smile. "There's a station further down the line--a little no-accountstation, ain't there? I've seen it."

  "Yes, Perryville. But the down train stops there, and it isn't just aflag stop, either. Now, listen, Bessie. Mr. Hoover will take you there,or nearly there, so that you can easily walk the rest of the way. Andwhen you get there don't get by the track until you hear the traincoming. Stay where no one is likely to see you, and then, when the trainwhistles, run over and be ready to get on board. And get off at PineBridge--Pine Bridge, do you hear? Will you remember that? When you getthere, just wait. I'll be there almost as soon as you are."

  Paw Hoover burst into a roar of laughter as he listened.

  "Bessie said you'd have a way to beat Silas Weeks, and, great Godfrey,you sure have!" he said. "I never thought of that--but you're right. Gether out of the state, and there ain't no way under heaven that Silas canget hold of the girl unless she comes back of her own accord. Courtwrits don't run beyond state lines, not unless they're in the Federalcourt. Godfrey, but you're smart all right, young lady!"

  "Thank you," said Eleanor, smiling at him in return for the compliment."You're sure you understand, Bessie? Here's the money for your fare. Youwon't have time to buy tickets, so just give the money to theconductor."

  Then she dropped from the wagon to the road and Paw Hoover whipped uphis horses.

  "You sleep, if you can, Bessie," he said. "I'll wake you up when it'stime to get down."

  And Bessie, her mind relieved, was glad to obey. It seemed to her thatshe had only just gone to sleep when Paw Hoover shook her gently toarouse her.

  "Here we are," he said. "Station's just over there--see, beyond thebend. Remember what Miss Mercer told you, now, and good luck, Bessie! Ireckon we'll see you again sometime."

  There were tears in Bessie's eyes as she said good-bye. She watched himdrive off, and then she and Zara sat down to wait for the coming of thetrain. They sat on the grass, behind a cabin that had been abandoned,where they could see the track while they themselves were hidden fromanyone approaching by the road they had come. And before long the railsbegan to hum. Then, in the distance, there was the shriek of a whistle.

  "Come on, Zara," cried Bessie, and they ran toward the station, just asthe train came into sight, its brakes grinding as it slowed down.

  And then, as they climbed aboard, there was the sudden sound ofgalloping hoofs, and of hoarse shouting. Farmer Weeks, in his buggy,raced toward the train, his hands lifted as he called wildly to theconductor to stop.