gery?" questioned Jane.
"Matter?" complained Buster. "One might as well try to sleep in that
boiler factory at Meadow-Brook as in this camp."
"That's so, Little Sunshine; I agree with you. This is a dynamite as
well as a boiler factory, with an explosion twice, every day and at
least once in the night."
"Dynamite?" piped Tommy. "Where ith it?"
"There, you see! You have awakened every one of us except Hazel,"
complained Jane. "Now, go on talking and you'll waken her, too; then
we'll all be awake, and can think about cooking breakfast."
"Jane McCarthy, you can talk more and say less than any person I ever
knew," exclaimed Margery petulantly.
"I agree with you, Little Sunshine. I agree with every word you have
said this morning, and I'm going to come right over there and kiss you
for your sweetness. Isn't she good-natured, and so early in the
morning, too?" laughed Jane, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
A shout of laughter greeted Crazy Jane's naive words. The shout
awakened Hazel. Margery dropped her hands from her face. Her petulant
mouth relaxed into an unwilling smile; then she burst out laughing.
"I thought I'd chase away that sour face," teased Jane.
"I'll look crosser than ever if you don't stop," threatened the stout
girl.
One by one the girls went over to the rivulet and washed. There was
not much water to be had, but it made up in coldness what it lacked in
quantity and freshened them greatly. Harriet started to prepare the
breakfast as soon as she had washed and dried her face and hands. The
dishes were set out on the granite shelf, and there, more than two
thousand feet in the air, the Meadow-Brook Girls sat down to their
morning meal. Janus had not returned by the time they finished, but
came in about half an hour later. He had the blanket and the handle of
the frying-pan that Tommy had dropped. He said that was all there was
left of the frying-pan. He thought the handle might be useful
somewhere, so had brought it back with him.
"I suggest that we take the handle home and frame it. We might give it
to Tommy as a souvenir," suggested Harriet.
"Never mind. I've thouvenirth enough as it ith. I've got thouvenirth
all over my perthon," declared Tommy.
"You may have more before the day is done," chuckled Jane, pointing to
the heights that they were to climb that day. Tommy eyed them askance.
She did not fancy what was before her, but with a sigh of resignation
went
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