miles from civilization; but, unless we are perfectly
comfortable in the woods, I shall take you to the best hotel in Lenox.
From there you may do your mountaineering in a respectable way."

"All the more need for you to hurry, Ruth," whispered Bab in her friend's
ear. "I feel sure we shall find the guides and wagons waiting for us at
the foot of the hill. If we get an early enough start up the mountain we
can get fairly settled by night time."

Ruth nodded with her eyes straight in front of her. She kept her car
moving swiftly ahead.

"Barbara, it is quite idle to talk to Ruth," broke in Miss Sallie, who
had not heard just what Bab had said. "She is her father's daughter. Once
her mind is made up to accomplish a thing, she will do it or die! So we
might as well resign ourselves to our fate. She will reach 'her
mountain,' as she calls it, by noon, even if we have to jump a few of
these embankments to succeed."

Miss Sallie was growing tired.

"Why did I ever allow myself to be brought on such a wild expedition
after the experiences you girls led me into in Newport!" she said.

"Now, Miss Sallie!" said Grace Carter gently--Grace was always the
peacemaker--"you know you love these glorious woods as much as we do.
Think how jolly things will be when we go down into Lenox after it grows
too cold to stay in camp. Who knows but you will turn out the best
sportsman in the lot? And we shall probably have our guide teach you to
shoot before we are through this trip."

Miss Stuart sniffed indignantly. Then she laughed at the thought of her
plump fingers pulling the trigger of a gun. "What is our guide's
outlandish name?" she inquired in milder tones.

"Naki, and his wife is called Ceally," Grace answered. "You remember Mr.
Stuart explained they were originally French Canadians, but they have
been living in these mountains for a number of years. Because they used
to be guides up in the Canadian forests they don't know any other trade
to follow in these peaceful woods."

"These woods were by no means always peaceful, my lady Grace!" asserted
Bab. "You can't even be perfectly sure they are peaceful now. Why," she
went on in thrilling tones, "these hillsides once ran red with the blood
of our ancestors and of the friendly Indian tribes who fought with them
against the French."

"Oh, come! come! No more American history!" remarked Mollie. "Beg pardon,
but I do object to Bab's school-teacher manner. Did you ever see anything