“We’ll gladly stretch the walls to take you all in,” said Donald Ferry, “but perhaps the big house plan is the better.  Suppose you ladies go over and let mother satisfy her longing to be of use by making Miss Sally dry, while we fellows get the cots into the house, and bring over some wood from our pile for the fireplace.  It will need open windows and a rousing fire in there to freshen the musty air.”

“Jarvis, you must come, too—­you and Bob.  You’re both very wet,” urged Mrs. Burnside.

“Yes, go over, Burnside, and ask mother for some dry clothes of mine,” said Ferry.  “Bob—­”

“I’ve got some dry clothes packed away somewhere in the tent, if I can only find where they’ve gone to,” answered Bob.

“I’ll work myself dry,” and Jarvis suited the action to the word by beginning to unfasten the guy ropes.

“Jarvis!” It was his mother’s voice.  At the note in it, he stood up again, laughing.  “All right, mother,” he agreed, and walked away with her toward the cottage.

“These people who have been so anxious to camp,” said Max to Ferry, “I hope they’re satisfied now.”

“Oh, such experiences are a part of the fun of camping,” asserted Ferry.  “Mr. Rudd certainly looks cheerful,” and he held up his lantern so that its rays illumined Uncle Timothy’s face.

The elder man smiled.  “It seems to me we are fortunate to have had no worse happen,” said he.  “That was the most violent wind I have ever known.”

“It shook our little house to its foundations,” replied Ferry.  “I think it took down a chimney, but I didn’t stop to find out.  Mother was certain your camp must be blown over into the next township, and could hardly wait for me to get out and see.  Well, shall we go to work?  Tent down first—­and that will take all hands, for wet canvas is heavy.”

They fell to, Jarvis soon returning to join them.  It took considerable time to remove the tent from its position, for much care was necessary to prevent its dampening the tent furniture beneath.  But after that it was easy to move the cots and bedding to the house, the hallway of which was now lighted by two lamps brought over from the cottage.

“We’ll make up the beds!” cried Sally, appearing with Josephine in the big hall, her face radiant.  “I can’t lose any more time tamely discussing this event over there, when I can be here in the midst of things.”

“Good for you!  Now, Bob, suppose you and I leave the others to bring over the rest of the stuff, while we haul some wood for the fireplace,” and Ferry beckoned Bob away to the next job.  He was smiling back at Sally as he went, for her joy, though he did not quite understand its cause, was contagious.

So it was not long before a cheerful blaze was throwing grotesque lights and shadows down the hall, showing up the odd array of cots and beds which had been brought, without regard to final disposition, into the hall.  Sally selected the long room on the left of the hall, its doorway directly opposite the fireplace, for the feminine portion of the family, announcing that the others could sleep in the hall itself.  Into this room she directed Uncle Timothy and Alec to move four of the cots, and set Mary Ann at work making up the beds in the hall.