April 17, 2025 • 13 mins
When the Outdoor Girls arrive for their lakeside camping trip, they find their shack destroyed and mysteries abound. Who is sneaking around their campsite? And what secrets does the mountain woman hold?
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Read by Karen Hunt. The Outdoor Girls Around the camp
Fire by Laura Lee Hope. The hold up To say
that the Outdoor Girls were thoroughly shaken by this experience
would be to treat the matter lightly. They were filled
with consternation. It was certain now that there were tramps
(00:21):
in the neighborhood, tramps who chose stormy dark knights to
prowl and spy upon them. What can they want, Amy demanded,
half tearfully. We haven't a thing with us that would
be worth their while to steal. They don't know that,
I suppose broke in the Little Captain. But if their
purpose is to steal, argued Molly, why in the world
(00:41):
do they always run away when they find they are discovered.
Maybe they think we're arms, suggested Grace, and in spite
of her alarm, Betty's eyes twinkled. We are, she said,
patting the pocket with a toy pistol. Reposed, maybe, said
Amy thoughtfully, these tramps belonged to the same gang as
(01:02):
those we had the row it on Triangle Island. Perhaps,
Molly took her up eagerly. They are the very same ones.
We're not so very far from Triangle Island. You know,
if that's true, said the Little Captain, whimsically. Maybe the
toy pistol is serving as our protection. After all, if
(01:22):
they think we're armed, they'll be mighty careful how they
get too close to us. I can only hope, said Grace,
and again her tone was prayerful that they don't think
to call our bluff. There followed a long silence, during
which the girls tried to take up their reading again,
and did not make much of a success of it. Outside,
(01:45):
the storm raged with undiminished fury, the wind threatening any
moment to tear the tent from over their heads. The
rain continued to fall in torrents. I wish that rain
would stop, sighed Grace, uneasily. The sound of it in
the woods outside makes me think I hear footsteps all
the time. I don't believe will be bothered any more.
(02:08):
To night, said the Little Captain, and tomorrow, added Amy.
Thankfully the boys will be here after a while. Since
the storm seemed destined to continue through the night, and
since they could not very well sit up till morning,
the outdoor girls finally turned out their lights and went
to bed. They passed an uneasy, comfortless night with one
(02:32):
or the other of them forever getting up to steal
over to the tent flap and peer fearfully into the
darkness beyond. It is safe to say that not one
of them slept two soured hours of the time, and
when morning came revealing a dreary, dark day, they felt
as they looked, hollow eyed and spiritless. The weather looks
(02:57):
just the way I feel, remarked Grace as she went
mechanically about the preparing of breakfast. I am so sleepy,
I can hardly keep my eyes open. However, later in
the morning, it seems as though Nature relented of her
harsh treatment and decided to give the girls a bit
of sunshine. And it is remarkable what a difference a
(03:18):
little sun will make. The girls perked up miraculously and
began clearing up the camp in anticipation of the boy's arrival.
I wonder when they'll be here, mused Molly, as she
gathered all paper and bits of refuse from in front
of the tent and made them into a neat pile
ready to be burned. About noon, i suppose, said the
(03:41):
little captain. All morning she had been wondering if Allan
would be with the boys, And now, as the time
drew nearer for their arrival, she was nervous and jumpy,
not at all like her usual calm, young self. The
girls noticed the change, and once Molly said teasingly, cheer up, honey.
You know Will promised to bring Allan along if he
(04:03):
had to do it at the end of a rope.
And you know too, that Will is a man of
his word. I wonder, Amy had added casually, if Allan
has fixed up the manner of that old man's will.
Yet he has been so very mysterious about it that
he's made us all curious. Finished Grace. I don't see why,
(04:24):
said Molly, pushing some burning scraps back into the heap
of blazing paper. He doesn't tell us what he knows,
and let us share in the fun. He will when
he gets ready, said Betty, adding with a little keeper
she could not repress. Oh girls, it's almost eleven o'clock.
Aren't you getting a bit excited? Getting drawled Grace, we
(04:46):
have been all along. Look at Amy, she added with
a chuckle, hanging up a piece of rag and throwing
her jacket on the floor. She has a bad poor child,
laughed Molly, as caught in the act amy, he laughed sheepishly.
