Page:Boy scouts in the White Mountains; the story of a long hike (IA boyscoutsinwhite00eato).pdf/224

 laughed. "You boys don't mind a good, soft floor, do you?"

"Not a bit," said Peanut. "I always sleep on the floor—prefer it, in fact."

The others laughed, and the Scouts got off their packs, spread their blankets out to dry, and took off their sweaters.

Then everybody began to prepare for supper. The proprietor of the coach house moved out a table, and put some boards across it to make it larger. The Scouts compared provisions with the five trampers, and found that the strangers had coffee which the boys were rather shy on, and condensed milk, which the boys didn't have at all, while the boys had powdered eggs and dehydrated vegetables, which the strangers didn't have. There wasn't time enough, however, to soak the vegetables.

"You make us coffee, and we'll make you an omelet," said Art. "That's a fair swap. I'll cook griddle cakes for the bunch."

"More than fair," said the bugler. "It's taking a whole meal from you chaps, while we have more than enough coffee. Here, use some of our minced ham in that omelet."

"Just the thing!" said Art. "We ate most of ours in the shelter." He began at once to mix the omelet.

In a short time the party of eleven (the proprietor