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Vladimir Silva

Quantum Computing by Practice

Python Programming in the Cloud with Qiskit and
IBM-Q
2nd ed.
Vladimir Silva
CARY, NC, USA

ISBN 978-1-4842-9990-6 e-ISBN 978-1-4842-9991-3

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-9991-3

© Vladimir Silva 2018, 2024

This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively
licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is
concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of
illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in
any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and
retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or
dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed.

The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks,

service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the
absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the
relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general
use.

The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the
advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate
at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the
editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the
material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have
been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional
claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This Apress imprint is published by the registered company APress

Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
The registered company address is: 1 New York Plaza, New York, NY
10004, U.S.A.
To my dear parents, Manuel and Anissia, and beloved siblings, Natasha,
Alfredo, Sonia, and Ivan.
Introduction
The Quantum Computing Revolution
I wrote this book to be the ultimate guide for programming a quantum
computer in the cloud. IBM has made their quantum rig (known as the
IBM Quantum) available not only for research but for individuals, in
general, interested in this exciting new field of computing.
Quantum computing is gaining traction and now is the time to learn
to program these machines. In years to come, the first commercial
quantum computers should be available, and they promise significant
computational speedups compared to classical computers. Nowhere is
this more apparent than in the field of cryptography where the
quantum integer factorization algorithm can outperform the best
classical solution by orders of magnitude, so much so that a practical
implementation of this algorithm will render current asymmetric
encryption useless.
All in all, this book is a journey of understanding. You may find some
of the concepts explained throughout the chapters difficult to grasp;
however, you are not alone. The great physicist Richard Feynman once
said: “If somebody tells you he understands quantum mechanics, it means
he doesn’t understand quantum mechanics.” Even the titans of this
bizarre theory have struggled to comprehend what it all means.
I have tried to explore quantum computation to the best of my
abilities by using real-world algorithms, circuits, code, and graphical
results. Some of the algorithms included in this manuscript defy logic
and seem more like voodoo magic than a computational description of
a physical system. This is the main reason I decided to tackle this
subject. Even though I find the mind-bending principles of quantum
mechanics bizarre, I’ve always been fascinated by them. Thus, when
IBM came up with its one-of-a-kind quantum computing platform for
the cloud and opened it up for the rest of us, I jumped to the
opportunity of learning and creating this manuscript.
Ultimately, this is my take on the subject, and I hope you find as
much enjoyment in reading it as I did writing it. My humble advice:
Learn to program quantum computers; soon they will be ever present
in the data center, doing everything from search and simulations to
medicine and artificial intelligence. Here is an overview of the
manuscript’s contents.
Chapter 1: Quantum Fields: The Building Blocks of
Reality
It all began in the 1930s with Max Planck’s reluctant genius. He came
up with a new interpretation for the energy distribution of the light
spectrum. He started it all by unwillingly postulating that the energy of
the photon was not described by a continuous function, as believed by
classical physicists, but by tiny chunks, which he called quanta. He was
about to start the greatest revolution in science in this century:
quantum mechanics. This chapter is an appetizer to the main course
and explores the clash of two titans of physics: Albert Einstein and Niels
Bohr. Quantum mechanics was a revolutionary theory in the 1930s, and
most of the scientific establishment was reluctant to accept it, including
the colossus of the century: Albert Einstein. Fresh from winning the
Nobel Prize, Einstein never accepted the probabilistic nature of
quantum mechanics. This caused a rift with its biggest champion: Niels
Bohr. The two greats debated it out for decades and never resolved
their differences. Ultimately, quantum mechanics has withstood 70
years of theoretical and experimental challenges, to emerge always
triumphant. Read this chapter and explore the theory, experiments, and
results, all under the cover of the incredible story of these two
extraordinary individuals.
Chapter 2: Richard Feynman, Demigod of Physics,
Father of the Quantum Computer
In the 1980s, the great physicist Richard Feynman proposed a quantum
computer. That is a computer that can take advantage of the principles
of quantum mechanics to solve problems faster. The race is on to
construct such a machine. This chapter explores, in general terms, the
basic architecture of a quantum computer: qubits – the basic blocks of
quantum computation. They may not seem like much but they have
almost magical properties: Superposition, believe it or not, a qubit can
be in two states at the same time: 0 and 1. This is a concept hard to
grasp at the macroscale where we live. Nevertheless, at the atomic
scale, all bets are off. This fact has been proven experimentally for over
70 years. Thus, superposition allows a quantum computer to outmuscle
a classical computer by performing large amounts of computation with
relatively small numbers of qubits. Another mind-bender is qubit
entanglement: entangled qubits transfer states, when observed, faster
than the speed of light across time or space! Wrap your head around
that. All in all, this chapter explores all the physical components of a
quantum computer: quantum gates, types of qubits such as
superconducting loops, ion traps, topological braids, and more.
Furthermore, the current efforts of all major technology players in the
subject are described, as well as other types of quantum computation
such as quantum annealing.
Chapter 3: Behold, the Qubit Revolution
In this chapter, we look at the basic architecture of the qubit as
designed by the pioneering IT companies in the field. You will also learn
that although qubits are mostly experimental and difficult to build, it
doesn’t mean that one can’t be constructed with some optical tools and
some ingenuity. Even if a little crude and primitive, a quantum gate can
be built using refraction crystals, photon emitters, and a simple budget.
This chapter also explores superconducting loops as the de facto
method for building qubits along with other popular designs and their
relationship to each other.
Chapter 4: Enter IBM Quantum: A One-of-a-Kind
Platform for Quantum Computing in the Cloud
In this chapter, you will get your feet wet with the IBM Q Experience.
This is the first quantum computing platform in the cloud that provides
real or simulated quantum devices for the rest of us. Traditionally, a
real quantum device will be available only for research purposes. Not
anymore, thanks to the folks at IBM who have been building this stuff
for decades and graciously decided to open it up for public use.
Learn how to create a quantum circuit using the visual composer or
write it down using the excellent Python SDK for the programmer
within you. Then execute your circuit in the real thing, explore the
results, and take the first step in your new career as a quantum
programmer. IBM may have created the first quantum computing
platform in the cloud, but its competitors are close behind. Expect to
see new cloud platforms soon from other IT giants. Now is the time to
learn.
Chapter 5: Mathematical Foundation: Time to Dust
Up That Linear Algebra
Matrices, complex numbers, and tensor products are the holy trinity of
quantum computing. The bizarre properties of quantum mechanics are
entirely described by matrices. It is the rich interpretation of matrices
and complex numbers that allows for a bigger landscape resulting in an
advantage over traditional scaler-based mathematics. Quantum
mechanics sounds and looks weird but at the end is just fancy linear
algebra.
Chapter 6: Qiskit, Awesome SDK for Quantum
Programming in Python
Qiskit stands for Quantum Information Software Kit. It is a Python SDK
to write quantum programs in the cloud or a local simulator. In this
chapter, you will learn how to set up the Python SDK on your PC. Next,
you will learn how quantum gates are described using linear algebra to
gain a deeper understanding of what goes on behind the scenes. This is
the appetizer to your first quantum program, a very simple thing to
familiarize you with the syntax of the Python SDK. Finally, you will run
it in a real quantum device. Of course, quantum programs can also be
created visually in the composer. Gain a deeper understanding of
quantum gates, the basic building blocks of a quantum program. All this
and more is covered in this chapter.
Chapter 7: Start Your Engines: From Quantum
Random Numbers to Teleportation and Super
Dense Coding
This chapter is a journey through three remarkable information-
processing capabilities of quantum systems. Quantum random number
generation explores the nature of quantum mechanics as a source of
true randomness. You will learn how this can be achieved using very
simple logic gates and the Python SDK. Next, this chapter explores two
related information processing protocols: super dense coding and
quantum teleportation. They have exuberant names and almost magical
properties. Discover their secrets, write circuits for the composer,
execute remotely using Python, and finally interpret and verify their
results.
Chapter 8: Game Theory: With Quantum Mechanics,
Odds Are Always in Your Favor
Here is a weird one: this chapter explores two game puzzles that show
the remarkable power of quantum algorithms over their classical
counterparts – the counterfeit coin puzzle and the Mermin-Peres Magic
Square. In the counterfeit coin puzzle, a quantum algorithm is used to
reach a quartic speed up over the classical solution for finding a fake
coin using a balance scale a limited number of times. The Mermin-Peres
Magic Square is an example of quantum pseudo-telepathy or the ability
of players to almost read each other’s minds, achieving outcomes only