If you were attending to your own affairs, you wouldn't
have time to see so much, she retorted, proceeding to
(05:08):
restore her jacket to its proper place. There's one thing
we must remember, said Betty soberly, and that is not
to neglect our old maid of the mountains just because
the boys are here. I think she has come to
depend on us more than we think. The girls agreed
to this, saying that nothing should make them forget the
(05:29):
lonely little old lady in the cabin up on the hill.
And then a little before they expected them, came the boys.
The girls heard their voices before they saw them, and
Betty's heart jumped when she recognized Allan's voice. Not till
that moment had she realized how great had been her
fear that his mysterious case would make it necessary for
(05:52):
him to remain in town. The girls gave one hasty
moment to the smoothing of their hair, made untidy by
our rather stiff breeze, and the next moment were rushing
into the woods to meet the boys. Half way. They
had agreed not to show too much enthusiasm over the
arrival of the latter, for the reason, as Molly had stated,
(06:12):
that the boys were getting spoiled with so much attention
showered upon them. But in the joy of the moment,
the girls forgot all about their resolution, with the result
that the boys were treated to a most riotous welcome.
Seems as if we were getting pretty popular around here, fellows,
said Roy with a grin, and Molly promptly attempted to
(06:33):
put him in his place. Any man would be welcome
under the circumstances, she said, haughtily, And not till afterward
did the boys seem to ask her what she meant
by that statement. As for Allan, he made straight for Betty,
where she had lingered a little behind the others. Say
it's been a long time, he cried, boyishly, taking both
(06:54):
her hands in his, his brown, handsome face alight with eagerness.
Did you miss me, Betty? Never mind us, Alan drawed
grace with a wink at the assembled company. Would it
be doing you a favor to remove ourselves from the
surrounding landscape? Don't bother? Laughed Allan, while the wild rose
(07:14):
in Betty's face turned of deeper pink. We don't mind
in the least, do we, Betty, not at all, said
Betty demurely, and Molly threw up her hands in despair.
They're just playing crazy, both of them, she said. A
moment later, she turned to Frank, adding in a different tone,
what's the matter with you and Will? Anyway? You both
look as mad as hops. That's nothing to the way
(07:37):
we feel, Frank assured her, and immediately he and Will
poured forth a tale that made the girl stare in
surprise and excitement. It seemed that when Frank and Will
had started back to Deepdale the morning after they had
spent the night in camp with the girls helping them
to get up their tent, they had not gone very
far along the road when they had been stopped by
(08:00):
a couple of rough looking men. The latter had flourished
pistols at them and commanded them to loosen up. Oh
and did you, queried Amy? Horrified, Will shrugged. What else
could we do? He said, we were unarmed? Did they steal? Much?
Asked Grace, going around to Will as though to protect
(08:21):
him from the danger which had threatened him. They took
my watch and some odd change I happened to have
on me and forty dollars of francs, said Will, at
which Frank pulled a long face. It was just after payday,
he admitted ruefully, and we've been spending all our spare
time since trying to find the Scoundrel's finished Will grimly,
(08:43):
and we'll get him yet, let us help, begged Amy.
She was always very brave when Will was around. If
you were robbed near here, maybe the same tramps did
it that had been annoying us, what cried Allan, his
anxious glance traveling towards Bette. He had heard of the
set to the girls had had with the tramps on
Triangle Island from Will and Frank. And it is safe
(09:06):
to say the young lawyer had not spent a really
comfortable minute. Since are those fellows still bothering you? I
think they came again last night, admitted the little Captain.
They gave us a good deal of a scare, but
as soon as they knew we had seen them, they
ran off into the woods again. Cowards, muttered Alan, clenching
(09:27):
his fist. I'd just like to get my hands on them.
You have nothing on me, old man, Will assured him.
As soon as we get some lunch here, he sent
a pleading glance in the direction of the girls. It
will be our job to comb the surrounding country pretty thoroughly.
If we don't find the thieves, at least we can
make a good try at it. So agitated were the
(09:50):
girls and boys over this latest act of the ruffianly
tramps that they did not eat lunch with as much
zest as usual. All they could think of was there
eagerness to start off on a search for the thieves
who had so boldly robbed the two boys. It was
decided that they should separate into pears Alan and Betty,
(10:10):
Frank and Molly, Roy and Grace and Amy and Will,
advancing in different directions through the woods. They were to
return to the camp in an hour or two and
report what they had found, if anything. And we want
to make it a point to cover as much distance
as possible, said Will, just before they started. No stopping
(10:31):
on the way. You know, speak for yourself well Ford,
Molly retorted, you needn't worry about the rest of us.
