CHAPTER XIX AN UNINVITED GUEST
Cora was not visible when the party drove up to the bungalow, for AuntBetty and the girls had put her to bed, with strict injunctions that sheshould stay there for the rest of the day. She had objected at first, butat last had yielded. And to tell the truth, she was not sorry to yield totheir gentle compulsion, for although she was little the worse physicallyfrom her adventure, she had been under a terrific nervous strain that hadtaxed her heavily.
But she appeared at supper time, fresh and radiant, her eyes sparklingand her spirits high.
"I declare it's almost worth being lost for the sake of being made somuch of when one gets back," she declared, with a loving look round atthe circle of friends, who could scarcely take their eyes off her.
"Why shouldn't we make much of one who comes to us straight from theskies?" said Walter.
"There's one less angel up there now," added Paul.
"But don't let me catch you running away again, sis," said Jack, withmock severity. "We'll forgive you this time, but once is plenty. I don'tknow but what I ought to put a ball and chain on you as it is."
"You needn't worry," answered Cora. "I'm cured. I'll stick to the rest ofyou now closer than your shadows."
"By the way," remarked Walter, as he passed his plate, "we met an oldfriend of yours on our way back from the mill this morning."
"Who was that?" asked Cora with interest.
"Give you three guesses," teased Paul.
She ventured several names and then gave it up.
"It was that dark-skinned gypsy who interfered the other morning, whenyou girls were going to have your fortunes told," said Walter.
Cora was all interest in an instant.
"And did you see the girl?" she asked eagerly.
"She wasn't along," replied Paul. "The man was all by his lonesome."
"A regular brigand he was, too," commented Walter. "I'd hate to meet himat night in a dark alley."
"We tried to talk to him," explained Paul, "but he shut up like a clam.Pretended he couldn't understand."
"The rest of the gypsies can't be far off," observed Belle.
"Wouldn't it be fine if they camped somewhere in this neighborhood?" saidBess.
"I wish they would," replied Cora. "I'm crazy to have another talk withthat gypsy girl."
"I'm afraid Joel doesn't share your sentiments," laughed Walter. "Tospeak of gypsy to him is like waving a red rag at a bull."
"They're not very likely to settle down here," declared Jack. "Theyusually pitch their tents somewhere in the vicinity of a town, so thatthey can have plenty of visitors. The nearest place to this spot they'dbe likely to fix on is Wilton. That's quite a good-sized town, andthere's a big summer hotel there. But that's as much as four miles away."
"What's distance to us as long as we have the cars?" said Cora. "For thatmatter, it wouldn't be too far to walk. I wish you boys would keep youreyes and ears open and let us know if you find out anything about them."
They promised readily, but several days passed without any scrap of newsfrom the wandering tribe.
One other bit of news, however, gave them unqualified pleasure. Theylearned from a paper that Jack secured on a trip to a neighboring townthat Miss Moore had safely landed at Governor's Island and had broken allrecords for a cross-country flight.
"Oh, I'm so glad!" exclaimed Cora, clapping her hands. "I've beenworrying ever since that morning for fear I'd caused her to lose, and Iknow how much her mind was set on winning."
And forthwith she dispatched a telegram, care of the Aero Club, thatread:
"Your grateful passenger sends warmest love and congratulations."
And it may well be guessed that few of the messages that overwhelmed MissMoore on the completion of her wonderful feat brought her more realsatisfaction than this.
"I'm pining away for a trip on the lake," announced Belle, one beautifulmorning a few days later.
"Let's picnic up at the farther end of the lake," said Cora. "I noticedthe loveliest spot for an outing the last time we were up there."
"Your wish is our command," said Jack with exaggerated courtesy. "I'dhave suggested it before, if I hadn't thought you girls might feel a weebit nervous about the _Water Sprite_ after the narrow escape we had lasttime. But we've spent a good deal of time in fixing her up since then,and now she's perfectly safe."
"We're not a bit afraid," was the unanimous verdict of the girls.
"And let's get a few fish on the way," said Walter. "There's nothing thattastes better than a fish fry under the trees. And I know a way ofbroiling them on oak twigs that will make you think you're eatingambrosia. I'll be chef and Jack and Paul can clean the fish."
"Such a chance!" exclaimed Paul. "You'll do your share of the cleaning,and don't you forget it!"
"You'd better catch the fish before you fall to scrapping over them,"remarked Cora.
"You boys go ahead and get your bait," commanded Belle, "while we get onour boating suits."
"We fellows seem to be unanimously elected to do all the work," remarkedJack. "I suppose you girls will want us to put the worms on the hooks foryou, too."
"Likely enough," admitted Bess.
"Worms, little boys?" sniffed Belle.
"Bent pins, too, for hooks," suggested Cora.
"Worms make a perfectly satisfactory bait, and don't you forget it!"declared Walter.
"Bet the fish swallow those worms so greedily our arms will ache pullingthem in so fast," added Jack.
While the boys prepared the fishing tackle and dug the bait, Aunt Bettysaw to it that an ample lunch was prepared, and by the time the girlscame down, dressed for the trip, everything was in readiness.
They made their way down to the shore of the lake, and a cry of surpriseand delight broke from the lips of the girls when they caught sight ofthe motor boat.
