“Now bring me all the pine boughs you can get.  I shall need a lot of them,” said Harriet brightly.

Jane herself carried a great many of these boughs to the spot.  Harriet broke them off to a length to suit her, after which she began sticking the boughs in the soft earth, tops uppermost.  Armful after armful was disposed of in this manner until a fragrant green mound had been built up.  On top of this when she could find no more room to stick the sharp ends of the boughs, the girl laid other boughs, being careful not to leave any sharp ends projecting.

“Now, Jasper, if you will bring me my mattress, we will try the bed,” she said after completing and surveying her work critically.

Jasper did as she requested, for Harriet’s lame back would not permit of her lifting anything of weight.  The mattress was placed on top of the heap.  Harriet pointed to it, nodding brightly to Crazy Jane.

“Try it, dear,” she said.

By this time quite a crowd of girls had gathered about Harriet to watch the making of the bed, never having seen anything of the kind before.  Jane very cautiously placed herself on the new bed.  To her amazement it did not break down with her.  Instead she seemed to be lying on fragrant air.  Jane uttered a little cry of delight.

“How do you like it?” chuckled Harriet.

“Oh, girls this is simply great.  I could just die on this bed.”

“Please don’t.  I want to sleep on it to-night,” answered Harriet laughingly.  “I didn’t make it for you to pass your last moments on.  I made it to sleep on and I propose to have a real sleep there this very night.”

However, as a matter of fact, Harriet Burrell was not destined to enjoy her night’s rest on the bed of pine boughs.

On the contrary she was destined to pass a most miserable night, in this her first sleep in the open.

CHAPTER XXII

SLUMBERS RUDELY DISTURBED

“Miss Burrell, are you going to sleep outside to-night?” It was the first time Patricia Scott had addressed Harriet in some days.

“Yes, if the weather remains clear,” returned Harriet.

“I should like to occupy the other cot in your tent.  I wish to be near my friend.”

It will be remembered that since the night of the storm, Harriet had been sleeping in a small A tent, in which there were but two cots—­one of them occupied by Cora.

“You may occupy it as long as you wish, Miss Scott,” replied Harriet cordially.  “I shall be out here for five nights at least and perhaps longer unless a storm should come up.  If it does storm I’ll run in and bunk on the floor.”

“Thank you.”  Patricia turned away with a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes that Harriet Burrell did not see.  Harriet remained a few moments to finish making her bed so that she need not return to her bunk until the hour for “lights out” had arrived.  Patricia had gone to the cook tent before Harriet started for there.  Harriet thrust her head into her tent to see if Cora were there.  She saw the girl lying on the cot wearing a kimono.