Then they parted, setting off briskly on their tour of inspection.
For quite a distance, Betty and Allan were silent, occupied
with their rather sober thoughts. Then, Betty, realizing that they
(10:52):
had not spoken for a long while, looked up at
Allan teasingly, don't look so dreadfully black and cross, she said,
Have I offended you? My lord? Heavens no, said Allan,
adding with the deepening of the scowl on his forehead,
I want to find those tramps, Betty and put them
where they can't cause you any more trouble. I can't
(11:14):
tell you how worried I am about leaving you here
alone and unprotected. I'm not alone. The girls are with me,
Betty protested with a maddening smile. Bosh retorted Allan impolitely,
at which the little captain only chuckled. There followed another
long silence, in which they conscientiously searched the surrounding woodland
(11:35):
in an attempt to discover something that might give them
a clue to the whereabouts of the tramps. Again, it
was Betty who broke the silence, Allan. She said, you're
worried about something else besides me, aren't you? Allan started,
as though she had read his thoughts. You are a
little witch, aren't you, he asked lightly? You can even
(11:56):
tell what a fellow's thinking, But what is wrong, Persus,
said Betty. Won't you tell me please? Betty was irresistible
when she spoke that way, at least she was to Allan.
I didn't mean to trouble you with it, he said, reluctantly,
especially as I'm still not at liberty to go into details.
But I am worried, Betty. You see, it's my duty
(12:19):
as a lawyer to see that justice is done whenever
it is possible. And now I have reason to believe
to know that a great injustice has been committed, and
I can't see my way clear to righting the wrong?
Is it, asked Betty, after a sympathetic silence. Anything to
do with that old man's will, the client who died.
(12:41):
Allan nodded, then, he said, suddenly turning to her with
his old cheerful smile. But we're not going to let
shop talk spoil our fun, ally, little Betty, I'll have
to be going back on Monday, oh, cried Betty, disappointed.
Can't you stay? I'm afraid not, said Allan gravely. Business
is business, you know, yes, said Betty, doubtfully. I suppose so.
(13:07):
End of Chapter twenty
Read by Karen Hunt. The Outdoor Girls Around the camp
Fire by Laura Lee Hope. The hold up To say
that the Outdoor Girls were thoroughly shaken by this experience
would be to treat the matter lightly. They were filled
with consternation. It was certain now that there were tramps
(00:21):
in the neighborhood, tramps who chose stormy dark knights to
prowl and spy upon them. What can they want, Amy demanded,
half tearfully. We haven't a thing with us that would
be worth their while to steal. They don't know that,
I suppose broke in the Little Captain. But if their
purpose is to steal, argued Molly, why in the world
(00:41):
do they always run away when they find they are discovered.
Maybe they think we're arms, suggested Grace, and in spite
of her alarm, Betty's eyes twinkled. We are, she said,
patting the pocket with a toy pistol. Reposed, maybe, said
Amy thoughtfully, these tramps belonged to the same gang as
(01:02):
those we had the row it on Triangle Island. Perhaps,
Molly took her up eagerly. They are the very same ones.
We're not so very far from Triangle Island. You know,
if that's true, said the Little Captain, whimsically. Maybe the
toy pistol is serving as our protection. After all, if
(01:22):
they think we're armed, they'll be mighty careful how they
get too close to us. I can only hope, said Grace,
and again her tone was prayerful that they don't think
to call our bluff. There followed a long silence, during
which the girls tried to take up their reading again,
and did not make much of a success of it. Outside,
(01:45):
the storm raged with undiminished fury, the wind threatening any
moment to tear the tent from over their heads. The
rain continued to fall in torrents. I wish that rain
would stop, sighed Grace, uneasily. The sound of it in
the woods outside makes me think I hear footsteps all
the time. I don't believe will be bothered any more.
(02:08):
To night, said the Little Captain, and tomorrow, added Amy.
