Captain, confirming her guess by a glance at her watch. "It
is," she said. "So we'll eat here," and she indicated a little grassy
knoll under a great oak tree at the side of the road.

"There's the most beautiful spring of water here, too," went on Grace.
"Shall we make tea?"

"Do!" exclaimed Mollie. "I'm just dying for a good hot cup. But not
too strong."

Soon they had merrily gathered about the greensward table, on which paper
napkins formed the cloth. The sandwiches were set out, with a bottle of
olives to add to the attractiveness, and then the little kettle was put
on the alcohol stove, which had been set up in the shelter of the great
oak's massive trunk.

"It's boiling!" finally announced Betty. "Hand me the tea ball,
Amy, my dear."

Pouring the steaming water over the silver tea ball, Betty circulated it
around in the cup, until one fragrant brew was made. She passed this over
to Mollie, and proceeded to make another.

"It's delicious!" cried the French girl, as she tasted it, cream and
sugar having been added. "Oh, isn't this just lovely!"

"Perfect," murmured Grace. "I wouldn't have missed this for anything!"

In pure enjoyment they reclined on the grass after the meal, and then, as
Betty, after a look at her watch, warned them that the better half of
their journey still lay before them, they started off again.

They had proceeded a mile or so, and the way was not so pleasant now, for
the road was sandy, when they came to a fork of the highway. A time-worn
sign-post bore letters that could scarcely be made out, and, though they
had a road map, the girls were not quite sure which way to take to get to
Rockford. They were debating the matter, alternately consulting the map
and the sign-post, when a farmer drove past.

"Which road to Rockford, please?" hailed Betty.

"Th' left!" he exclaimed, sententiously. "G'lang there!" This last to the
horses, not to the girls.

"The road map seems to say the road to the right," murmured Betty, as the
farmer drove that way himself.

"Well, he ought to know," insisted Grace. "We'll take the left,"
and they did.

If they had hoped to have all go smoothly on this, their first day of
tramping, the girls were destined to disappointment. In blissful
ignorance they trudged on, talking so interestedly that they never
thought to glance at the sign-boards, of which they passed several.

It was Amy who discovered the error they had made--or rather, the error
the far