ul outlook upon Dan, who was swimming nearly a
mile out from the shore. When Dan had finished and climbed back up the
cliff, then only did Billy set out for Sunrise camp.

There were also temperamental difficulties, needing adjustment among the
Camp Fire girls.

Frankly, both Sally Ashton and Gerry Williams had been bored by their
long journey down the California coast and their many pilgrimages to the
old Spanish missions along their route. With their natures it was
impossible for either of them to understand how any human being could
obtain a great deal of pleasure from mere scenery and what persons were
pleased to call romantic atmosphere. To Sally and Gerry romance took
shape in a very different guise.

During the trip they were at least sustained by the hope that, once
settled in their summer camp, they would begin making agreeable
acquaintances, notwithstanding, up to the present time, Sunrise camp had
developed about as many social opportunities as a desert island.

Therefore, one morning, with the perfectly definite plan of going forth
in search of adventure, Sally and Gerry set out upon a little
temperamental excursion.

CHAPTER V

Abalone Shells

After their summer holiday together at the Grand Canyon the Sunrise Camp
Fire girls had been separated during the previous winter, returning to
their own homes. Nevertheless, they kept in touch with one another and,
as a matter of fact, among the seven girls only Gerry Williams' history
had remained a mystery to the others.

From the moment of her appearance upon the west-bound train with Mrs.
Burton, who had introduced her as the new member of their Camp Fire
group, not a word had been spoken concerning Gerry's past. Mrs. Burton
must have regarded her friendship as a sufficient guarantee, since ever
afterwards she and Gerry had continued equally reticent, not even
confiding under what circumstances they originally had learned to know
each other.

Naturally such secrecy aroused a certain degree of curiosity, and now
and then one of the Camp Fire girls would ask Gerry a question, thinking
her answer must betray some small fact in her past. But either she would
evade the question or else politely decline to answer.

She was poor--no one could continue blind to this actuality--but whether
her parents were living or dead, whether she had any other relatives, no
one could find out from Gerry herself or from her Camp Fire guardian.

In truth, Gerry mad