Miss Beasley's signal sounded at this critical moment, so the Mystic Seven filed off like vestal virgins to feed the fire which Miss Gibbs, with her accustomed energy, had already lighted. Their contribution of wood was so substantial that it drew comment from the rest of the party, but they received the congratulations with due modesty, and did not divulge the source of their supply. Most of the girls were too much interested in proclaiming their own adventures to care to listen to anybody else's, and the mistresses were busy watching the kettles. It seemed like camp life over again to be sitting in a circle, drinking tea out of enamelled mugs, and eating thick pieces of bread and butter. Miss Beasley had provided a large home-made plum birthday cake, with a sixpence baked in it, the acquisition of which was naturally a matter of keen interest to each several girl, until the lucky slice fell to the lot of Cynthia Greene, who fondled the coveted coin tenderly.
"I'll have a hole bored through it, and wear it on my chain always, in memory of you, dear Miss Beasley!" she declared in emphatic tones.
"Little sycophant!" sneered Morvyth enviously.
"She ought to give it to the soldiers!" snapped Raymonde.
But Miss Gibbs was rattling a row of mugs together as a delicate hint that the feast was finished, and the Principal was consulting her watch, and calling to the boatmen to make ready. The monitresses swept all remaining comestibles into the baskets, stamped out the fire, emptied the kettles, and proclaimed the camping-ground left in due order. One by one the boats started on their way down the river, drifting easily now with the current, and leaving long trails of ripples behind them. The sun was sinking low in the west, and there was a lovely golden light on the water, the shadows on the willowy shore were deep and mysterious, a kingfisher flashed along the bank like a living jewel. The spirits of the school, already risen to fermenting point, effervesced into stunt songs composed on the emergency of the moment, and passed on from boat to boat.
"For we've had such a jolly good day-ay-ay, As we only get once in a way-ay-ay! I can tell you it was prime, Oh! we've had a topping time, And we wish a little longer we could stay-ay-ay! With a rum-tum-tum And a rum-tiddley-um, We will make the river hum; So come, come, come, Don't be glum, glum, glum! But pass the stunt along and just be gay-ay-ay!"