But Lydia and Kent did not want to use the roads.  It was with the old familiar sense of make believe adventure that they started on what they called a Bee-line southwest.  And it was mid-afternoon before, hungry and leg weary, they reached the store that backed up against the Indian school!

They bought sardines, crackers and cheese and ate them perched on a dry goods box near the hitching rack.

“There!  I feel happier,” said Kent as he threw away the empty sardine cans.  “How are you, old lady?”

Lydia swung her feet contentedly.  “Fine!  Let’s start back.  We’ll be there by supper time, I’m sure we know the way now.”

Kent nodded, offered Lydia a stick of gum, took one himself, put a huge supply in his pocket and they were off.

But alas for the vanity of amateur woods-craftsmen!  The late June dusk found them still threading the endless aisles of pine, their sense of direction completely obscured by the sinking of the sun.

“Scared, Lyd?” inquired Kent as they paused for a moment’s rest on a log.

“No, but I’m awful hungry and I’ve chewed gum till I’ll scream if I see another piece.  We ought to come on another wick-i-up soon.”

“We’ve come on a dozen of them,” grumbled Kent.  “If we could make the Indians understand where the camp is, it would be all right.  And I don’t know what Charlie’s Indian name is, so that doesn’t help.”

Lydia drew a trifle closer on the log to Kent.  “Supposing we have to stay out here all night!” She shivered a little.

“Well, I’d light a fire,” said Kent in a matter of fact manner that Lydia suspected was assumed, “and fix you up on a bed of pine needles.  Then I’d stand guard all night, like a little tin hero.”

“No, we’d guard in turns,” corrected Lydia.  “Kent, what’s the use of starting on until the moon comes up?”

“None at all,” returned the boy.  “It’s due about nine, isn’t it!  I hope the folks won’t worry about us.  In the meantime, you and I can have a good old talk, like the old days.  Remember?”

It was entirely dark now in the woods.  Fireflies darted about.  Crickets shrilled and an occasional owl hooted.  Lydia moved still closer to Kent, until his shoulder touched hers.

“I remember!  Kent, are you afraid?”

“I should say not!  I like the woods at night.  Don’t the fern and the needles smell fine?  Lyd, what’re you going to do after you finish High School?”

“Go on to the University.  Aren’t you?”

“Dad wants me to, but I guess I’ll go to work.  Why waste four years learning a lot of stuff that’ll never earn me a cent?”

“But you could take engineering, or law.”

“All lawyers are crooks and I’ve no head for figures.  I’m going into the real estate business.  There’s real money in that, particularly if Levine gets his bill through.  What do you want to go to the University for?”