Successfully they found the various points of identification mentioned
by the freckled boy, and at last they located a sign-post that read:

FIVE MILES TO ROCKFORD

"Five miles!" exclaimed Grace, with a tragic air. "We can never do it!"

"We must!" declared Betty, firmly. "Of course we can do it. Why, even
with going out of our way as we did, we won't have covered more than
eighteen miles to-day. And we set twenty as an average."

"But this is the first day," said Mollie.

"We can--we _must_ get to Rockford to-night," insisted Betty.

Rather hopelessly they tramped on. The sun seemed to sink with surprising
rapidity after getting to a certain point in the western sky.

"It's dropping faster and faster all the while!" cried Amy, as they
watched it from a crest of the road.

"Never mind--June evenings are the longest of the year," consoled Betty.

They hurried on. The sun sank to its nightly rest amid a bed of golden,
green, purple, pink and olive clouds, and there followed a glorious maze
of colors that reached high up toward zenith.

"Girls, we simply must stop and admire this--if it's only for a
minute!" exclaimed Grace. "Isn't that wonderful!" and she pointed a