The first work that the new girls were called upon to do was to gather sticks from the forest for a campfire.

“A Camp Girl,” Miss Partridge had told them, “should first of all know how to build a fire, the campfire being the family fireside when one is in the forest.  It is the basis of the camp life.  Being of the rank of Wood Gatherers it is your duty to gather the fagots for your own fire.”

The girls were instructed in the relative values of different woods as fuel.  They learned too that, as birch bark burned very freely, it should be used in starting the campfire whenever available.

Having gathered the wood the girls were further instructed in piling it to the best advantage, leaving an open space at the bottom of the pile so that a draft might be created.  Each girl was called upon to lay the wood for the fire, then taught to light the fire either in windy or calm weather.  One of the leaders among the more experienced Camp Girls started a second fire for them by rubbing two sticks together.  She explained that it required dry tinder for this purpose, something seldom found in the woods.

By the time the lesson had come to an end the luncheon hour had arrived.  There was more conversation at this meal, though it was carried on in low tones.  The same depressing cloud that had been in evidence at the morning meal, was still present.  Harriet noticed, too, that Miss Elting had barely spoken to Grace and her that morning.  This hurt Harriet.  She felt it keenly, though Miss Elting’s avoidance of the two girls was because she did not wish either one to talk with her about the hazing.  All inquiry as to that offense must be left to the Chief Guardian.  As yet the Chief Guardian had made no move looking toward an inquiry into the doings of the previous night so far as any of the girls knew.

About the middle of the afternoon, however, Harriet saw a large group of girls gathered about a tree near the camp.  The girls appeared to be laboring under considerable excitement.  She hastened over and after a short time managed to elbow her way close enough to see what it was that had so excited them.

Nailed to the tree was a piece of white bark.  On it was written the following order: 

    “A Council Fire will be held this evening at eight o’clock.  All
    Camp Girls will report promptly, in full ceremonial garb.

    “By order of the Chief Guardian.”

That was all, but it was sufficient to set the tongues of the Camp Girls wagging.  Those who had been there for some time knew exactly what this order meant.  Harriet did not.

“Oh, there’ll be a merry time in Camp Wau-Wau this evening,” cried Cora Kidder.

“Somebody will catch it,” nodded Patricia.  “Well, we don’t have to cry.  We were in our little cots sound asleep, as we can easily prove.  Do you know,” she confided in a lower tone to several of her companions, “I shouldn’t be at all surprised if there were more to this than you girls dream.”