Girl Scouts in the Rockies

Finally Julie felt tired of sitting still, and asked to paddle. But the guides shook their heads. No amount of coaxing could make them turn over the paddles to other hands. The Indians knew their responsibility, and were determined to avoid trouble.

The third morning, Julie said, “We can paddle so well, Tally, and some of these lakes are as tame as dish-water.”

“Den wait to dinnertime at camp!” said Tally, unthinkingly.

The rest of the morning was passed in dodging great rocks, passing through arched aisles, where the water cut a way through the timber, or again rocking perilously in a seething bowl of froth, to be shot out at the other side, and then ride along on smooth water.

That noonday they landed on a blossoming meadow for camp. The canoes were taken from the water and turned over on the beach, while the Indians hunted for food to cook for dinner. Two of them started for an inland pond where they saw flocks of wild duck, and John began to catch fish for cooking.

Mrs. Vernon took charge of the fire, and the scouts made bread, set the dishes out and did other chores. Julie and Joan had been sent to hunt for a fresh spring of water, and in passing the canoes where they had been left, Joan said, “The lake’s like a millpond.”

“I’d like to paddle across to the other side and climb that steep knoll. I bet there’s a fine view from there,” said Julie.

“Verny would have a fit!” declared Joan, looking back but not seeing the camp, as the bank hid it from sight.

“It wouldn’t take long, and I’m dying to try these canoes,” suggested Julie.

“Come on, then,” responded Joan. “I suppose it’s safe.”

“Of course, and Tally said we might try at noon-time.”

“We’ll just shoot over and back again,” said Joan, as the two girls managed to carry the canoe to the water.

No one saw them glide away, and no one missed them at first, as they were thought to be hunting for spring water. Then when dinner was ready there was no Julie or Joan to be found!

CHAPTER TEN – JULIE AND JOAN’S PREDICAMENT

It was all very well to talk about paddling across a quiet little lake, but it was another thing when one got into the swift current that ran past the rocky bluff where the girls wished to land. There was no shallow water anywhere, where they might get out and beach the canoe, so Julie paddled with the current for a distance, leaving the camp site far behind.

Joan kept gazing for a likely spot to anchor in, but there were none such. Then suddenly, the canoe was caught in a swirl of water that was caused by the outpouring of a creek, and Julie discovered that managing a large canoe built for Rocky Mountain waters was far different from steering a light craft across a home lake, or along the canal that ran through the town.

“Why are you going this way, Julie – why not stick to the shore line?” asked Joan, as the canoe was driven along with the current.

“Stick to nothing! How can I help going this way when the current is as mad as a Jehu!” cried Julie, desperately.

“Then let me help in some way.”

“I only wish you could, but we only have one paddle.”

Joan glanced at the water. It was running quite shallow just where they were. An idea flashed into her mind.

“Julie, I’ll get out and pull the canoe upstream while you help with the paddle.”

Julie made no demur, although she said, warningly, “Don’t let go of the canoe for a second, will you?”

“Of course not! Did you think I wanted to be left on a desert shore?” laughed Joan, climbing out.

She managed to drag the canoe for quite a distance upstream again, while Julie paddled with all her might. At times Joan stepped down in a hole and had to cling to the canoe to save herself. At such times the craft swung back again downstream, making the girls do the same work all over again. Finally Joan’s teeth began chattering and she managed to quiver forth, “The water’s like ice!”

“You’ve been in too long. Now you get in and let me take your place, Jo. Later you can switch off with me again, and in that way we’ll get back to still water opposite camp.”

So Julie jumped out and Joan got in to paddle, but her hands were stiff with the chill and her whole body shaking, hence her paddling was not of much use. Julie was the stronger of the two scouts, so she managed to pull the canoe upstream splendidly, and both girls felt that now their troubles were over. All of a sudden, however, she stumbled over a great submerged stone and fell out flat on the water, face downward.

She had presence of mind to cling to the edge of the canoe with both hands, but Joan stopped paddling in consternation when she saw the accident. Instantly the craft caught in the swift current and shot ahead as an arrow from the bow. Julie floated out behind, on the water, at times completely covered with the swirling waves curled up by the sharp canoe.

At times she lifted her head up and tried to gasp. In one of these desperate efforts, she cried, “Paddle – paddle for the love of Mike!” then she was swept under again.

Before Joan got down to actual work again with the paddle, the canoe was running opposite the creek again, and all the gain the girls had made by wading upstream was lost. Julie was very cold by this time, and the water was so deep that she could not touch bottom, so she climbed back in the canoe.

During the help Joan had to give the half-fainting mariner, the canoe headed straight for a bend in the river. Where they would land neither scout could tell. It might be over the falls – it might be in a mud puddle.

“Can’t you stop it?” screamed Julie, hysterically. “We may run plumb into a cliff and smash to bits!”

As she spoke, she grabbed the paddle and worked with the strength that fear sometimes gives, so that she really poled the canoe across the creek to the shore where the water was quiet. But they were now on the far side of the current, in the creek that was hidden by the bluff they had passed. The distance from camp was too far for any one to hear them, even if they did shout. So they fastened the canoe and got out upon the bank.

“When Verny finds us gone, and one canoe missing, she will send the Indians out at once to hunt for us. Meantime, we may as well make a fire and get warm,” suggested Julie.

“Tally left a line and tackle in the bottom of the canoe,” announced Joan, remembering that she had caught her toe on a fish-hook when she climbed out.

“Oh, then we’re not so hard up, after all. We can catch a fish and broil it for lunch.”

“I’m fearfully hungry after all that work,” hinted Joan.

“Then you fish while I make fire with some rubbing-sticks. As soon as you land a fish, I’ll clean it with my scout knife and start broiling it. Better try upstream a ways, where the water is quiet,” said Julie.

The fire was soon blazing, and Joan managed to catch two goodly sized fish, so they ate them, and dried their uniforms at the fire at the same time. This done, they felt better. But no call from the rescuers the girls had expected, nor sign of them, came from the lake beyond the bluff.

“Jo, suppose we follow this creek a ways until we find a shallow place where we can ford. Then we can climb up to that knoll and signal with smokes.”

“We may get into all sorts of new trouble, Julie. I’d rather wait here for them.”

“I’ve got to get up and do something, Jo. I’ll go crazy sitting here waiting, with no sign from any one out there.”

“Why can’t we paddle the canoe up a ways. If we walk we may step on a rattler, or meet other dreadful things,” ventured Jo.

“All right, then. We’ll canoe upstream a ways. If it doesn’t look healthy yonder, we’ll come back. But should we find a trail we may as well follow it to the bluff,” returned Julie.

“Who’d make a trail in this wilderness!” scorned Joan.

“Don’t you suppose others have been in this beautiful spot? Others have seen that bluff and climbed it, too.”

So the scouts paddled the canoe upstream as far as it seemed advisable, and that is how they missed hearing the Indians, when they crossed the creek and called for the lost ones. Then the hunters paddled on downstream, searching ahead for a canoe that might be going straight for the great falls John knew to be a mile further down.

John and Omney were in the leading canoe, while the Captain and Tally were in the second canoe of the rescuing party. When no sign of the scouts was seen at the creek, John called back to Tally.

“Omney and me go on, you take lady to shore and wait on creek for me.”

Tally did not tell Mrs. Vernon that a dangerous waterfall was downstream, but he knew that was where John was going to hunt, so he landed his passenger on the far side of the creek, where they sat and waited for news. No one dreamed that the two girls would paddle up the creek and thus miss a chance of being helped. Nor did Tally find the ashes of the little campfire Julie had made to cook the fish and to dry themselves.