possible if they communicate during the game.
Chapter 9: Quantum Advantage with Deutsch-Jozsa,
Bernstein-Vazirani, and Simon’s Algorithms
This chapter looks at three algorithms of little practical use but
important, because they were the first to show that quantum
computers can solve problems significantly faster than classical ones:
Deutsch-Jozsa, Bernstein-Vazirani, and Simon’s algorithms. They
achieve significant performance boost via massive parallelism by using
the Hadamard gate to put the input in superposition. They also
illustrate critical concepts such as oracles or black boxes that perform
some transformation on the input, and phase kickback, a powerful
technique used to alter the phase of inputs so they can cancel each
other.
Chapter 10: Advanced Algorithms: Unstructured
Search and Integer Factorization with Grover and
Shor
This chapter showcases two algorithms that have generated excitement
about the possibilities of practical quantum computation: Grover’s
Search, an unstructured quantum search algorithm capable of finding
inputs at an average of the square root of N steps. This is much faster
than the best classical solution at N/2 steps. It may not seem that much,
but when talking about very large databases, this algorithm can crush it
in the data center. Expect all web searches to be performed by Grover’s
in the future. Shor’s Integer Factorization: the notorious quantum
factorization that experts say could bring current asymmetric
cryptography to its knees. This is the best example of the power of
quantum computation by providing exponential speedups over the best
classical solution.
Chapter 11: Quantum in the Real World: Advanced
Chemistry and Protein Folding
Quantum is already working hard to make a difference in the fields of
Chemistry and Medicine. This chapter showcases two amazing real-life
experiments that illustrate its power: ground states are important in
molecular chemistry, with most elements modeled using lattices where
vertices represent interacting atoms. In this chapter, you will learn how
to minimize the energy Hamiltonian of a molecule to reach its ground
state using lattices. Next, proteins are the fundamental building blocks
that power all life. Reliably predicting protein structures is extremely
complicated and can change our understanding of nature. In this
experiment, you will learn about protein amino acids, peptides, chains,
nomenclature, and more; and best of all, you will learn how its
structure can be predicted using a quantum computer.
Any source code or other supplementary material referenced by the
author in this book is available to readers on GitHub
(https://github.com/Apress). For more detailed information, please
visit https://www.apress.com/gp/services/source-code.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1:​Quantum Fields:​The Building Blocks of Reality
Enter Max Planck, the Father of Quantum Mechanics
Planck Hits the Jackpot, Einstein Collects a Nobel Prize
The Nature of Light Before Planck
After Planck, Physics Will Never Be the Same
Quantum Mechanics Comes in Many Flavors
Copenhagen Interpretation
Many Worlds Interpretation
Supplementary Interpretations
From Quantum Mechanics to Quantum Fields:​Evolution or
Revolution
We Are All Made of Quantum Fields, but We Don’t
Understand Them
The Recipe to Build a Universe
The Fantastic Four Forces of Nature:​Enter the Higgs Field
Standard Model and the Super-Equation of Physics
Chasing the Unexplained
Dark Energy Will Determine the Ultimate Fate of the
Universe
Beyond the Standard Model
Exercises
Chapter 2:​Richard Feynman, Demigod of Physics, Father of the
Quantum Computer
Mysteries of QFT:​The Plague on Infinities
Electron Scattering According to QED
 Perturbation Theory:​If You Can’t Do Something Perfectly,
Maybe Near Enough Is Good Enough
Tackling Those Pesky Infinities with Renormalization
Renormalization:​Electrons Do Not Have Infinite Mass
QFT’s Holy Trinity:​Perturbation Theory, Renormalization,
and Feynman Diagrams
Feynman Diagrams:​Formulas in Disguise
Feynman Approach to Quantum Mechanics:​The Path
Integral
Unraveling the Impossible:​Feynman Diagrams to the
Rescue
A Few Simple Diagram Rules Are All That Is Needed
The Strangeness of Virtual Particles
The Power of Feynman Diagrams to Simplify QFT-QED
Calculations
Antimatter As Time Reverse Matter and the Mirror Universe
The Foundations of Quantum Theory Rest on Symmetries
Broken Symmetries Threaten to Break All of Physics Along
with Them
Particles in a Rewinding Universe
CPT Is Safe:​The 70-Year Rollercoaster Ride for the
Symmetries of Nature
Exercises
Chapter 3:​Behold, the Qubit Revolution
Your Friendly Neighborhood Quantum Computer
Two-Photon Quantum Interference
Mathematics Behind Photonic Interference
Output States of the Control-Z Gate
 Lowering Error Rates
Superconducting Loops vs.​Linear Optics
Superconducting Loops
Breaking Out of the Lab:​IBM-Q Qubit Design
Pros and Cons of Superconductor Loops
The Many Flavors of the Qubit
Exercises
Chapter 4:​Enter IBM Quantum:​A One-of-a-Kind Platform for
Quantum Computing in the Cloud
Getting Your Feet Wet with IBM Quantum
Quantum composer
Quantum Gates
Quantum Backends Available for Use
Entanglement:​Bell and GHZ States
Two Qubit Entanglement with Bell States
Three Qubit Entanglement with GHZ States Tests
Super Determinism:​A Way Out of the Spookiness.​Was
Einstein Right All Along?​
Remote Access via the REST API
Authentication
List Available Backends
Get Backend Parameters
Get the Status of a Processor’s Queue
List Jobs in the Execution Queue
Get Account Information
List User’s Experiments
Run a Job on Hardware
 Get the API Version
Exercises
Chapter 5:​Mathematical Foundation:​Time to Dust Up That Linear
Algebra
Qubit 101:​Vector, Matrices, and Complex Numbers
Transpose of a Matrix MT
Conjugate Transpose or Adjoint Mϯ
Complex Numbers:​The Mathematical Magic Hats
Euler’s Identity:​A Wonderful Masterpiece
Tensor Product of a Matrix ⊗
Postulates of Quantum Mechanics
Postulate 1:​State and Vector Space
Postulate 2:​Observables and Operators
Postulate 3:​Measurement
Postulate 4:​Collapse of the Wave Function
Postulate 5:​Unitary Transformations
Linear Algebra and Quantum Mechanics Cheat Sheet
Algebraic Representation of the Qubit
Dirac’s Ket Notation
Superposition Is a Fancy Word
Kets Are Column Vectors
Orient Yourself in the Bloch Sphere
Changing the State of a Qubit with Quantum Gates
NOT Gate (Pauli X)
Truly Quantum:​Super Positions with the Hadamard Gate
 Measurement of a Quantum State Is Trickier Than You
Think
Generalized Single Qubit Gates
Unitary Matrices Are Good for Quantum Gates
Other Single Qubit Gates
Qubit Entanglement with the Controlled-NOT Gate
Universal Quantum Computation Delivers Shortcuts over
Classical Computation
Gate Identity Cheat Sheet
Quantum Gate vs Boolean Gate Cheat Sheet
Exercises
Chapter 6:​Qiskit, Awesome SDK for Quantum Programming in
Python
Installing Qiskit
Setting Up in Windows
Setting Up in Linux CentOS
Credentials Configuration
Your First Quantum Program
Quantum Lab:​A Hidden Jewel Within the Cloud Console
SDK Internals:​Circuit Compilation
Running in a Real Quantum Device
Result Visualization Types
Noise Models and Fake Providers
Exercises
Extended Qiskit Exercises
Chapter 7:​Start Your Engines:​From Quantum Random Numbers to
Teleportation and Super Dense Coding
 Quantum Random Number Generation
Random Bit Generation Using the Hadamard Gate
Putting Randomness Results to the Test
Super Dense Coding
Circuit for composer
Running in Python
Looking at the Results
Quantum Teleportation
Circuit for composer
Running in Python
Looking at the Results
Exercises
Chapter 8:​Game Theory:​With Quantum Mechanics, Odds Are
Always in Your Favor
Counterfeit Coin Puzzle
Counterfeit Coin, the Quantum Way
Step 1:​Query the Quantum Beam Balance
Step 2:​Construct the Quantum Balance
Step 3:​Identify the False Coin
Generalization for Any Number of False Coins
Mermin-Peres Magic Square
Mermin-Peres Magic Square Exercise
Quantum Winning Strategy
Shared Entangled State
Unitary Transformations
Measure in the Computational Basis
 Answers for the Mermin-Peres Magic Square Exercise
Chapter 9:​Quantum Advantage with Deutsch-Jozsa, Bernstein-
Vazirani, and Simon’s Algorithms
Phase Kickback
Kickback with Arbitrary Phases
Deutsch-Jozsa
Bernstein-Vazirani (BV)
Simon’s Algorithm
Rules for Simon Oracle Construction
Dissecting Simon’s Oracle
Extended Practice Exercises
Chapter 10:​Advanced Algorithms:​Unstructured Search and
Integer Factorization with Grover and Shor
Quantum Unstructured Search
Phase Inversion
Inversion About the Mean
Practical Implementation
Generalized Circuit
Integer Factorization with Shor’s Algorithm
Challenging Asymmetric Cryptography with Quantum
Factorization
Period Finding
Shor’s Algorithm by ProjectQ
Chapter 11:​Quantum in the Real World:​Advanced Chemistry and
Protein Folding
The Significance of Eigenvalues
Eigenvalues in a Quantum Computer
 Why Use a Quantum Computer
Molecule Ground States
The Lattice
The Heisenberg Spin ½ Hamiltonian
The VQE
The Results
Protein Folding
The Protein Folding Problem
Protein Folding Using a Quantum Computer
Exciting Times Lie Ahead
Appendix:​Exercise Answers
Index
About the Author
Vladimir Silva
was born in Quito, Ecuador. He received a System’s Analyst degree from
the Polytechnic Institute of the Army in 1994. In the same year, he came
to the United States as an exchange student pursuing an M.S. degree in
Computer Science at Middle Tennessee State University. After
graduation, he joined IBM as a software engineer. His interests include
Quantum Computing, Neural Nets, and Artificial Intelligence. He also
holds numerous IT certifications including OCP, MCSD, and MCP. He has
written many technical books in the fields of distributed computing and
security. His previous books include Grid Computing for Developers
(Charles River Media), Practical Eclipse Rich Client Platform Projects
(Apress), Pro Android Games (Apress), and Advanced Android 4 Games
(Apress).
About the Technical Reviewer
Jason Whitehorn
is an experienced entrepreneur and
software developer and has helped many
companies automate and enhance their
business solutions through data
synchronization, SaaS architecture, and
machine learning. Jason obtained his
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
from Arkansas State University, but he
traces his passion for development back
many years before then, having first
taught himself to program BASIC on his
family’s computer while still in middle
school.
When he’s not mentoring and helping his team at work, writing, or
pursuing one of his many side-projects, Jason enjoys spending time
with his wife and four children and living in the Tulsa, Oklahoma,
region. More information about Jason can be found on his website:
https://jason.whitehorn.us.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to APress Media, LLC, part of Springer
Nature 2024
V. Silva, Quantum Computing by Practice
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-9991-3_1

