you see, and sew them on. Then I can have autographs on them, and
mottoes, and when I cover myself up with it I shall really feel like a
dryad."

"And here is what I have brought," said Mr. Raybold, holding up an armful
of bark.

"Oh, thank you very much," said Margery, taking the mass, but not without
dropping a good many of the pieces. "Of course it was kind of him to bring
it," she said to Mrs. Archibald, as they left the room together, "but he
needn't have bothered himself: I don't want to sleep under a wood-pile."

CHAPTER IX

MATLACK'S THREE TROUBLES

"Have you asked those two young men to breakfast again?" inquired Mr.
Archibald, after examining, with a moderate interest, the specimen of
birch-bark which Margery had shown him.

"Oh no, indeed," said she, "they have had their breakfast. They have been
telling me about it. The bishop got up very early in the morning and
cooked it for them. He's a splendid cook, and he found things in their
hampers that they didn't know they had. They said his coffee was
delicious, and they have left him there in their camp now, washing the
dishes and putting everything in order. And do you think, Uncle Archibald,
that it is going to rain?"

"I do," said he, "for it is sprinkling already."

This proved to be the first bad day since the Archibald party had gone
into camp, and the rain soon began to come down in a steady, practised
way, as if the clouds above were used to that sort of thing and could
easily keep it up all day.

As there was no place under roof to which company could be conveniently
invited, Margery retired to her room and set herself diligently to work on
her birch-bark quilt.

Mrs. Archibald established herself in the division of the cabin which was
intended to be used as a sitting and dining room in bad weather, and
applied herself to some sewing and darning, which had been reserved for
just such a day as this. Mr. Archibald, in a water-proof suit, tried
fishing for half an hour or so, but finding it both unpleasant and
unprofitable, he joined his wife, made himself as comfortable as possible
on two chairs, and began to read aloud one of the novels they had brought
with them.

Mr. Clyde and Mr. Raybold had considerately gone to their own camp when it
began to rain, hoping, however, that the shower would be over in a short
time. But the rain was not a shower, and they spent the morning on their
backs in their tent, talking and smoking. Of cours