"The camp's fine. I'm having the time of my life!" Sadie declared, and added, "Elizabeth, you haven't said one word." "She doesn't need to," Olga put in quickly, her hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. They were climbing the steps now, and at the camp they were greeted with another song of welcome from the Guardians and the rest of the girls, and then Laura put Olga into the most comfortable hammock to rest and, leaving Elizabeth beside her, carried the others off for a talk. That night the supper was a festival. The girls had gathered masses of purple asters with which they had filled every available dish to decorate the tables, the mantelpiece, and even the tents where the newcomers were to sleep. Miss Anne had brought to camp a big box of tiny tapers, and these stuck in yellow apples made a glow of light along the tables. Nobody appreciated all this more than Jim. With his hands in his pockets he stood looking about admiringly, and finally expressed his opinion thus: "Gee, but it's pretty! Camp Fire Girls beat the Scouts some ways, if they ain't so patriotic." Instantly there was an outburst of reproach and denial from Miss Laura's girls. "O, come, Jim, that's not fair!" "We're _just_ as patriotic as the Scouts!" "Boy Scouts can't hold a candle to Camp Fire Girls _any_ way!" "We'll put you out if you go back on Camp Fire Girls, Jim." Jim, flushed and a little bewildered at the storm he had raised, instinctively sidled towards Laura, while Jo, close behind him, chuckled, "Started a hornets' nest that time, ol' feller." Laura, her arm about the boy's shoulders, quickly interposed. "We'll let Jim explain another time. I know he thinks Camp Fire Girls are the nicest girls there are, don't you, Jim?" "Sure!" Jim assented hastily, and peace was restored--for the time. But the girls did not forget nor allow Jim to. The next night after supper they swooped down on him. "Now tell us, Jim," Lena Barton began, "why you think Boy Scoots are more patriotic than we are." "'Tisn't Boy _Scoots_--you know it isn't," Jim countered, flushing. "O, excuse me." Lena bowed politely. "I only had one letter wrong, and, anyhow, they do scoot, don't they? Well, Boy Scouts then, if you like that better." "They love the flag better'n you do--_lots_ better!" Jim declared with conviction. "Prove it! Prove it!" cried half a dozen voices. "Er--er----" Jim choked and stammered, searching desperately for words. "You've got an awful nice Camp Fire room at Miss Laura's, but you haven't even a little teeny flag in it, and Scouts _always_ have a flag in their rooms--don't they, Jo?" he ended in triumph. "You bet they do!" Jo stoutly supported his friend. "Ho! That doesn't prove anything. Besides, we'll _have_ a flag when we go back," Lena asserted promptly. "Well, anyhow, girls an' women can't fight for the flag, so of course, they _can't_ be so patriotic," Jim declared. "Can't, eh? How about the women that go to nurse the wounded men?" said Mary.