1. Quantum Fields: The Building Blocks

of Reality
Vladimir Silva1
(1) CARY, NC, USA

The beginning of the 20th century, more specifically 1930s Europe,

witnessed the dawn of arguably one of the greatest theories in human
history: quantum mechanics. After almost a century of change, this
wonder of imagination has morphed and taken many directions. One of
these is quantum field theory (QFT) which is the subject of this chapter.
If you enjoy physics and wish to understand why things are the way
they are, then you must get your feet wet with QFT. It has been called
the most successful theory in history, riding high since the 1950s and
giving rise to the standard model of particle physics. This is the modern
view of how nature works at the smallest scale, being proven right time
and again by countless experiments and instruments like the Large
Hadron Collider (LHC). All in all, the story of how QFT came to be, and
the Masters of Physics behind it, is a tale of wonder, furious rivalry but
ultimate collaboration.
Our story begins in 1900 when Lord Kelvin stood in front of the
British Science Royal Society and enunciated: “There is nothing else to
be discovered in physics” – a powerful statement at the time but clearly
wrong in hindsight. Perhaps, we should thank the lord for such a bold
proclamation because it is statements like that that drive others to
prove them wrong. This was put to the test 30 years later in Germany.
Around the 1930s, the great German physicist Max Plank (1858–
1947) was working on the black-body radiation problem, more
specifically in the ultraviolet catastrophe. To understand this problem,
let’s backtrack to the physics of how materials glow in multiple colors
at different temperatures. In 1900 British physicist Lord Rayleigh
derived an approximation to predict that process. To accomplish his
task, Rayleigh used the so-called black body, a simple object that would
absorb and emit light but not reflect it. Note that the term black doesn’t
mean its color is black but that it simply absorbs and emits light but
does not reflect it, so when observed, you’ll see its glow or radiation.
Rayleigh’s work is known as the Rayleigh-Jeans law for spectral
radiation of a black body as a function of its wavelength λ (lambda) and
its temperature in Kelvin degrees (K) (see Equation 1.1):

(1.1)

where
c = speed of light (299792458 m/s)
KB, the Boltzmann constant = 1.38064852 × 10-23 m2 kg s-2 K-1
λ = wavelength
T = temperature in Kelvin degrees

Enter Max Planck, the Father of Quantum

Mechanics
The Rayleigh-Jeans law works great for higher wavelengths (in the
infrared spectrum outside of visible light) but gives infinite values in
the visible spectrum. Figure 1-1 shows a graph of the Rayleigh-Jeans
spectral radiance for wavelengths of visible and infrared for a black
body at 5000 degrees Kelvin. This is what is known as the ultraviolet
catastrophe: the infinite values of radiation of light in the visible
spectrum as predicted by classical physics. This is simply not possible;
if this was true, then we’ll all get cooked up by simply getting close to a
candle light! Max Planck realized this and found a solution in the 1930s
earning him a Nobel Prize and a place in history.
Figure 1-1 Graph of the Rayleigh-Jeans law vs. Planck’s solution for the ultraviolet
catastrophe
Planck altered Rayleigh’s original derivation by changing the
formula to match experimental results as shown in Equation 1.2.

(1.1)

(1.2)

where h is Planck’s constant = 6.62 × 10-34 m2kg/s.

He made an incredible assumption for the time: energy can be
emitted or absorbed in discrete chunks which he called quanta:
where v is the frequency. Note that frequency equals the
speed of light divided by the wavelength . This may seem trivial
nowadays, but in the 1930s was ground-breaking; not even Planck fully
understood what he had unleashed. He gave birth to a brand new
theory: quantum mechanics.

Planck Hits the Jackpot, Einstein Collects a Nobel

Prize
So at the time, Planck didn’t realize how huge his postulate of energy
quanta was, as he admitted that his solution for the ultraviolet
catastrophe was simply a workaround for the maths of the Rayleigh-
Jeans law to make it fit well-known experimental results. To grasp the
power of this postulate, one must look at the view of the nature of light
pre-post Planck’s era.

The Nature of Light Before Planck

Since the 19th century, it was well accepted that light behaved like a
wave. Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1979) provided a
description of the fundamental properties of such waves (see Figure 1-
2).

Figure 1-2 The nature of light in the 19th century

A fundamental property of a light wave is its wavelength or lambda

(λ).
Look at the right side of Figure 1-2: At very short wavelengths, we
have lots of waves; the reverse is also true at higher wavelengths.
This is the frequency (v), a second fundamental property of light
waves.
 It seems logical to assume that at high frequencies (short
wavelengths), the energy of the wave is higher (as there is more stuff
flowing in) and that at lower frequencies (higher wavelengths) the
energy decreases. Therefore the energy (E) is directly proportional to
its frequency (v) and inversely proportional to its wavelength (λ). This
knowledge gave rise to the standard spectrum of light in the 19th
century:
On the left side of the spectrum (at the shortest wavelengths between
1 picometer and 0.01 nanometers [nm]), sit the gamma rays: very
dangerous, the usual result of a supernova explosion, they are the
most energetic. A gamma-ray burst from a supernova can destroy
everything in its path: all life on Earth, for example, even the solar
system. You don’t want to be in the crosshairs of a gamma-ray burst!
Next, at a wavelength of 0.01–10nm, sit the well-known x-rays: very
helpful for looking inside of things: organic or inorganic, but still
dangerous enough to cause cancer over persistent exposure.
At a wavelength of 10–400 nm, we have ultraviolet light (UV): this is
the radiation from the sun that gives life to our Earth but can be
harmful in high doses. Lucky for us, the ozone layer on Earth keeps
the levels in balance to make life possible.
At a tiny sort after the UV range sits the visible light spectrum that
allows us to enjoy everything we see in this beautiful universe.
Next, infrared at wavelengths up to 1050 nanometers. It is used in
industrial, scientific, military, law enforcement, and medical
applications. In such devices as night vision goggles, heat sensors,
and others.
Finally, radio waves above the infrared range. These are used by most
human technology to send all kinds of information such as audio,
video, TV, radio, cell phones, you name it.

