asked permission."

"I think," said Clyde, "that he did not so much care to be near his sister
as he did to be away from the bishop, who is now left alone in our little
shelter-tent."

Mr. Archibald laughed. "Well," said he, "he will come to no harm, and we
must see that he has some supper."

"Oh, I shall attend to that," said Clyde, "and to his breakfast also. And,
now I come to think of it, I believe that one reason Raybold moved our
tent over here was to get the benefit of his sister's cook. The bishop did
our cooking, you know, before he took to his bed."

That evening Miss Raybold joined the party around the camp-fire. She
declared that in the open air she did not in the least object to the use
of tobacco, and then she asked Mr. Archibald if his two guides came to the
camp-fire after their work was done.

"They do just as they please," was the answer. "Sometimes they come over
here and smoke their pipes a little in the background, and sometimes they
go off by themselves. We are very democratic here in camp, you know."

"I like that," said Miss Raybold, "and I will have Mrs. Perkenpine come
over when she has arranged the tent for the night. Arthur, will you go and
tell her?"

Her brother did not immediately rise to execute this commission. He hoped
that Mr. Clyde would offer to do the service, but the latter did not
improve the opportunity to make himself agreeable to the new-comer, and
Raybold did the errand.

Harrison Clyde was sitting by Margery, and Margery was giving a little
attention to what he said to her and a great deal of attention to Corona
Raybold.

"More self-conceit and a better-fitting dress I never saw," thought
Margery; "it's loose and easy, and yet it seems to fit perfectly, and I do
believe she thinks she is some sort of an upper angel who has condescended
to come down here just to see what common people are like."

Corona talked to Mr. Archibald. It was her custom always to talk to the
principal personage of a party.

"It gives me pleasure, sir," said she, "to meet with you and your wife. It
is so seldom that we find any one--" She was interrupted by Mrs.
Perkenpine, who stood behind her.

The she-guide was a large woman, apparently taller than Matlack. Her
sunburnt face was partly shaded by a man's straw hat, secured on her head
by strings tied under her chin. She wore a very plain gown, coarse in
texture, and of a light-blue color, which showed that it had been washed
very often