Wanaka was outside, looking about anxiously, when Bessie came again into the firelight. Always a light sleeper, and especially so when she was responsible for the safety of the girls who were in her charge, Eleanor Mercer had waked at first of Bessie's terrifying shrieks, almost as frightened, for the moment, as Jake himself. She had risen at once, and a glance in the various tents, where the girls still lay sound asleep, showed her that Bessie alone was missing. Naturally enough, she could not guess the meaning of the outcry. The cries of the frightened jokers puzzled her, and there was nothing about the din that Bessie made to enable the Guardian to recognize the voice of her newest recruit. But she had realized, too, that to go out in the woods in search of Bessie and of an explanation, was not likely to do much good. Her duty, too, was with the girls who remained, and she could only wait, wondering. She greeted Bessie with a glad cry when she saw her. "Oh, I'm so glad!" she exclaimed. "But what are you doing with that sheet? And--why, you're crying!" "I'm not--really," said Bessie. "But I laughed so hard that it made the tears come--that's all, Wanaka." Then she told her story, and Wanaka had to laugh, too. She was greatly relieved. "But you ought to have called me, Bessie," she said. "That's why I'm here, you know--to look out for things when there seems to be any danger, or anything you girls don't quite understand." "But I wasn't quite sure, you see," said Bessie. "And if it had really been a bird, it would have been awfully foolish to wake everyone up just because I thought I heard something." "You'll be able to win a lot of honors easily, Bessie, when you come into the Camp Fire. That's one of the things the girls do--they learn the calls of the birds, and to describe them and all sorts of things about the trees and the flowers. You must know a lot of them already." "I guess everyone does who's lived in the country. Some people can imitate a bird so it would almost fool another bird--but not Jake. He's stupid." "Yes, and like most people who try to frighten others, he's a coward, too, Bessie. He showed that to-night." "I'm not afraid of him any more. If I'd known before how easy it was to frighten him I'd have done it. Then he'd have let me alone, probably." "Well, you go to bed now, and get to sleep again. And try to forget about Jake and all the other people who have been unkind to you. Remember that you're safe with us now. We'll look after you." "I know that, and I can't tell you how good it makes me feel." Wanaka laughed then, to herself. "I say we'll look after you," she said, still smiling. "But so far it looks more as if you were going to look after us. You saved Minnehaha in the lake--and to-night you saved all the girls from being frightened. But we'll have to begin doing our share before long."