After Planck, Physics Will Never Be the Same

In the 1930s Planck turned the classical understanding of the nature of
light upside down. Even though his postulate of energy quanta was
dubbed lunacy by most physicists and remained unnoticed for years, it
will take another giant of the century, Albert Einstein, to seize on this
discovery and come up with a brand new interpretation of light. Thus,
the photon was born.
This is not well known to most people, but Einstein didn’t win a
Nobel Prize for his masterpiece on The Theory of Relativity, but for his
work on the quantum nature of light and the photoelectric effect. Using
Planck’s idea, Einstein imagined light as discrete waves (particles)
which he called photons. He used this to solve a paradox in the
photoelectric effect unknown at the time (see Figure 1-3).

Figure 1-3 A fresh idea on the photoelectric effect earned Einstein the Nobel Prize
in Physics in 1921

As its name indicates, the photoelectric effect seeks to describe the

behavior of electrons over a metal surface when light is thrown in the
mix. To this end, the experiment in Figure 1-3 was devised:
 Start with two metal plates. Let’s call them the emitter and the
collector. Both are attached via a cable to a battery. The negative end
of the battery is connected to the emitter, and the positive to the
collector.
As we all know, electrons have a negative charge; thus, they flow to
the emitter while the positive charge gathers in the collector.
Remember also that opposite charges attract.
The idea is to measure the kinetic energy of the electrons when they
flow from the emitter to the collector when a light source is thrown
into the emitter. To achieve this accurately, a vacuum is set among the
two.
If light flows as a wave as classical physics demands, then when the
light hits the electrons, they will become energized and escape the
surface of the emitter toward the collector. Furthermore, as the
intensity (the amount) of light is increased, more electrons will get
energized and escape in larger quantities. This increase in charge can
be measured by the gauge as shown.
However, this is not what happens. Two things were observed in
reality:
1. The increase in charge (the kinetic energy of the electrons) does
not depend on the intensity of the light but on its frequency.

2. Even stranger, not all frequencies energize the electrons to escape

the emitter. If we were to draw the kinetic energy (KE) as a function
of the frequency (f) (see the lower right side of Figure 1-3), then
there is a point in the curve (threshold frequency) after which the
electrons escape. Values below this threshold and the electrons
remain unchanged. This is a puzzle indeed!

Einstein proposed a solution to this puzzle: by postulating that

energy behaves as a particle, he solved the paradox of item 2 of the list.
Imagine that you are at the county fair looking to win a prize by
knocking down pins with a ball. If you throw marbles at the pins, they
won’t budge; however, throw a baseball, and the pins will be knocked
down earning you that desired prize. This is what Einstein thought
occurred in this situation. Low frequency photons don’t have enough
energy to power up the electrons to escape the emitter. Increase the
frequency of the light; it increases the energy of the electrons so they
escape generating a current that can be measured. From this, a
mathematical model can be derived (see Figure 1-4).

Figure 1-4 Equation for the photoelectric effect

Figure 1-4 shows a graph of the kinetic energy of the electron (EK)
as a function of the light frequency (f). At low frequencies, no electrons
escape until the threshold frequency is reached. Now, extend the line as
shown by the dotted track in the figure, and we have a straight line
graph (note that the point at which the dotted track intersects the Y
axis is named by the Greek letter φ (Phi)). This is the energy needed to
liberate the electron. Thus, this line graph can be described by the
algebraic equation Y = mx + c where m is the gradient and c is the Y-
intercept.
Now instead of Y, substitute the kinetic energy, with the gradient m
being Planck’s constant (h), the frequency (f) instead of x, and c being
the energy needed to liberate or –φ. Therefore, our line graph equality
becomes Ek = hf − φ.
 This is the equation for the photoelectric effect: the energy leftover
after the electron is liberated equals the energy given by the photon
minus the energy needed to liberate it.

Tip Incidentally, the first scientist to think of light as a particle was

Isaac Newton. He thought light traveled in small packets which he
called co-puzzles. He also thought these packets had mass;
something that is incorrect. Unfortunately, this idea never took off
and lay dormant until it was revived by the Planck-Einstein
revolution of the 1930s.

Quantum Mechanics Comes in Many Flavors

There is little doubt that the 1930s were the golden age of physics in
the 20th century. Nobel prizes were awarded like candy, and it seemed
that nothing could stop humanity in its quest to unravel the secrets of
nature. Since then, quantum mechanics has stood tall for almost a
century of endless theoretical and experimental challenges. All in all, it
has seen a good deal of change over the years. These are the so-called
interpretations of quantum mechanics, and they come in really bizarre
flavors.

Copenhagen Interpretation
This is the earliest consensus about the meaning of quantum
mechanics, and was born out of the golden age of physics with
contributions from Max Planck, Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, and
others in Copenhagen during the 1920s.

The Revolution Begins with Planck, Bohr, and

Schrödinger
Max Planck’s postulate of energy quanta started the revolution with
contributions by Einstein on the duality and/or quantum nature of
light. That is, the idea that light behaves as both a wave and a particle.
Danish physicist Niels Bohr (1885–1962) funded the Institute of
Theoretical Physics in Copenhagen in the 1920s to work on the brand-
new field of atomic research. At the time, the atom was thought to look
like a tiny solar system with a nucleus at the center made of protons,
neutrons, and electrons orbiting around. This was known as the
Rutherford model, but it had a terrible problem: electric charge! If the
negatively charged electrons orbit around the positively charged
nucleus, then as opposite charges attract, the electrons will eventually
collapse into the nucleus destroying all matter in existence. Bohr
foresaw this situation and used Planck’s idea of energy quanta to
theorize that electrons jump from one orbit to another by gaining or
losing energy; something that he called a quantum jump. This idea later
became known as the Bohr atom, but it had a weird characteristic:
electrons didn’t simply travel from one orbit to another. They
instantaneously disappear from one orbit and reappear in another. This
did not sit well with another colossus of physics: Erwin Schrö dinger.
Austrian physicist Erwin Schrö dinger (1887–1961) is the father of
the famous wave function ѱ (Cyrillic - Psi). Schrö dinger was looking to
describe the energy of a physical system; he came up with what is now
considered the most powerful tool in physics in the last century (see
Figure 1-5).

Figure 1-5 Schrö dinger wave function ѱ is the cornerstone of quantum mechanics

Schrö dinger detested Bohr’s interpretation of the atom famously

stating that “If I am to accept the quantum jump, then I am sorry I ever
got into the field of atomic research.” As a matter of fact, his wave
function was an attempt to defeat Planck-Bohr-Einstein. He wanted to
throw away the nascent theory of energy quanta and return to the
continuous classical model of wave physics, even pushing the idea that
all reality can be described entirely by waves. So why is ѱ used
nowadays everywhere in quantum mechanics? Thank this to our next
physicist: Max Born.
German-Jewish physicist Max Born (1882–1970) took Schrö dinger’s
wave function in an entirely new direction. Born proposed a
probabilistic interpretation of ѱ, that is, the state of a particle exists in
constant flux, and the only thing we can know is the probability of the
particle at a given state. Born postulated that this probability is P = ѱ2.
Needless to say, Schrö dinger didn’t like this at all as he thought his wave
function was being misused. He took a swing at Born with his now
famous thought experiment: the quantum cat. But before we check if
the cat in the box is dead or alive and why, consider this witty story: In
the quintessential American cartoon Futurama (by Matt Groening –
creator of The Simpsons), our hero Fry enrolls in the police academy in
New-NewYork on Earth in the year 3000. One day while on patrol, Fry
chases a bandit carrying a mysterious box in the trunk of his car. Once
in custody, the bandit is revealed to be Werner Heisenberg. Fry looks at
the box with a face full of trepidation and asks: “What’s in the box?” To
which Heisenberg replies, “a cat.” “Is the cat dead or alive?” asks Fry.
Heisenberg replies: “the cat is neither dead nor alive but in a
superposition of states with a probability assigned to each.” Long story
short, Heisenberg the bandit is arrested as a major violator of the laws
of physics. This was a funny tale for the physics buff. Nevertheless, it
shows the quantum cat has become folklore, and the prime example
used to explain the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics.
The powerful Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle (HUP) is the work
of German physicist Werner Heisenberg (1901–1976), and it is one of
the foundations of quantum theory. It describes a degree of uncertainty
in the relationship between the position (x) and the momentum (ρ) of a
particle. More clearly, we can measure the exact position or momentum
of a particle but not both. The uncertainty principle arises from the
fundamental wave-matter duality of quantum objects (see Figure 1-6).
Figure 1-6 Uncertainty is a fundamental property of the wave-particle duality of a
quantum object’s complementary variables such as position and momentum

Tip A remarkable point is that at the beginning, this degree of

uncertainty was confused with the observer effect, which states that
the act of measurement alters the state of a quantum system. As a
matter of fact, Heisenberg himself used the observer effect as a
physical explanation of this postulate. Since then this has been
proven untrue with a rigorous mathematical derivation of HUP
provided by physicist Earle Hesse Kennard in 1928.