Thankfully the boys will be here after a while. Since
the storm seemed destined to continue through the night, and
since they could not very well sit up till morning,
the outdoor girls finally turned out their lights and went
to bed. They passed an uneasy, comfortless night with one
(02:32):
or the other of them forever getting up to steal
over to the tent flap and peer fearfully into the
darkness beyond. It is safe to say that not one
of them slept two soured hours of the time, and
when morning came revealing a dreary, dark day, they felt
as they looked, hollow eyed and spiritless. The weather looks
(02:57):
just the way I feel, remarked Grace as she went
mechanically about the preparing of breakfast. I am so sleepy,
I can hardly keep my eyes open. However, later in
the morning, it seems as though Nature relented of her
harsh treatment and decided to give the girls a bit
of sunshine. And it is remarkable what a difference a
(03:18):
little sun will make. The girls perked up miraculously and
began clearing up the camp in anticipation of the boy's arrival.
I wonder when they'll be here, mused Molly, as she
gathered all paper and bits of refuse from in front
of the tent and made them into a neat pile
ready to be burned. About noon, i suppose, said the
(03:41):
little captain. All morning she had been wondering if Allan
would be with the boys, And now, as the time
drew nearer for their arrival, she was nervous and jumpy,
not at all like her usual calm, young self. The
girls noticed the change, and once Molly said teasingly, cheer up, honey.
You know Will promised to bring Allan along if he
(04:03):
had to do it at the end of a rope.
And you know too, that Will is a man of
his word. I wonder, Amy had added casually, if Allan
has fixed up the manner of that old man's will.
Yet he has been so very mysterious about it that
he's made us all curious. Finished Grace. I don't see why,
(04:24):
said Molly, pushing some burning scraps back into the heap
of blazing paper. He doesn't tell us what he knows,
and let us share in the fun. He will when
he gets ready, said Betty, adding with a little keeper
she could not repress. Oh girls, it's almost eleven o'clock.
Aren't you getting a bit excited? Getting drawled Grace, we
(04:46):
have been all along. Look at Amy, she added with
a chuckle, hanging up a piece of rag and throwing
her jacket on the floor. She has a bad poor child,
laughed Molly, as caught in the act amy, he laughed sheepishly.
If you were attending to your own affairs, you wouldn't
have time to see so much, she retorted, proceeding to
(05:08):
restore her jacket to its proper place. There's one thing
we must remember, said Betty soberly, and that is not
to neglect our old maid of the mountains just because
the boys are here. I think she has come to
depend on us more than we think. The girls agreed
to this, saying that nothing should make them forget the
(05:29):
lonely little old lady in the cabin up on the hill.
And then a little before they expected them, came the boys.
The girls heard their voices before they saw them, and
Betty's heart jumped when she recognized Allan's voice. Not till
that moment had she realized how great had been her
fear that his mysterious case would make it necessary for
(05:52):
him to remain in town. The girls gave one hasty
moment to the smoothing of their hair, made untidy by
our rather stiff breeze, and the next moment were rushing
into the woods to meet the boys. Half way. They
had agreed not to show too much enthusiasm over the
arrival of the latter, for the reason, as Molly had stated,
(06:12):
that the boys were getting spoiled with so much attention
showered upon them. But in the joy of the moment,
the girls forgot all about their resolution, with the result
that the boys were treated to a most riotous welcome.
Seems as if we were getting pretty popular around here, fellows,
said Roy with a grin, and Molly promptly attempted to
(06:33):
put him in his place. Any man would be welcome
under the circumstances, she said, haughtily, And not till afterward
did the boys seem to ask her what she meant
by that statement. As for Allan, he made straight for Betty,
where she had lingered a little behind the others. Say
it's been a long time, he cried, boyishly, taking both
(06:54):
her hands in his, his brown, handsome face alight with eagerness.
Did you miss me, Betty? Never mind us, Alan drawed
grace with a wink at the assembled company. Would it
be doing you a favor to remove ourselves from the
surrounding landscape? Don't bother? Laughed Allan, while the wild rose
(07:14):
in Betty's face turned of deeper pink. We don't mind
in the least, do we, Betty, not at all, said
Betty demurely, and Molly threw up her hands in despair.
They're just playing crazy, both of them, she said. A
moment later, she turned to Frank, adding in a different tone,
what's the matter with you and Will? Anyway? You both
look as mad as hops. That's nothing to the way
(07:37):
we feel, Frank assured her, and immediately he and Will
poured forth a tale that made the girl stare in
surprise and excitement. It seemed that when Frank and Will
had started back to Deepdale the morning after they had
spent the night in camp with the girls helping them
to get up their tent, they had not gone very
far along the road when they had been stopped by
(08:00):
a couple of rough looking men. The latter had flourished
pistols at them and commanded them to loosen up. Oh
and did you, queried Amy? Horrified, Will shrugged. What else
could we do? He said, we were unarmed? Did they steal? Much?