For it was a new, a rejuvenated, _Water Sprite_ that met their eyes. Shehad been dowdy and disreputable when she had taken them out on the firsttrip. But the boys had made several surreptitious trips to the nearesttown, and had come back laden with sundry cans of paint and varnish.
They had worked like troopers, painting the boat from stem to stern,varnishing the deck and the interior of the cabin, and cleaning every bitof the brass work until it shone like gold.
The _Water Sprite_ was a perfect picture now, as she floated gracefullyat the end of the little pier, her ivory white coat of paint contrastingbeautifully with the rich brown of the deck tints and her name showing ingold letters on her stern.
"Isn't she a darling?" exclaimed Bess ecstatically.
"She's a dream!" asseverated Belle.
"So that's what you boys have been up to on these mysterious trips ofyours, is it?" asked Cora, shaking her finger at them.
"Caught with the goods," grinned Jack.
"Guilty, with extenuating circumstances," admitted Walter.
"We throw ourselves on the mercy of the court," laughed Paul.
"You see," explained Jack, "it didn't seem the right thing to us thatsuch pretty girls should sail in such a shabby boat."
"Well, all I have to say is that you boys are perfect darlings to go toall this trouble for us," declared Bess emphatically.
"It looks like
"'An ivory shallop, silken-sailed,'"
quoted Belle.
"Except that there are no sails," laughed Cora. "But the ivory part isall right. Really, girls, it looks almost too pretty to use. Talk aboutCleopatra's barge!"
"There was only one queen on that, while we have three," grinned Walter."But come along, girls. I want you to catch those fish, so I can show youwhat a peach of a cook I am."
The girls went on board in high glee, Paul cast off the moorings, Jackstarted the engine to chugging, and Walter this time took charge of thewheel.
The _Water Sprite_ darted off proudly, as though conscious she waslooking her best. The boys had not been content with mere decoration, b
uthad made a thorough job of fixing the hull as well, and this time therewas no danger of wet feet.
They went down the lake some distance, and then Jack stopped the engine,and the _Water Sprite_ floated about lazily, while they baited the hooksand threw out the lines.
"I've got a bite," said Jack suddenly.
"Does it hurt?" asked Walter solicitously.
Bess giggled, and the others joined in when Jack hauled up a lot ofdripping weeds.
"Old Izaak Walton had nothing on you as a fisherman," chaffed Paul.
But the laugh was on him a moment later, when a voracious pickerel madeoff with his hook and sinker, and he ruefully pulled up his broken line.
Cora was the first to score, landing a big flopping perch to anaccompaniment of little squeals from Bess and Belle.
From that time on the luck was good, and before long they had a number ofperch and pickerel, together with enough bass to supply all they neededfor an abundant dinner.
"I guess we're pretty well fixed now," said Jack, as he eyed the pile offish. "What do you say now to hustling along and giving Walter a chanceto make good on that frying proposition? I think he's bragging, if youask me."
"You do, eh?" retorted Walter. "If you clean the fish as well as I cookthem there'll be nothing left to ask for."
They started up the boat again, and before long were near the end of thelake. They went along slowly, trying to find the special place that Corahad referred to.
"There it is!" she exclaimed at length. "See! Right in that little cove."
She pointed to a little indentation in the shore where the trees hadthinned out so as to leave an open space carpeted with velvety, springingturf. Near by, a tiny promontory extended into the water, and here it wasdeep enough for the _Water Sprite_ to float without touching bottom.
"What a lovely spot!" exclaimed Belle.
"A little bit of Eden," seconded her sister.
"And a dandy place to land," commented Jack. "We can fasten a rope tothat tree and step ashore without having to wade."
The boys helped the girls ashore, and followed them, bringing along theircatch.
While the girls emptied the contents of the lunch basket and spread thegood things about in a shady spot, Walter gathered some wood, dug a holein the ground and lighted a roaring fire. As the flames died down hecarefully raked the embers into the hole, until he had a small furnacethat gave forth an intense heat.
Then he prepared a skillet of oak twigs dexterously twisted together, andwas ready. Jack and Paul in the meantime had been cleaning the fish.
"Hurry up, you common laborers," ordered Walter in a lordly tone. "Don'tkeep an artist waiting."
A fish-head whizzed past his ear and he hastily sought refuge behind atree.
"Bad shooting," he taunted.
"Good enough to make you duck," retorted Jack.
"While these rough-necks are disturbing the peace," drawled Walter, "itmight be a good idea to get some of those blackberries up there. They'llcome in handy for dessert."
He pointed to a group of bushes about a hundred feet distant.
"I'll go," volunteered Belle, rising to her feet. "You girls go ongetting things ready. This lunch basket is empty now and I'll take italong for the berries."
She started to pick busily, while Walter, taking the fish that had beencleaned, began to broil them over the fire.
A delicious, tantalizing savor rose from the oak skillets, and promisedto justify all that Walter had claimed for his cooking.
"Hurry up, Belle!" called Cora. "Walter's nearly finished now, and we'reall ravenous."
"I'll be with you in a minute," sang out Belle, "but there's one big bushhere that's just dying to be picked."
She moved toward it, but stopped in fright as she heard a grunt and snorton the other side of the bush.
The next instant she found herself looking into the eyes of a big blackbear!
The Motor Girls in the Mountains; or, The Gypsy Girl's Secret Page 19
