The Meadow-Brook Girls Across Country; Or, The Young Pathfinders on a Summer Hike — A Closer Reading

summer, to their homes in Meadow-Brook.

Surely the Meadow-Brook Girls need no introduction to the readers of this series who will recall how, under the chaperonage of Miss Elting, the four girls had gone to the summer camp in the Pocono Woods, where, somehow, each day of their life had grown increasingly exciting. All of the things that happened to Harriet and her friends at that time are set forth in the first volume of this series, under the title of “The Meadow-Brook Girls Under Canvas.” While in the summer camp the Meadow-Brook Girls had passed through many varied and exciting experiences. The mischievous initiation of Harriet Burrell and Grace Thompson by the older girls, the arrival in the camp of Jane McCarthy, known to her friends as “Crazy Jane” and the series of lively happenings that followed her coming; the nocturnal visit of a bear, and Harriet’s spirited chase of the animal were incidents that contributed to the interest of the narrative.

Harriet’s brave rescue of her companions during a severe storm and her subsequent generous treatment of the two Camp Girls, Patricia Scott and Cora Kidder, who had plotted against her, won for her the warm admiration of her associates at Camp Wau-Wau.

When it had come time to leave the camp in the great forest it had been agreed by the Meadow-Brook Girls and their guardian that, instead of returning by train they would walk all the way home, disdaining any “lifts” or other helps that prevented them from making their way strictly on foot.

So endeared had “Crazy Jane” McCarthy become to them all during her stay in camp that she had been voted as one of their number. Crazy Jane, however, would hear of but little walking. She sent for her automobile, a present from her father, and insisted on using this in “scouting” and in carrying the tent and provisions for the Pathfinders, as the Meadow-Brook Girls now elected to call themselves.

Each night Jane would meet the girls at a place agreed upon in advance. Then the tent would be pitched at some distance from the highway, and there the girls would spend the night. But now, on the third day, the Meadow-Brook Girls had failed to meet their supply car. What they were to do for the night, Miss Elting did not know. Her first move was to see to the preparation of the little food that they had with them.

Jane McCarthy, with a full purse and a wealthy, indulgent father, had claimed the right of being purveyor of food on that long journey. The speed at which that young woman traveled permitted of her foraging far and wide. Whereever she went she was likely to be remembered, for it was her reckless driving that had given her the name of “Crazy Jane.” Yet this light-hearted, impulsive girl had wonderful control of her machine. With all her reckless driving she had never yet injured any one, though her friends often remonstrated with her for her haphazard style of running her car.

Supper finished, Margery and Hazel were left to attend to the dishes, and to put them in the packs, which were ordinary hunters’ bags, made to strap over the shoulders.

“After you have finished the work, girls,” directed Miss Elting, “be sure to extinguish the last spark of the fire. Harriet, will you come with me?”

“Thay, where are you going?” cried Grace. “Pleathe don’t go away and leave uth here alone. It ith going to be dark, pretty thoon.”

“Don’t you want a place to sleep?” smiled the guardian.

“Yeth, but it’th getting dark,” Tommy insisted.

“All the more reason for finding sleeping quarters,” smiled Miss Elting.

“Are you thinking of trying the barns?” asked Harriet, as she and the guardian stepped away.

“Yes. I don’t see anything else to do.”

“We’re going to have a storm,” Harriet went on thoughtfully, “so of course we shall do well to secure more shelter than we could get by making a brush lean-to.”

“I don’t believe we are in the least danger of being disturbed in the barn,” the guardian continued. “I don’t imagine there are any other human beings within several miles of this place. This is certainly a very lonesome bit of country. It is the first day since we have been out that we haven’t met some one. That may be because we have kept away from the roads to-day. We haven’t been on a highway more than an hour all day long.”