Camping -- Fiction; Manners and customs -- Fiction
The bishop smiled. "You allude, I suppose," said he, "to the fact that my
hat and clothes are brushed, and that I am freshly shaved and have on a
clean collar. I like to be as neat as I can. This is a gutta-percha
collar, and I can wash it whenever I please with a bit of damp rag, and it
is my custom to shave every day, if I possibly can. But as to leaving you,
I shall not do so this evening. I have promised those young gentlemen who
so kindly invited me to their camp that I would prepare their supper for
them, and I must now go to make the fire and get things in readiness."
"Have they engaged you as cook and general help?" asked Matlack.
"Oh no," said the bishop, with a smile, "they are kind and I am grateful,
that is all."
CHAPTER X
A LADIES' DAY IN CAMP
Two days after the rainy day in camp Mr. Archibald determined to take the
direction of affairs into his own hands, so far as he should be able.
Having no authority over the two young men at Camp Roy, he had hitherto
contented himself with a disapproval of their methods of employing their
time, which he communicated only to his wife. But now he considered that,
as they were spending so much of their time in his camp and so little in
their own, he would take charge of them exactly as if they belonged to his
party. He would put an end, if possible, to the aimless strolls up and
down the beach with Margery, and the long conversations of which that
young woman had grown to be so fond, held sometimes with both young men,
though more frequently with one. If Clyde and Raybold came into the woods
to lounge in the shade and talk to a girl, they must go to some other camp
to do it. But if they really cared to range the forest, either as
sportsmen or lovers of nature, he would do his best to help them; so this
day he organized an expedition to a low mountain about two miles away,
taking Matlack with him as guide, and inviting the two young men to join
him. They had assented because no good reason for declining had presented
itself, and because Phil Matlack earnestly urged them to come along and
let him show them what a real forest tramp was like. Before his recent
talk with Peter Sadler, Phil would not have dared to go out into the woods
in company with the bicycle man.
The two ladies were perfectly willing to remain in camp under the charge
of Martin, who was capable of defending them against any possible danger;
and as the bishop had agreed to take charge of Camp Roy during the absence
of its occupants, Mr. Archibald planned for a whole day's tramp, the first
he had taken since they went into camp.
When Martin's morning work was done he approached the shady spot where the
two ladies had established themselves, and offered to continue his lessons
in fish-flying if Miss Dearborn so desired. But Miss Dearborn did not wish
to take any lessons to-day. She would rest and stay with Mrs. Archibald.
Even the elder lady did not care to fish that morning. The day was hot and
the shade was grateful.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account