The uncertainty principle has a profound effect in the world of

thermodynamics: for example, it gave rise to the notion of zero-point
energy. In the Kelvin scale of temperature, zero kelvin is called the
absolute zero or the temperature at which all molecular activity stops.
This fact is forbidden by quantum mechanics and the uncertainty
principle because, if all molecular activity ceases, then the position and
momentum of a particle will be known. This is not possible; you either
know the position or the momentum of a particle but not both. Thus
even at absolute zero, particles are vibrating with a tiny amount of
energy, hence the term zero-point energy.
Austrian physicist Wolfgang Pauli (1900–1958) was a dear
colleague of Einstein and a Nobel laureate for the remarkable Exclusion
Principle which states that no two electrons can have the same set of
quantum numbers. These numbers describe the state of the electron;
therefore, no two electrons can be in the same quantum state at a time.
In Pauli’s time, the chemical effect of the electron was described by a
set of three quantum numbers:
n: The principal quantum number
 l: The orbital angular momentum
ml: The magnetic quantum number
Pauli studied experimental results from chemical tests on the
stability of atoms with even vs. odd numbers of electrons. At the time it
was thought that an atom with even numbers of electrons was
chemically more stable than one with odd numbers. Furthermore, these
numbers were thought to be arranged in symmetric clusters or closed
shells around the nucleus. Pauli realized that these complex shells can
be reduced to a single electron by adding a new quantum number to the
trio above. Pauli introduced a new two-valued quantum number that
will later be known as the quantum spin. Pauli’s discovery was later
generalized for all particles in the standard model:
Fermions: Named after one of the architects of the nuclear age
(Enrico Fermi), these obey Fermi-Dirac statistics and Pauli’s
exclusion principle. Fermions have a half-integer spin and include
electrons, quarks, and leptons (electrons, neutrinos).
Bosons: These obey Bose-Einstein statistics and do not follow Pauli’s
exclusion principle. Furthermore, they have integer value spin and
include photons, gluons, W-Z bosons, and the almighty Higgs boson
(the so-called god particle).
Pauli’s exclusion principle is important in that it helps explain the
complex shell structure of atoms and its effect on their chemical
stability. It also explains the way atoms share electrons explaining the
chemical variety of elements in nature and their combinations. For this,
Pauli received a Nobel Prize in 1945 for “a contribution through his
discovery of a new law of Nature, the exclusion principle or Pauli
principle,” with the incredible honor of being nominated by Albert
Einstein.

The Genius of Paul Dirac

English physicist Paul Dirac (1902–1984) is considered one of the most
significant contributors to the development of quantum mechanics and
quantum electrodynamics. You probably heard of the term antimatter,
that is, matter with the same mass as regular matter but opposite
charge. Dirac was the first to derive an equation to predict its existence.
Among many of Dirac’s contributions are
 Dirac equation: This equation is considered an incredible
achievement for quantum mechanics for two important reasons:
First, it was an attempt to account for special relativity (space-time
coordinates) within Schrö dinger’s wave function (see Figure 1-7).
Such a feat is considered to be the holy grail of physics: merging
relativity and quantum mechanics into a single theory of everything.
Unfortunately, Dirac’s equation fell a little short of the feat of the
millennium. We’ll explain that later on. Second, it predicts the
existence of antimatter, unsuspected and unobserved at the time, yet
confirmed experimentally years later via experiments of particle
colliders.

Figure 1-7 The Dirac equation was the first attempt to inject relativistic space-time
in the context of quantum mechanics
Dirac’s intentions of treating the atom in a manner consistent with
relativity had a profound effect in the structure of matter. His
 equation introduced two new mathematical objects which now are
fundamental in physics and quantum field theory:
ak and β: These are 4x4 matrices closely related to Pauli’s matrices.
Remembering Pauli’s exclusion principle, it introduced a new
quantum number to explain electron shell clusters using a 2x2
matrix that was later known as electron spin (or spinor). In the
same line, Dirac’s matrices are called bispinors.
A four-component wave function ѱ: It has four components
because its evaluation at any given point is a bispinor. Physically, it
is interpreted as the superposition of a spin-up electron, spin-
down electron, spin-up positron, and spin-down positron. Note
that Dirac’s four-component wave function differs from Pauli’s
two-component wave function and Schrö dinger’s wave function
for a single complex value.
Hole theory: Dirac’s equation has solutions with negative energies.
To cope with this fact, Dirac introduced the hypothesis of Hole theory.
This theory postulates that the vacuum is a many body quantum
state where all the negative energy electron eigenstates are occupied.
This description came to be known as the Dirac sea. Furthermore,
since Pauli’s exclusion principle forbids two electrons from
occupying the same quantum state, additional electrons will be
forced to occupy a positive eigenstate with positive-energy electrons
forbidden from decaying into negative-energy eigenstates. Dirac
reasoned that there may be unoccupied negative-energy eigenstates
in this sea which he called holes reasoning that they behave like
positively charged particles because positive energy is required to
create a particle-hole pair from the vacuum. He initially thought that
the hole may be the proton; however, it was pointed out later that the
hole should have the same mass as the electron; thus, it could not be
the proton as it is around 1800 times as massive as the electron. This
hole was later identified as the positron which was discovered
experimentally by American physicist Carl Anderson in 1932!

Einstein vs. Bohr, Nonlocality and Spooky Action at a

Distance (EPR Paradox)
In the early part of the 19th century, an unknown battle was being
fought by two titans of physics: Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein. Einstein
did not like Max Born’s probabilistic interpretation of the wave
function. He wanted to extend his relativity to the atomic scale for a
single unified theory of physics. Thus in 1935, he along with colleagues
Boris Podolsky and Nathan Rosen published the notorious EPR
paradox. The goal of this paper was to drive a coup de grâce at the heart
of quantum mechanics by showing the absurdity of one of its
fundamental principles: entanglement. Entanglement is a fundamental
property of quantum systems that originates when two particles
interact with each other. For example, if one has spin-up, the other
particle will instantaneously show spin-down when measured, and
thus they are said to be entangled. The bizarre part is that this event
occurs instantaneously across space, even time (nonlocality). So, for
example, take two entangled particles, leave one on Earth, and move
the other to the edge of the solar system, then perform a measurement
on the spin of the first. The second particle at the edge of the solar
system will instantaneously take the opposite spin value. This seemed
absurd to Einstein who believed that the speed of light was the ultimate
speed limit in the universe. If nothing can travel faster than light, how
can the first particle notify the other about its spin instantaneously?
Einstein called this spooky action at a distance.

Tip Einstein abhorred the probabilistic interpretation of quantum

mechanics because he could not bear the idea that the act of
observation (measurement) is what defines the state of a particle. He
believed that states (properties) of a particle were defined at the
moment of its creation, famously writing to Bohr, “God does not
throw dice.” To which Bohr replied: “You should stop telling God what
to do.” Einstein sought to defeat this idea, and he spent the last
decades of his life looking for the holy grail of physics: a unified
theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. He was unsuccessful,
and so the holy grail still eludes us: the mother of all equations to
unite the Heavens, the Earth, and the atom.
Other documents randomly have
different content
almost the appearance of a field. The girls needed no reference to
the map now to establish the fact that they were lost. Ruth
apologized profusely, lightly blaming Miss Phillips for absorbing her
interest in what she was saying.

In the meantime, Marjorie had turned her canoe around so that

Doris could reach out her hand and take hold of the stern of Alice’s
canoe. It was only a few seconds before they too were turned
about, and all were paddling in the direction from which they had
just come.

“We’ll go back as quickly as we can,” said Miss Phillips, glancing at

her watch. It was already three o’clock.

Ruth paddled swiftly now, realizing that her shoulders were no

longer stiff, but in better condition to take up the exercise.

“Here’s the place!” cried Miss Phillips, after about an hour of

paddling. “But just think how much time we’ve lost!”

“But we are having a good time!” put in Ruth. It was evident that
she was not in the least remorseful over her mistake.

“But we’ll have to camp here,” answered the captain, sharply. “And
if you knew of what is awaiting you at Silvertown, you wouldn’t want
to lose a single minute more than necessary.”

“I believe someone especially nice is waiting for you,” remarked

Ruth, significantly.

