The Argosy, Vol. 82 No. 2 — page 41: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

GETTING AWAY that much hungrier. Now, has any one un- packed the food?” “T’ve brought most of it to light,” grunt- ed Mr. Farnham, from his knees. “It seems to me that Jack said something about laying in a stock of eggs and so on, but it must have slipped my mind. Here’s flour and salt—yes, and this is bacon, even if it is rather shopworn. Yes, and coffee and syrup of some kind and some canned beans.” “Where’ll I put the stove?” Cragg want- ed to know. “Away over here,’ said Mary Callum. “And will you please bring both lanterns, too, because I shall need a lot of light. And Mrs. Hapworthy, would you mind lending me just a little hand? And—I suppose you're dreadfully tired?” she asked Aunt Hettie. “Not too tired to do anything that will hurry the meal,” that lady replied briefly. “Then you come, too, and [’ll tell you just what to do!”? Mary commanded hap- pily. | She danced away after Mr. Cragg and his lanterns and stove and the others fol- lowed somewhat dispiritedly. Jane was on the point of joining them when Mr. Farn- ham stayed her. “You climb back in the car and. make yourself comfortable—and just rest!” he said. ‘That cooking class is big enough now. Ill get the tents up and so on. Let’s have your assistance, Happy, over on this side.”’ With Mr. Hapworthy puffing beside him he tugged at straps—and more straps and still more straps. Long pauses came, as they flattened sections of canvas. on the ground and inspected them. Other buckles were opened, other sec- tions shaken out; half-drowsily, Jane heard the large young man muttering with grow- ing wonder and disgust—but when he ad- dressed her his voice was cheerful as usual. ‘“{ don’t know just where the misunder- standing came in,” he said, ‘‘but Jack seems to have omitted the cots.” “He said he’d send everything,” said Jane. “He may have meant everything he had, but the bed equipment here is limited to just two blankets; that means sleeping on the ground, I’m afraid—but it’s nice and warm these nights.” “But he sent the tents, didn’t he?” the hostess asked. FROM THOMPSON. 223 “To be painfully frank, he sent just one tent—and it isn’t much of a tent for size at that. Still, it will be plenty for you ladies and we can make ourselves comfort- able in the car. What’s the time, Happy?” “Nearly nine o’clock,” Mr. Hapworthy reported. ‘Good gracious!” muttered Farnham. “They must be waiting supper for us. We'll get something to eat and then pitch the tent.” With some alacrity Jane descended from her perfect six and crossed the clearing with the two men. There was activity on the other side. Cragg stood in the lantern light holding a pail of water and watching the tiny stove dubiously; on the other side of Mary Cal- lum, as she bent over a steaming vessel, were Mrs. Hapworthy and Aunt Hettie, each with hands full of small articles which they passed to. Mary as she called. And now, smiling brightly, Mary turned to the approaching trio. “Oh, supper isn’t nearly ready yet!” said she. ‘You three just keep away and we'll call you.” 7 Mrs. James Hapworthy squinted through the gloom at her husband, just beside Jane Fayre and, in his own obvious fashion, ex- amining her beauty by lantern light with an appreciative eye. “Vou,’ said Mrs. Hapworthy, here. We may need you.” “Well, Dll pitch the tent, then,” Mr. Farnham announced. ‘Better to get it done before supper, anyway, I suppose. You ladies will want to turn in pretty early.” 1)? He moved away and Jane, presently, moved after him, to sit on the step of her car and watch him work. It was indeed a small tent and it proved a cranky one when unaccompanied by a chart and directions. Its inventor, very likely, would have had it standing and ready in five or ten minutes; but Mr. Farn- ham was not its inventor. Patiently he worked, though, stretching one section and finding that it belonged elsewhere, adjusting another only to dis- cover that it formed part of the fly. For so insignificant a shelter, the contrivance was near to maddening, but at last it stood before them, nicely stretched and pegged into place and Mr. Farnham consulted his watch. “Ten fifteen!” he breathed. COMMUC 0) (C@)