The Camp Fire Girls in the Maine Woods | Page 4

Gladys and her father; then
they cheered for the lake and the camp and the good time they were
going to have until they were too hoarse to speak. Gladys was then
away at school and was to be in New York City with her parents until
the first of July, so Miss Kent and her girls came up the last week in
June to open camp. Gladys had never seen the place until that day, for
her father had just bought it the previous winter. That she did not want
to come was evident to Miss Kent. She was overdressed and rather
supercilious looking, and was not strong enough to really enjoy the
rough and tumble life of the camp. Miss Kent realized that some
adjusting would be necessary before Gladys would be transformed into
a genuine Winnebago. "But we'll do it, never fear," she thought brightly,
with the unquenchable optimism that had won for her the name of
"Face Toward the Mountain."

CHAPTER II.
THE COUNCIL FIRE.
Supper, which was eaten on the big rock overhanging the lake, was
made short work of, for tonight was to be held the first Council Fire.
"What's going to happen?" asked Gladys of Nyoda, watching the girls
scrambling out of their bloomers and middies and into brown khaki
dresses trimmed with leather fringe.
"Ceremonial Meeting," answered Nyoda, slipping on a pair of beaded
moccasins.
"What's that?" asked Gladys.
"You'll see," said Nyoda. "Follow the girls when I call them."
Nyoda slipped out of her tent and disappeared into the woods. In a few
minutes a clear call rang out through the stillness: "Wohelo, Wohelo,
come ye all Wohelo." The girls stepped forward in a single file, their
arms folded in front of them, singing as they went, "Wohelo, Wohelo,
come we all Wohelo." Gladys followed at the tail of the procession.
Nyoda stood in the center of a circular space about twenty feet across
among the trees, completely surrounded by high pines. In the middle
the fire was laid. The girls took their places in the circle, and Gladys,
now arrayed in bloomers and middy, with her hair down in two braids
and a leather band around her forehead, sat under a tree and looked on.
Not being a Camp Fire Girl she could not sit in the Council Circle.
Nyoda made fire with the bow and drill, and when the leaping flames
lit up the circle of faces the girls sprang to their feet and sang, "Burn,
fire, burn," and then, "Mystic Fire," with its dramatic gestures. Gladys,
sitting in the shadows, looked on curiously at the fantastically clad
figures passing back and forth around the fire singing,
"Ghost-dance round the mystic ring, Faces in the starlight glow, Maids
of Wohelo. Praises to Wokanda sing, While the music soft and low

Rubbing sticks grind slow. Dusky forest now darker grown, Broods in
silence o'er its own, Till the wee spark to a flame has blown, And living
fire leaps up to greet The song of Wohelo."
As they chanted the words the girls acted out with gestures the dancing
ghosts, the brooding forest, the rubbing sticks and the leaping fire. So
they proceeded through the strange measures, ending up in a close
circle around the fire, all making the hand sign of fire together. Gladys
began to be stirred with a desire to sit in the circle.
When the girls were again seated in their original places and the roll
called, Nyoda rose and read the rules of camp. No one was to leave the
camp without telling at least one person where she was going, or the
general direction in which she was going, and the length of time she
expected to be gone. No candy was to be bought in the village. No one
was to go in swimming except at the regular swimming time. Every
one pointed a finger at Sahwah when this was read, for she had been
going into the lake at least a dozen times a day. No one could go in
swimming whose belongings were not in order at tent inspection time.
A groan went around the circle at this.
Nyoda dwelt with particular emphasis on the rules governing the
canoes. No one could go out in a canoe who had not taken the
swimming test. No one could go out in a canoe unless Sahwah,
Hinpoha or herself were along. Disobedience to these rules would mean
having to stay out of the canoes altogether. She explained to the girls
the importance of implicit obedience to the one in charge of a boat,
regardless of personal feeling, and how the captain of a vessel had
absolute authority over those on board. She spoke of the necessity of
coolheadedness and courage on the part of the