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[Illustration: The Girls Made Camp and Ate Supper.]




                 The Meadow-Brook Girls Across Country

                                   OR

                 The Young Pathfinders on a Summer Hike

                                   By

                             JANET ALDRIDGE

             Author of The Meadow-Brook Girls Under Canvas,
                  The Meadow-Brook Girls Afloat, etc.

                              Illustrated

                              PHILADELPHIA
                         HENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY




                          Copyright, 1913, by
                           Howard E. Altemus




                                CONTENTS

        CHAPTER                                               PAGE
             I. A Night of Excitement                            7
            II. The Red Eye in the Dark                         30
           III. A Blessing and a Threat                         39
            IV. The Coming of Crazy Jane                        50
             V. Catching the Speckled Beauties                  62
            VI. The Call of the Dancing Bear                    69
           VII. Discovering Midnight Prowlers                   79
          VIII. Caught in a Morass                              90
            IX. The Tramp Club to the Rescue                   102
             X. In the Hands of the Rescuers                   112
            XI. A Contest of Endurance                         124
           XII. Meadow-Brook Girls up a Tree                   134
          XIII. A Serious Predicament                          146
           XIV. Harriet Is Resourceful                         152
            XV. A Race for Life                                163
           XVI. A Treat That Was Not a Treat                   173
          XVII. Trying out the Gipsy Trail                     186
         XVIII. The Queen Takes a Hand                         196
           XIX. Delving Into the Mysteries                     206
            XX. Getting Even With George                       217
           XXI. Harriet Plans to Outwit the Tramp Club         225
          XXII. A Combietta Concert                            230
         XXIII. The Harmonica Serenade                         236
          XXIV. Conclusion                                     244




THE MEADOW-BROOK GIRLS ACROSS COUNTRY




CHAPTER I--A NIGHT OF EXCITEMENT


"Oh, where can Crazy Jane be!" wailed Margery Brown.

"It isn't so much a question of where Jane may be as where we ourselves
are, Buster," answered Harriet Burrell, laughingly. "However, if she
doesn't come, why, we will make the best of it. This will not be the
first time we have spent the night out of doors."

"Are we lost?" gasped Hazel Holland.

"It looks very much as though we had gone astray," replied Miss Elting,
who was acting as guardian and chaperon to the Meadow-Brook Girls.

"Oh, thave me!" wailed Grace Thompson, her impish little face appearing
to grow several degrees smaller.

"Girls! Please do not become excited," urged the guardian. "There is no
cause for alarm. Even if we have lost our way we shall find it again on
the morrow. Harriet, you have the map. Suppose we examine it again and
see if we can find out where we are. We surely must be near human
habitation, and the country is so open that really getting lost is quite
impossible."

Harriet Burrell unslung the pack that she carried over her shoulder,
then felt about in it until she found that for which she was looking.
She spread the map out on the ground at one side of the road, her
companions gathering about and gazing down over her shoulder. Miss
Elting sat down beside the map.

"Here! Trace our day's route with the pencil," she said. "This should be
Harmon's Valley. That being the case, the village of Harmon should be
not more than a mile farther on."

"There is no village anywhere near us, according to the route we have
traveled since this morning," answered Harriet.

"Oh, that can't be possible," exclaimed Miss Elting.

"Please look for yourself, Miss Elting," Harriet replied earnestly.
"After leaving Granite Mountain we swung to the left as you will see by
the line I have marked."

"Hm-m-m," murmured the guardian as she scanned the map.

"It looks to me very much as though we had taken the wrong valley," said
Harriet, as she paused in her scrutiny of the map to glance up at the
hills that shut in the valley where they now were. "See! There isn't a
town marked on this map anywhere in this valley."

"I believe you are right. In order to get to our stopping place for the
night we shall have to cross those hills to the right. How far is it
across?"

"Five miles," answered Harriet, after making some brief measurements.

"Five mileth?" wailed Grace. "Oh, thave me