And the captain was too embarrassed at the inference to reprove

Ruth for her undue familiarity.
 CHAPTER VI

THE ACCIDENT

It was evening—of the second day of their trip and the scouts
were seated about their camp fire, enjoying the leisure after the
day’s activities. The flame lighted up the immediate circle, and the
tents just beyond; but by way of contrast, it seemed to make the
blackness of the woods and the water still deeper.

“Anybody want to go for a walk?” asked Miss Phillips, teasingly.

“We want to stay just where we are!” replied Marjorie, who was
comfortably leaning against Lily’s back for support.

“Remember that dark forest in Barrie’s play—‘Dear Brutus’—where

everybody went on a summer’s night and got things they all wished
for!” remarked Lily.

None of the others had seen the play, and they asked her several
questions about the story.

“It would take an Edith Evans to tell that story well,” sighed Lily;
“it certainly was a pretty one.”

“But wouldn’t it be strange,” mused Marjorie, “if we could go into

the woods over there and get our dearest wish. I wonder what mine
would be.”

“To win the silver cup at the races, I guess,” put in Ruth. “I’m sure
that’s my greatest desire at present.” Then, becoming very practical,
she added, “Now please tell us all about it, Captain Phillips.”
 “Well, I haven’t worked out the exact program,” replied Miss
Phillips; “but I can tell you most of the things it will include.”

“First of all there will be a race——”

“With the same two girls together, just as we are now?” asked
Alice Endicott.

“No—one girl to a canoe, for this event. You can’t very well sit
down when you want to paddle fast—you kneel somewhere in the
middle of the canoe. So, if we can’t hire canoes there, we will have
two races, and then let the winner of each compete.”

“That really would be the fairest thing to do, anyway,” said

Frances. “Because we’ll be more used to these canoes than any
others.”

“Then there will be another event when there are two girls in each
canoe, and perhaps a relay race. And finally, there will be a
Capsized-canoe Competition. Someone will take the canoe to the
middle of the lake and upset it. As soon as the contestant sees this
take place, she is to kick off her shoes and dive into the lake, right
the canoe, bale the water out, and bring it safely—with its first
occupant in it—to shore. This is undoubtedly the most difficult feat
of all.”

“But how will you decide who has won the cup?” asked Ruth,
when Miss Phillips had finished her explanation.

“Mr. Remington and I are going to decide on how to award the

different points, and then ask three strangers—people of Silvertown,
I mean—to judge the contest.”

“Mr. Remington!” repeated Marjorie. “Will he be there?”

Miss Phillips blushed. “There, now, I have said too much already.
Suppose we say nothing more about it. It’s time to go to bed,
anyway.”

The scouts did as the captain commanded, pausing only to put out
the fire. They reserved further discussion of the subject of the
matter until they were by themselves.

Early the next morning they were in their canoes again, ready to
start off. This time Miss Phillips kept her map in view so that there
could be no chance of a mistake; and she designated Frances Wright
and Ethel Todd—the two oldest girls in the troop—to take the lead.

For the next few days they progressed steadily onward. Always on
the water by nine o’clock, and pausing only an hour for lunch, they
continued until four; then with the aid of the map, Miss Phillips
watched for the best camping place.

All had gone well thus far; and by Saturday morning they were
practically on schedule time.

“Have you ever been over this stream before, Captain?” asked
Marjorie, as the canoes set off from the shore together.

“No, never,” replied Miss Phillips.

“Well, then how did you know all about making the map, and the
best sites for our camps, and——?”

The captain smiled. “Mr. Remington, the scoutmaster, took it once,

and recommended it to me. It was he who made the maps for us.”

“It certainly is lovely,” observed Marjorie. “I couldn’t ask for a

more beautiful trip.”

“And don’t forget what awaits at the other end,” put in Ruth, with
a tone of joyous anticipation.
 “Except for the water meet!” sighed Doris. “Do you know, Captain
Phillips, the idea of our racing and doing all those stunts sort of
scares me—before all those strange people, I mean. Do we all have
to take part?”

“Oh, I wish you all would, though of course I wouldn’t absolutely

insist,” replied Miss Phillips. “But really, nobody in Pansy troop need
be afraid. Already I consider you really expert canoeists!”

“Thanks, Captain!” exclaimed Ethel Todd, well pleased at the

compliment.

“But of course nobody stands a chance with Marj!” said Ruth,

rather sulkily. “Because she has had so much experience.”

“Experience isn’t everything,” said Miss Phillips. “It’s deftness—a

certain knack, which I can’t explain.”

The canoes were forced to go in single file now, for the stream
had become very narrow. Miss Phillips and Frieda took the lead, the
former watching cautiously for rapids; for it was somewhere near
here, she thought, that a portage would be necessary. Ruth and Lily
in the Water-Witch were the last in the trail.

“I honestly don’t think it’s fair about Marj!” repeated the former, in
discontent.

“Why, Ruth, of course it is! Marj isn’t any professional, like you
make her out to be! What don’t you consider fair about it?”

Ruth paddled more slowly, in order to allow those in the canoe

ahead to get out of hearing distance.

“Just this. I think the whole idea of a canoe meet is not Miss
Phillips’s, but Marj’s. Why should the captain have chosen the thing
Marjorie Wilkinson is most proficient in? You can’t tell me! It’s
because Marj paws around her, and makes her do just as she likes!”
 “Ruth Henry!” cried Lily, furious at the slur against her best friend.
“Are you serious?”

“Yes, I am, Lil. You’re blinded by her; Marj can do anything with
you that she likes, and you think she’s wonderful. But other people
don’t think so! She’s not half good enough for you, I tell you.” Ruth
lowered her voice and spoke slowly in the hope that her words of
flattery might make a deep impression upon the other. “You’re the
most popular girl in our class, Lily Andrews, and everybody knows it.
But if you don’t pay any attention to anybody except Marj, you’ll lose
all your friends!”

Lily was simply dumbfounded at the words of her companion. It

was true that she always put Marjorie first, assuming that her room-
mate was more popular than herself. And yet, as Ruth had reminded
her, it was she who had been chosen president of the class, and not
Marjorie.

“Now I think it’s all very well to have tests like this Sailor’s test, as
a regular part of scouting,” continued Ruth; “but when it comes to a
big meet, which all Silvertown will witness, I don’t think it’s quite fair
to select canoeing. Why shouldn’t Miss Phillips have chosen tennis?
We’ve never had a tennis tournament.”

“But I thought it was our benefactor who suggested canoeing—

not Miss Phillips.”

“Well, I don’t know, but I wish you’d help me this once. You know
Miss Phillips hates me—” Ruth laughed carelessly, as if the fact did
not cause her any unhappiness—“but she likes you, Lil. So you
suggest a tennis match instead. Won’t you please, Lil?”

“Well, tennis would suit me just as well—though I’m not much

good at either sport. Still, I do see what you mean. Yes—if I have a
chance—maybe—I’ll mention the matter to Miss Phillips!”

“Oh, Lil, you’re an angel!” cried Ruth, in ecstasy.

 All this time both girls had been so engrossed in the conversation
that they had forgotten to paddle. Ruth, however, had continued to
guide the canoe until she won Lily’s consent to attack Miss Phillips
on the subject; then she gave a little jump, and dropped her paddle
in the water. She had not noticed that the stream had become
swifter, and that there were sharp rocks ahead; with her mind still
upon the recent conversation, she leaned far over the side of the
canoe in order to secure the floating paddle. The canoe, however,
driven by the current, swung around and hit against a protruding
rock. An instant later, the girls were thrown under the water. The
canoe had capsized.

“Lil, oh! Lil! Where are you?” called Ruth, as soon as her head
came to the surface.

“Here!” sputtered Lily, her nose and mouth filled with water by the
violent ducking. Then a series of violent chokes on her part
prevented all hope of replying.

“Oh, where can the others be?” cried Ruth, grasping at the canoe
in despair, and looking wildly about for help. But she saw no signs of
the other girls; the Water-Witch had evidently been progressing
more slowly than they had either of them realized.

With a desperate effort, they finally managed to turn the canoe

about, and pushing it before them, they swam for the shore, which
was close by. The water-proof bags containing rain-coats, blankets,
and supplies were scattered in all directions, headed down stream.

“Lil, we’ve got to get our stuff—or it will sink so that we can’t find
it!”

“Oh! Oh! What shall we do!” wailed Lily, now able to speak. “Marj!
Marj!” she screamed helplessly.

In a second two or three scouts appeared about fifty yards down

stream, on the bank. They had already landed their canoes when
they heard the cry of distress. But in an incredibly short time
Marjorie had pushed hers in to the water again, and was paddling
madly against the current towards the scene of the accident. Seeing,
however, when she reached them, that Lily was perfectly safe, and
with Ruth, capable of managing the capsized canoe, she turned
about and rescued the bags of luggage.

