to him.

* * * * *

We allowed about an hour and a half for hiking around through the woods.
We didn't think it would take that long, but we knew the land was low
and we guessed that the lake might run into marshes. Safety first. But
we found a trail in the woods and it was easy going. So the way it
happened, we got to _Camp Smile Awhile_ a little before twelve instead
of at one. It was lucky for _Camp Smile Awhile_ that reinforcements
reached the bloody scene in time to save the day--I mean the dinner.

The first thing we saw was a good-sized tent and the next--oh,
_Christopher Columbus_, what a sight! Talk about the West Front!

There were girls sitting all around on the ground, simply screaming.
Close to the fireplace, that was made out of stones, stood Pee-wee with
a great big white apron on that went right down to his feet.

"It--it--would have been all right if I hadn't tripped," we heard him
say; "that could happen----"

"Look at him," I said to the fellows; "only look at him. He looks like
the end of a perfect day."

All over his hair was yellow stuff, and there was flour on his face and
all over his stockings and shoes. There were big black smootches on his
face, too. He had a can in one hand and a girls' curling iron in the
other and a big greasy frying pan under one arm.

We were about a hundred feet off, among the trees, and we just stood
there staring and trying not to scream.

"This is terrible," Westy said; "what do you suppose happened?"

"What's he doing with the curling iron?" Wig whispered.

I just leaned against a tree and shook and shook till my head ached.

I said, "I don't know what he's doing with the curling iron, but I
think--wait a minute till I can speak--oh, oh, oh--I _think_ he tripped
over the apron while he was trying to flop an omelet and the omelet came
down on his head. Don't speak to me!"

"He's suffering from shell shock or something," Connie said.

"Not shell shock, _omelet_ shock," I told him; "this is--gh--gh--astly.
I wonder what became of the ch--ch--ch--icken!"

CHAPTER XVI

UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER

Then we all marched in, just as if nothing had happened--you know, kind
of careless like.

Westy said, "Good morning, it's a beautiful afternoon this evening. Is
dinner ready?"

The girls just couldn't speak, they were laughing so hard. Two of them
were trying to pluck the feathers out of a couple of chickens, and by
tha