Girl Scouts in the Rockies Part 17

"Even if you had canoes, there are no navigable streams," said she.

"Those folks who stopped to ask Tally the way to Flat Top base were to meet friends who canoed all the way from somewhere," said Joan.

"Yes, they told us they were to meet the party there and all were going to cross the Divide on horses, then come back and canoe home,"

added Judith.

"It seems too bad that all those fine canoes must remain idle while those folks are riding over the Divide," sighed Julie.

Mrs. Vernon purposely ignored the sigh and the insinuation, then did her best to change the subject to one more practical. But the Fates were against her this time.

The following morning, two of the men who had previously stopped to inquire the right trail to take, returned to ask Tally if he knew of any one who would sell them, or hire out, a number of mountain-climbing horses. Now that the canoeing party had arrived, there were no extra horses for them to ride.

"How many horses will you need?" asked Julie, quickly scheming.

"There are eight people in the party, and they will want one or two extra horses for the luggage," replied the man.

"There are nine horses and one mule in _our_ outfit," hinted Julie, her eyes gleaming as she glanced at the Captain.

"But your mounts will do us no good," laughed the man.

"Oh, they might, if you could persuade us to swap for a time," said Julie, daringly.

"Julie, what _do you_ mean?" demanded Mrs. Vernon, angrily.

"Why, one likes to be brotherly, you know, Verny, and in the wilds, far from other people, we ought to do a good turn to strangers. Here is a party with a number of canoes but no horses, and here are we with horses but no canoes--see my point?" she said.

"Even though you are the Scout Leader, Julie, I do not see how you can even suggest such a step. The Captain refuses to listen to any argument along those lines," said Mrs. Vernon sternly.

"We scouts like to canoe, and we will be here at camp for several weeks, so a little side trip like the one offered now would be most delightful," responded Julie, who understood that the Captain's objections arose mostly from dread of the scouts taking the trip on unknown streams.

"Several weeks! Why, we are only camping here for a few days,"

retorted Mrs. Vernon. "Besides I have no idea of exchanging safe methods of travel, for what is known to be a great risk."

"Verny, Gilly told Uncle last night that he had enough material on hand in these moraines to keep him busy for a year, if he wanted to do the thing properly. But even as it was, he proposed spending several weeks between here and Tyndall Glacier," said Joan, to corroborate Julie's statement.

"Well, what of that? Would you advise me to loan the horses Gilly gave security for, to a party of strangers we never saw in our lives?"

Before any one could answer, Mr. Gilroy hurried back to camp. "I've forgotten my magnifying gla.s.ses, girls. Don't stop me for anything, now," said he.

He ran into his tent and was out again in a moment, but one of the men who came to ask about horses, recognized him in that moment.

"Why, it is Mr. Gilroy, who has a place in the Adirondacks!" exclaimed he, coming forward.

"Well of all people! You're the last I looked for in the Rockies, Kenmore!" laughed Mr. Gilroy, shaking hands with his friend from the East.

"Funny how we should happen to meet like this," said Mr. Kenmore, then he introduced his companion. Mr. Gilroy, in turn, introduced the two men to Mrs. Vernon and the girls.

When Mr. Kenmore told his story, and why he had stopped at the camp, Julie hastily interpolated and repeated what she had said about a fair exchange of horses and canoes. But no one spoke of the Captain's fears.

"Say, Ken, that plan might work out all right," declared Mr. Gilroy.

"How long shall you folks want to use the horses?"

"Why, as to that--we can go as far as your time permits, and return when you say."

"Well, I'll tell you! I've got to be about these diggings for another ten days or two weeks at least, and if the scouts want to take a little canoe trip during that time, I think it will be fine! What do you say, Captain?" and Mr. Gilroy turned to Mrs. Vernon.

"You seem to have settled everything before you asked my opinion. Yet there would be no scouts in the Rockies if I were not responsible for each one of them on this trip!"

"Why, Captain! I imagined you were as eager for this trip as the girls seem to be!" exclaimed Mr. Gilroy, aghast.

"Eager--what for? Losing half the scouts in a whirlpool because of a silly notion of Juliet's?" The very mention of Julie's full name sobered every one considerably, for they realized that the Captain was very serious in her objecting to this new risk.

Mr. Gilroy suggested, "Can you two men spend the day with Mrs. Vernon and the scouts? I've simply _got_ to rush away and meet Mr. Vernon.

Then we will plan to-night after dinner, and see what we can do. I do know that there's no use your trailing back unless you go all the way to Loveland or Boulder for your mounts--and you won't want to lose all that time, I'm sure."

So Mr. Kenmore and his friend, Mr. Neil, spent a pleasant day with the scouts, and at night the subject of canoeing was again debated.

Finally, Joan said, "It's foolish of Verny to say we will drown, when we won badges for our canoeing last year, and carried off the prizes for our county this spring."

"These girls are better swimmers and more expert canoeists than most,"

added Mr. Gilroy.

"Besides, my dear," said Mr. Vernon to his wife, "it is not as if they had to paddle. With expert Indians to guide the crafts, why do you feel so timid about the trip?"

"We only have Tally, and he can paddle but one canoe at a time. If only Omney were here, he could take charge of one, and I could manage the other one," sighed Mrs. Vernon, feeling overcome by the combined arguments of the others.

"How many canoes have you?" asked Mr. Gilroy.

"Three large ones, built for parties," replied Mr. Kenmore. "My wife is a poor swimmer and knows nothing about a canoe, yet she had no fear in trusting herself to the expert Indian who managed the canoe she was in."

"Why not let that Indian take charge of one canoe? Then the Captain will feel safer, and her responsibility will be less?" suggested Mr.

Gilroy.

"We'd be glad to, as that will take care of him until we come back from our ride."

Finally, Mrs. Vernon said, "If you agree to wait until Omney returns, so we can let him manage one of the canoes, I'll withdraw most of my objections, but still I am not in favor of this trip!"

Having gained that much, the scouts knew better than to urge more at that time. Mr. Kenmore was relieved to find he could go back to his party with such good news--that horses and pack-mules were found as if by a fairy. He thought to himself, "By a clever little scout of a fairy, called Julie!"

Before the two men left camp in the morning, it was all settled. As soon as Omney returned, the scouts would break camp and ride on until they reached the camp pitched by Mr. Kenmore's party. Mr. Gilroy and Mr. Vernon would move leisurely along, searching in the moraines during the day, and pitching camp wherever they were when night fell.

There would be no outfits to look after, and no cares about scouts, so they would reach Flat Top about the time the canoe party returned from its trip.

As soon as Omney came back to camp, therefore, every one was ready to proceed along the trail to Kenmore's Camp. When the scout party rode into that camp, every one there was glad to see them, for they had heard about the scout outing and the plan to exchange horses for canoes, for a short time, at least.

"Couldn't be better if Providence itself planned it all!" declared Mrs. Kenmore, enthusiastically. "Don't you think so, Mrs. Vernon?"

"I'll wait until we return before I commit myself. I always did think folks blamed Providence too much for what really was their own stubborn will," returned the Captain.

Her repartee caused a laugh, and Julie exclaimed, "Verny, I fear you are coming down with chills and fever,--you never were so pessimistic before!"