By this time the rest of the party had run along the shore,
reaching the scene just as Lily, with drenched clothing and streaming
hair, climbed out of the water. Meanwhile Marjorie continued to fish
for the lost articles.

“We’re safe now. Pull her up, Lil!” called Ruth. “Hello, everybody!
Weren’t we crazy, though?”

“It’s a swift part of the stream, and there are lots of sharp rocks,”
explained Miss Phillips, after the scouts had pulled the canoe upon
the bank and dumped out the water. “It is near here where we make
our portage.”

“Oh, no wonder! Well, Marj—” Ruth watched the other girl direct
her canoe to the shore—“did you find everything?”

“I saw something or other sink to a watery grave,” replied

Marjorie; “and maybe I missed one or two little things. But I guess I
got most everything.”

“We’ll have to make a grand drying-day,” remarked Miss Phillips.

“But there doesn’t seem to be any good place to pitch our tents.”

She looked around anxiously, but the banks on either side of the
stream were sharply and thickly covered with trees. Suddenly she
realized how still everything was; not a leaf was stirring, not a bird
was singing. The girls, too, were absolutely quiet, as if awed by
some approaching calamity. She glanced nervously at the sky; the
sun was still shining brightly, but a glistening white cloud was rapidly
rising out of the east, and increasing in size as it advanced higher
into the heavens. A moment later, the sun was temporarily obscured.
A distant rumble was heard. There was no doubt about it now; a
heavy thunderstorm was approaching.

“We’ll never get dry!” said Lily, dolefully. “Oh, Ruth, aren’t you
getting sort of cold? And with nothing but wet sweaters to put on
——”

“Here’s mine!” offered Alice, handing her sweater to Lily. “And I’ll
get Flo’s for you, Ruth.”

“Thanks!” murmured both girls, gratefully.

“Girls,” said Miss Phillips, “I have decided not to attempt to put up

tents now. Do you see that barn over there? I think we had better
take out our bags and blankets, and turn our canoes upside down
and make for shelter. Whoever owns it surely wouldn’t put us out in
the storm.”

“Suits me to the ground!” said Lily.

When Marjorie unbarred the bolt of the heavy wooden door, the
first big drops of rain were falling from the black cloud overhead.
The rusty hinges creaked, and the door swung open, revealing an
empty interior of huge proportions. The divisions of the stalls were
still standing, and the floor of the loft was covered with straw.
Although the place was deserted, everything was neat and clean.

“I’m just as glad we don’t have to share our quarters with horses,”
said Alice.

“Or cows!” added Ruth.

“Let’s hope nobody puts us out,” said Miss Phillips. “As soon as the
storm is over, I’ll go and see if the house to which this belongs is
occupied, for it would seem to me to be wiser to stay here all night
than to pitch tents on wet ground. And especially on Lily’s and Ruth’s
account.”

“Oh, don’t mind us,” said Ruth. “We’ll be all right.”

“Well, suppose you select that stall over there as your boudoir, and
put on dry clothing. If your own bloomers and middies are wet,
borrow somebody else’s. And a good rub with a Turkish towel
wouldn’t hurt.”

The rest of the scouts climbed to the loft, and seated themselves
on some straw near a window, so that they might watch the storm.
Great claps of thunder followed sharp flashes of lightning, but the
girls did not seem the least afraid. Indeed, several of them were
sorry when the storm gave indication of subsiding.

“Will it be safe to make a fire outside the barn to cook

something?” asked Frieda. “There’s hardly any thing on hand that’s
good cold.”

“Yes,” replied the captain; “if we notice which side the wind is
blowing from, and make it so the sparks blow away from the barn,
and not towards it.”

“Oh, here are some dry twigs and a few logs!” said Marjorie, who
had descended the ladder again, and was making a tour of
exploration. “Just the thing for a fire.”

“Good!” cried Frieda. “Now I won’t have to demonstrate my ability

to make a fire from wet wood!”

The rain had entirely ceased now, and the sun was shining again.
Marjorie and Alice offered to make the fire while Frieda prepared the
supper. Ruth and Lily spent their time rigging up a place to hang
their wet clothing, and Florence and Miss Phillips went in search of
water.
 The fire had been blazing brightly for several minutes when a
gruff, loud voice suddenly startled the girls from their pleasant
conversation.

“Who’s trying to burn my barn down?”

The girls crowded together fearfully, and Frances stood ready to

face the angry owner; for, to their dismay, Miss Phillips was still out
of sight.

“Please sir,” Frances began, as soon as an old man appeared

around the side of the barn, “we are being very careful. You see we
made our fire away from the wind——”

“Oh, you did, eh? Well, suppose you put it right out again!”

Something in the old man’s manner, gruff though it was, reminded

Doris of her father, and hardly realizing what she was doing she put
her hand on his sleeves, and looked beseechingly into his eyes.

“Please don’t put us out!” she pleaded. “We’re Girl Scouts, and we
give you our word of honor——”

At her words and her tone, the old man’s anger subsided; she
seemed so like a child, asking him for shelter and protection. No one
could resist Doris Sands for any length of time.

“But my dear child—” he began.

A voice behind him interrupted his sentence. The captain had

returned to the scene of action.

“Please accept my apologies,” she said; and before he could reply,

she told him the whole story.

“Why, I understand perfectly!” he said. “But can’t you come up to

the house instead, and I guess my wife can give you some supper?”
 “Thanks,” said Miss Phillips; “we shall be glad to accept your
invitation. But so long as the girls have started supper, we may as
well eat it.”

“Then save up for dessert! I saw my wife making a cake this

morning.”

“Hooray!” exclaimed Alice. “We haven’t had any home-made cake

for an age!”

“And I’ll see that the fire is entirely put out,” concluded Miss
Phillips, as the man turned to go.

“Doris, you certainly got around him nicely,” remarked Ruth as

they took their plates of beans into the barn to eat.

“Oh, country people are always nice,” said Doris; “if you only
understand them right.”

“Do you think this is a big farm, Miss Phillips?” questioned

Marjorie.

“I don’t think it’s a farm at all,” replied the captain. “I think these
old people live here by themselves, and probably raise a little garden
for their own use. But if it were really a farm, this barn wouldn’t be
empty like this.”

“That’s true,” agreed the girl.

The old people proved to be living just such a life as Miss Phillips
had surmised. Kindly, hospitable, and simple-hearted, they made
their guests quite at home and the girls enjoyed their evening, and
the day that followed. For it was Sunday, and the old couple insisted
that the girls accompany them to the country church and remain
with them for dinner.
 It was nearly three o’clock when the scouts made their adieux,
and returned to seek their canoes, for Miss Phillips had decided that
they would make the portage before setting up camp for the night.

“And we couldn’t be more rested, or in better condition to carry

heavy loads,” said Miss Phillips, as they came upon the canoes lying
just as they had left them, bright and shining after their washing in
the rain.

“And now for the heavy work!” said Lily, tucking her luggage into
the Water-Witch.

“Thank goodness for that chicken dinner!” added Ethel.

“So say we all!” echoed Marjorie.

 CHAPTER VII

THE SAILOR BADGE

Two days later the scouts found themselves encamped in a locality

where the stream was particularly wide. They were to remain there
until the following afternoon in order that the girls who wished might
qualify for the Sailor’s Badge.

In their eagerness to pass their first-class test and thus become

eligible for the trip to Washington the previous spring, the members
of Pansy troop had given a little attention to the study for merit
badges. Most of the girls had passed the Cook, Flower-finder, and
the Needlewoman tests; and all of them on the present trip wore the
Pioneer’s badge. But for so energetic a troop, Miss Phillips felt almost
as if this branch of the work had been neglected; for this reason,
she placed more emphasis than ever upon the winning of the Sailor
badge. And the girls were equally enthusiastic.

“There are two parts to this test: the first is a general test for
everyone who aspires to proficiency in water sports, and the second
part gives you a choice—in showing your ability to manage a row-
boat, a sail-boat, a canoe, or a motorboat. We shall of course all
select the canoe.”

“I’ve been looking at some of the questions,” said Marjorie; “but I

can’t answer them. For instance, about the right of way, and the
port and the starboard of boats, and——”

“Oh, that part is easy,” said Miss Phillips; “I can tell you things like
that. It’s practical demonstrations that I’m afraid of. With the
exception of Alice, you can all swim twenty-five yards with your
clothing on——”
 “Does that mean that I’m out of it?” cried the girl, in
disappointment. “Why, I can paddle as well as the rest of the girls!”

