“Oh, let’s draw lots,” said Frances, carelessly.
“I don’t agree with you,” put in Ruth. “We not only travel with the girl, but we occupy the tent with her, don’t we, Captain?”
“Yes, except that I will have a tent of my own, and Frieda, who as cook will have more equipment than the rest of you, will sleep by herself. And Frieda and I will travel in the same canoe, but the rest of you girls--the eight of you--will have four canoes and four tents.”
“Then let us choose our own canoe-mates!” pleaded Ruth.
“But who would have first choice?” questioned Marjorie.
“All right--as you wish,” agreed Miss Phillips, producing a tiny note-book from which she tore out several pages.
On separate slips she placed numbers from one to eight, requesting the girls to draw at random. With her usual good luck, Ruth Henry drew number one; while Marjorie Wilkinson discovered that her paper read “eight.”
“I want Lily Andrews!” announced Ruth, triumphantly, to the consternation of the girl mentioned.
“Are you satisfied, Lily?” asked the captain.
Lily hesitated a moment, and glanced shyly at Marjorie. But her chum smiled back at her frankly, and Lily knew that she did not mind.
Frances Wright, who held number two, chose Ethel Todd; and Doris Sands selected Marjorie. This meant, of course, that the two freshmen, or rather sophomores, as they now were--Alice Endicott and Florence Evans, should be together.
“You can decide among yourselves which is to be stern man,” concluded the captain; “or you may even alternate, if you wish. Now suppose we man our canoes, just as we have decided to travel, and practice a little bit.”
A trifle stiff from sitting on the ground, the girls jumped up eagerly, glad of the opportunity for action. Miss Phillips obtained the paddles from Michael, and the girls began to turn the canoes right-side up.
“Why, they haven’t any names!” exclaimed Marjorie, in surprise.
“No,” replied Miss Phillips; “I forgot to tell you that you are to name them yourselves, and if you will write and tell me your decisions, I will have them painted on the edges before we start on our trip.”
Alice clapped her hands joyfully. It would seem so much more like their own canoes if they chose the names, she thought. And all of the others immediately expressed their approval of the plan.