indignant denials. No room for doubt remained now
that the missile had been hurled by someone outside the semicircle near
the bonfire.

All eyes were turned back toward the timber a short distance away, but
not a sign of a human being could they see in that direction.

"If we'd been on the other side of the bonfire, we'd have got that
shower of sparks right in our faces and all over us," Katherine Crane
said indignantly.

"We ought to find out who threw that rock, or whatever it was," Ethel
Zimerman declared. "It must be a very dangerous person, who ought to be
taken care of."

"If that sort of thing is repeated many times, some of us probably will
have to be taken care of," observed Julietta Hyde.

"Listen!" Miss Ladd interrupted, and the occasion of her interruption
did not call for explanation. All heard it. A moment later it was
repeated.

"Wohelo!"

"No Camp Fire Girl ever made such a noise as that," said Helen Nash
disdainfully.

"It sounds like a man's voice," Azalia Atwood remarked.

"I'll bet a Liberty Bond that it is a man," ventured Ruth Hazelton.

"Have you a Liberty Bond?" asked Helen.

"I'm paying for one out of my allowance," Ruth replied.

Just then the "noise" was repeated, a hoarse hollow vocalization of the
Camp Fire Watchword. This time it seemed to be farther away.

"The person who gave that call threw the missile into our bonfire," said
Miss Ladd in a tone of conviction. "If he bothers us any more we'll find
out who he is."

The girls now turned their attention again to the fire. Several pails of
water were carried from the lake and dashed into the embers until not a
spark remained. Then they returned to their tents and to bed, although
apprehensive of further disturbance before morning.

But they heard nothing more of the intruder that night.

Shortly after sunup, the girls arose, put on their bathing suits, and
went down to the beach for a before-breakfast plunge. Marie Crismore and
Violet Munday reached the water's edge first, and presently they were
giving utterance to such unusual expressions, indicative seemingly of
anything but pleasure that the other girls hastened down to see what
was the matter.

There was no need of explanation. The evidence was before them. The
stakes that had been driven into the bed of the lake to hold the rope
intended to indicate the safety limit had been pulled out and thrown
upon the shore. The rope itself had disappeared.

"There surely ar