THE CAMP FIRE GIRLS BEHIND THE LINES

BY MARGARET VANDERCOOK

Author of "The Ranch Girls" Series, "The Red Cross Girls" Series, etc.

ILLUSTRATED

PHILADELPHIA
THE JOHN C. WINSTON CO.
PUBLISHERS

Copyright, 1918, by
The John C. Winston Company

A Sentry Ordered Dan to Stop His Car

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I. "El Camino Real"
CHAPTER II. The Land of Romance
CHAPTER III. The Call to Service
CHAPTER IV. The Camp and Temperamental Excursions
CHAPTER V. Abalone Shells
CHAPTER VI. "My Own Will Come to Me"
CHAPTER VII. The Sacrifice of Youth
CHAPTER VIII. Felipe
CHAPTER IX. The Cantonment
CHAPTER X. Plans
CHAPTER XI. The Dance
CHAPTER XII. "As You Like It"
CHAPTER XIII. Human Psychology
CHAPTER XIV. The Night of the Play
CHAPTER XV. "I Will Marry You, if Ever I Marry Woman"
CHAPTER XVI. Gerry's Opportunity
CHAPTER XVII. Folly and Courage
CHAPTER XVIII. The Summons
CHAPTER XIX. Plans for the Future
CHAPTER XX. Bitter Waters

STORIES ABOUT CAMP FIRE GIRLS

ILLUSTRATIONS

A Sentry Ordered Dan to Stop His Car

Their Host Led the Way Through the Outer Court into the Enclosed One

On One Occasion Gerry and Felipe Discovered that They were Actually Dancing Alone

As Mrs. Burton Drew Near She Recognized One of Them as Dan Webster

The Camp Fire Girls Behind the Lines

CHAPTER I

"El Camino Real"

A small cavalcade was slowly winding down a steep, white road.

The bare, brown hills rose up on one side like the earth's friars of St. Francis, while on the other, at some distance away, the Pacific Ocean showed green and still. Near the shore the waves broke into white sprites of foam against the deep, incurving cliffs.

A girl riding at the head of the column reined in her horse, afterwards making a mysterious sign in the air with one upraised hand.

In answer to her signal the other riders, a group of Camp Fire girls, also stopped their horses. Across many miles sounded faintly the deep-toned voices of old mission bells.

"I believe the mission is ringing a farewell to us," one of the girls remarked to the companion whose western pony had stopped nearest her own. "To me, of all the Spanish missions we have seen so far, Carmel was the loveliest. 'Carmelo'—why, the very name has an enchanting sound!