ely, happily this time, and not in terror of their
enemy, as they had come. And there, looking about her in all directions,
was Eleanor Mercer, and behind her all the girls of the Manasquan Camp
Fire.

"Oh, I'm so glad! I was afraid something had happened to you!" cried
Eleanor. "But now it's all right! We're all here, and safe. In this
state no one can hurt you--either of you!"

Laughing and full of questions, the other girls crowded around Zara and
Bessie, so happily restored to them.

"We feel as if you were real Camp Fire Girls already!" said Eleanor
Mercer, half crying with happiness. "The girls were wild with anxiety
when they found you had gone away, too, Bessie, even though we hadn't
told them everything. But they were delighted when I got back and told
them you were safe."

"We were, indeed," said Minnehaha. "But it was awful, Bessie, not to
know what had become of you, or how to help you! We'd have done anything
we could, but we didn't know a single thing to do. So we had just to
wait, and that's the hardest thing there is, when someone you love is in
trouble."

Bessie almost broke down at that. Until this wonderful meeting with the
Camp Fire Girls no one but Zara had loved her, and the idea that these
girls really did love her as they said--and had so nobly proved--was
almost too much for her. She tried to say so.

"Of course we love one another," said Eleanor. "That's one of the laws
of the Fire, and it's one of the words we use to make up Wo-he-lo, too.
So you see that it's just as important as it can be, Bessie."

"Yes, indeed, I do see that. I'd be awfully stupid if I didn't, after
the splendid way you've helped us, Miss Eleanor. What are we going to
do now?"

"We're going to join the big camp not far from here. Three or four Camp
Fires are there together, and Mrs. Chester, who is Chief Guardian in the
city, wants us to join them. I talked to her about you two over the
long-distance telephone before we got on the train, and she's so anxious
to see you, and help me to decide what is best for you to do. You'll
love her, Bessie; you're sure to. She's so good and sweet to everyone.
All the girls just worship her."

"If she's half as nice as you, we're sure to love her," said Zara.

Eleanor laughed.

"I'm not half as wonderful as you think I am, Zara. But I'm nicer than I
used to be, I think."

"Oh!"

"Yes, indeed! I used to be selfish and thoughtless, caring only about
having a good time mys