stop such robbers, a whole lot of them
banded together were stronger than any one man. And so they made the
first laws."

"Oh, I see," said Dolly. "Bessie isn't strong enough by herself to do
anything to Mr. Holmes, or to stop him from doing what he likes to her,
because he's rich. But if all the other people who live in the state
take her side he can't fight against them. That's it, isn't it?"

For a day or two after that peace reigned over the camp by Long Lake.
The girls looked forward eagerly to the field day that had been
planned, but they looked forward to it, too, with a certain degree of
regret, for it would mark the climax and the end, as well, of their
stay at the lake, which, though it had been so exciting, had also been
so delightful that all the girls wished for nothing better than to stay
there indefinitely. But they could not do that, as Miss Mercer
explained to them.

"We've got to make way for others," she said, in telling them of the
new plans. "You see, my father is only one of the owners of this
preserve, and we take it in turns to use this lake for a camping site.
Now Mr. Spurgeon, one of the other owners, is going to bring up a party
of his friends, and we must make room for them."

"Are we going home?" asked Margery Burton, disappointedly.

"Why, don't you want to go home?" asked Eleanor, with a laugh, which
was echoed by the other girls, who heard the note of sorrow in the
question.

"Oh, I suppose so," said Margery. "But one is home quite a good deal,
after all, in the winter, and we do have such a good time when we're
out in the woods this way. I love to get right close to nature."

"Well, you needn't be frightened, Margery, because I've got a plan that
will keep us as close to nature as anyone could want to be."

A chorus of excited voices was raised at that.

"Where are we going next, Miss Mercer?"

"What are we going to do?"

"Shall we get to the seashore this summer?"

"Later on, I expect," she answered, to the last question. "You do love
the beach and the surf, don't you? Well, so do I, and I expect we
shall want to spend a little time there. But first I've a plan I think
some of you will like even better."

"We're sure to like anything you plan, Miss Eleanor," said Dolly, with
enthusiasm. "I don't believe any Camp Fire has as nice a Guardian as
you. It seems to me you spend all your time thinking up ways of giving
us a good time."

"What is the new plan?" a