Asked Grace, going around to Will as though to protect
(08:21):
him from the danger which had threatened him. They took
my watch and some odd change I happened to have
on me and forty dollars of francs, said Will, at
which Frank pulled a long face. It was just after payday,
he admitted ruefully, and we've been spending all our spare
time since trying to find the Scoundrel's finished Will grimly,
(08:43):
and we'll get him yet, let us help, begged Amy.
She was always very brave when Will was around. If
you were robbed near here, maybe the same tramps did
it that had been annoying us, what cried Allan, his
anxious glance traveling towards Bette. He had heard of the
set to the girls had had with the tramps on
Triangle Island from Will and Frank. And it is safe
(09:06):
to say the young lawyer had not spent a really
comfortable minute. Since are those fellows still bothering you? I
think they came again last night, admitted the little Captain.
They gave us a good deal of a scare, but
as soon as they knew we had seen them, they
ran off into the woods again. Cowards, muttered Alan, clenching
(09:27):
his fist. I'd just like to get my hands on them.
You have nothing on me, old man, Will assured him.
As soon as we get some lunch here, he sent
a pleading glance in the direction of the girls. It
will be our job to comb the surrounding country pretty thoroughly.
If we don't find the thieves, at least we can
make a good try at it. So agitated were the
(09:50):
girls and boys over this latest act of the ruffianly
tramps that they did not eat lunch with as much
zest as usual. All they could think of was there
eagerness to start off on a search for the thieves
who had so boldly robbed the two boys. It was
decided that they should separate into pears Alan and Betty,
(10:10):
Frank and Molly, Roy and Grace and Amy and Will,
advancing in different directions through the woods. They were to
return to the camp in an hour or two and
report what they had found, if anything. And we want
to make it a point to cover as much distance
as possible, said Will, just before they started. No stopping
(10:31):
on the way. You know, speak for yourself well Ford,
Molly retorted, you needn't worry about the rest of us.
Then they parted, setting off briskly on their tour of inspection.
For quite a distance, Betty and Allan were silent, occupied
with their rather sober thoughts. Then, Betty, realizing that they
(10:52):
had not spoken for a long while, looked up at
Allan teasingly, don't look so dreadfully black and cross, she said,
Have I offended you? My lord? Heavens no, said Allan,
adding with the deepening of the scowl on his forehead,
I want to find those tramps, Betty and put them
where they can't cause you any more trouble. I can't
(11:14):
tell you how worried I am about leaving you here
alone and unprotected. I'm not alone. The girls are with me,
Betty protested with a maddening smile. Bosh retorted Allan impolitely,
at which the little captain only chuckled. There followed another
long silence, in which they conscientiously searched the surrounding woodland
(11:35):
in an attempt to discover something that might give them
a clue to the whereabouts of the tramps. Again, it
was Betty who broke the silence, Allan. She said, you're
worried about something else besides me, aren't you? Allan started,
as though she had read his thoughts. You are a
little witch, aren't you, he asked lightly? You can even
(11:56):
tell what a fellow's thinking, But what is wrong, Persus,
said Betty. Won't you tell me please? Betty was irresistible
when she spoke that way, at least she was to Allan.
I didn't mean to trouble you with it, he said, reluctantly,
especially as I'm still not at liberty to go into details.
But I am worried, Betty. You see, it's my duty
(12:19):
as a lawyer to see that justice is done whenever
it is possible. And now I have reason to believe
to know that a great injustice has been committed, and
I can't see my way clear to righting the wrong?
Is it, asked Betty, after a sympathetic silence. Anything to
do with that old man's will, the client who died.
(12:41):
Allan nodded, then, he said, suddenly turning to her with
his old cheerful smile. But we're not going to let
shop talk spoil our fun, ally, little Betty, I'll have
to be going back on Monday, oh, cried Betty, disappointed.
Can't you stay? I'm afraid not, said Allan gravely. Business
is business, you know, yes, said Betty, doubtfully. I suppose so.
(13:07):
End of Chapter twenty
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.