nd hat, and his hair under
the hat brim was yellow and curly. A beam of sunlight fell
directly on him, making such a pretty picture that Migwan could
not help snap-shotting him. Her camera still hung around her
neck in its case, having luckily escaped injury by her fall.
Then she stepped out and called to the men. Both started
violently. Migwan hastened to explain her plight.
"Sorry we can't carry you along," said the man with the purse,
"but we have to catch the boat at the lake and that would make us
miss it."
"Can't you tell someone where I am?" asked Migwan.
"Why, yes, yes," answered the man, pulling out his watch. "We'll
send some one for you." They disappeared down the path at a
quick pace, and Migwan sat down by the opening and waited.
Hinpoha, following the path taken by the leaders, was tripping
blithely along, not looking where she was going, with the result
that she ran into a pine branch which caught her long hair, and
in freeing herself broke the chain of her locket, which slipped
to the ground and hid among the leaves. Hinpoha got down on her
knees and hunted for it. The minutes passed, but still she did
not find it. She did not worry about Migwan because she knew she
would wait where the paths met. Chapa and Gladys caught up and
helped her search, and finally they found it. Upon reaching the
main path, however, they did not see Migwan. "Probably got tired
waiting and went on by herself," said Hinpoha. "Serves me
right." And she walked on with Gladys and Chapa.
Two hours later they reached camp, and Hinpoha began calling
around for Migwan, but there was no sign of her. "Are you sure
she isn't hiding about the camp to surprise us?" asked Hinpoha
hopefully. Sahwah seized the bugle and blew the call which
meant, "Come at once, no matter what you are doing," but there
was no answer. Thoroughly frightened, they started back on the
trail, meeting Nyoda and Medmangi just coming in. At the story
of Migwan's disappearance Nyoda immediately planned a search.
But first of all she insisted on the girls eating their supper.
Then she reminded them that they had walked fifteen miles that
day and most of them needed rest. Hinpoha stoutly maintained
that she was as fresh as a May morning and declared she would
walk all night to find Migwan. "What if she never comes back!"
she wailed. Her knees gave way under her at the thought and she
sank down at Nyoda's feet, her head on her arms.
"Of
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