“You may qualify for everything else except the swimming, and
then do that on Silver Lake,” said the captain. “Now, to continue—of
course everybody knows the sixteen points of the compass and how
to find the four directions from the sun or stars.”

“I don’t!” remarked Alice.

“Oh, Alice, of course you do!” Miss Phillips’s voice sounded a trifle
provoked. “Where does the sun rise, and how do you find the North
star?”

“Well, I guess I do know,” admitted the girl, meekly. “I spoke

before I thought.”

“Bad habit that,” remarked Ruth.

“Now see whether you can answer these questions. If you were
on a river at night, what color lights would you carry, and on which
side?”

“A red and a green light,” answered Marjorie, promptly; “but I

don’t know which side they are on.”

“You show the red light on the port or left side and a green light
on the starboard or right side,” the captain informed them. “And
these lights should show only towards the front and sides. In order
to tell which way a boat is heading they carry a low white light on
the bow which shines straight ahead, and another white light higher
up in the stern which shows on all four sides. If you see a green
light on the left and a red one on the right, with two white lights in
the centre, one above the other, you will know that the boat is
heading towards you. If you are coming up behind it, you will see
only the white stern light.”
 “Which side do they pass on?” asked Lily. “Do they observe traffic
rules, like automobiles, and pass to the right?”

“Whenever possible. But if your course should lie to the left you
could signal two blasts of the whistle, which would mean that you
were going to the left. One whistle means to the right. The first boat
which signals is the one which lays the course to be followed, and
the other boat should always answer with the same signal to show
that they understand. If you don’t understand the signals, then blow
four short blasts, which means danger, and the signals can be given
and returned over again.

“Always watch the sky, so that you can be prepared in time to

reach shore before a storm comes. You can easily tell rain clouds
when you see them.”

“Well, we’ve had one storm; let’s hope that we won’t have
another,” said Doris.

“Still, that didn’t hurt us much,” said Miss Phillips. “Listen,” she
continued, “here’s a good one for Ruth and Lily: Why is it dangerous
to move about or stand in a canoe?”

“We weren’t standing!” protested Lily—“or even moving much! We

were only talking.”

“They must use their arms and hands like foreigners do when they
talk!” said Ethel. “Maybe they stamped their feet for emphasis!”

“We didn’t either!” denied Ruth. “We struck a rock, and that was
all there was to it!” she concluded.

“Well, anyway, you’ve all had a practical illustration of the danger

of it,” said Miss Phillips.

Ruth began to be bored with this cross-examination; she had not

been able to answer a sufficient number of questions herself to
become interested. So she suggested that they postpone the rest of
the examination until the following day.

“But we’re just at the interesting part now,” said Miss Phillips. “I
mean about the canoe. And I thought if we discussed all the
questions now, we could take the written part of the test right after
supper.”

“All right,” agreed Ruth.

Miss Phillips was surprised at the knowledge most of the girls

showed in answer to her questions on the subject of canoeing. It
was evident that they were thoroughly interested in the topic, and,
before starting on their trip, had either consulted the libraries or had
talked with experienced canoeists. As soon as supper was over they
were eager to take the written examination, to make use of the light
as long as it lasted. They all wrote at great length, working over and
revising their papers until it was really too dark to see.

Lily Andrew was the first to hand her paper to Miss Phillips, who
was in her own tent. Much as she hated to solicit favors, or to seem
to dictate to her superior officer, she decided that she must do as
Ruth had asked, for a promise is a promise, no matter to whom or
under what circumstances it is made.

“Miss Phillips,” she began, “some of the girls would like to have a
tennis match—er—instead of a canoe meet. They think—that—that
——”

“That what?” asked the captain, not knowing what to expect.

“That it is sort of having two prizes for the same thing. I mean the
merit badge, and the cup, too!”

“A merit badge is not a prize in any sense of the word,”

contradicted the captain. “It is simply a symbol of efficiency along a
certain line. And the other prize you mention—the silver cup—was
not suggested by me, but by the friend who is providing for this trip.
It would be rude and out of place to seem to be dissatisfied with his
generosity.”

“Yes, I see,” said Lily. She was beginning to feel very

uncomfortable. “But tennis is so popular——”

“All right; perhaps we can arrange a tennis tournament after we

get to Silvertown. We’ll see. But not for a prize! Now will you run out
and collect the papers, for the girls will ruin their eyes if they work
any longer.”

The next morning was spent in practicing with their canoes. They
tried landing them, pushing them off, upsetting them, and righting
them again, until, at eleven o’clock, Miss Phillips blew the whistle as
a signal to begin the test.

“I’ll take Frieda first,” she said, “so that she can get dinner.”

Frieda, Ruth, Marjorie, Ethel, and Frances all tried the practical
part of the test and, to all appearances, were successful. Miss
Phillips refused, however, to tell them the results until that evening.

Soon after the noon meal, their things were packed again, and
they paddled all afternoon. At five o’clock they reached their
campsite.

“I do hope you aren’t going to be too tired for the scout meeting,
this evening,” said Miss Phillips. “For I have a surprise for you.
Something you will like!”

Three hours later, when the tired girls gathered around the camp
fire, their faces were alight with anticipation. They enjoyed going
over the brief, familiar ceremony at the opening; it gave them a new
thrill to repeat the pledge, the laws, and the motto, and to sing the
Star-Spangled Banner.
 Miss Phillips gave a formal report of the money spent, and Frieda
told what supplies she had on hand. Having dismissed the business,
the captain reached into her pocket, and drew out a white envelope.

“Five Girl Scouts have passed the Sailor test, and are to receive
merit-badges. I have the pleasure to present these badges tonight.
Will the following girls please come forward: Marjorie Wilkinson,
Frieda Hammer, Ruth Henry, Ethel Todd, and Frances Wright? The
girls all did creditably, ranking in the order in which I have named
them.”

It had never occurred to any of the girls that they might actually
receive their merit badges on the trip, and the surprise was
delightful. For every Girl Scout knows what a thrill it brings to sew
an additional badge on the sleeve of her uniform, particularly when
there are not many there already.

The lucky ones therefore jumped up happily and rushed forward,

almost forgetting, in their haste, to give the captain the customary
salute.

After the installation of the new lieutenant, the meeting was

dismissed, and the girls went to their tents. Ruth Henry alone was
dissatisfied; it was not enough for her to win the badge—she could
not bear to have Frieda’s and Marjorie’s names lead hers on the list.
This, she thought, was probably part of Miss Phillips’s design.

She resolved to get even.

 CHAPTER VIII

ADVENTURE ON AN ISLAND

“Our next camping spot,” said Miss Phillips as the party started out
the next morning, “will be an island. Keep watch for it, on the right,
I think, for I am not quite sure of its location.”

“A big island?” inquired Ruth. She had studied the map in detail,
but she did not remember any large islands, or indeed any place
where the stream would be wide enough to contain such a
formation.

“Not very large,” replied Miss Phillips. “But plenty big enough for
our camp. There is a stream branching out somewheres to the right,
which joins this again farther on, and in the middle is an island
about a quarter of a mile long, with lots of shade trees. A very
attractive spot, I believe.”

“And do the Boy Scouts ever camp there?” asked Marjorie. It

seemed to her that she could remember her brother Jack telling of
such an experience.

“Yes; summer before last. And I believe a few other boys besides
scouts went, too; so perhaps your brother was among them.”

“It’ll be fun to see if we can find any traces of them,” remarked

Ethel. “Or maybe we’ll find treasure.”

“Oh, all islands are reported to contain buried treasure,” laughed

Miss Phillips.
 The girls continued to paddle straight ahead all morning. As the
stream was swift and narrow, they did not attempt to eat their
luncheon in their canoes, but pulled up to the shore and got out
upon a large, flat rock which jutted out from the bank.

Ruth Henry was the first to finish eating. Jumping to her feet, she
hurried down the bank to where her canoe lay and rummaged for
her field-glasses.

“The creek seems to be getting wider down there,” she said;

“maybe I can see the island.”

But although she looked carefully, and several of the others made
attempts also, they could not distinguish anything which resembled
an island. This was not strange, for it was necessary for them to
paddle for three hours longer before they finally sighted it.

“There it is!” cried Ruth. “Oh, I think this is going to be lots of

fun!”

The small island, not much wider than a city square, appeared
most attractive with its shady trees, and sandy sloping shores. The
girls put more energy into their strokes, that they might reach it
more quickly. Marjorie was the first to pull her canoe to shore.

“I feel like Christopher Columbus!” she cried, darting forward to

explore.

“We’ll make it a game,” said Miss Phillips, when all the girls were
out of their canoes, “to see who can find the most traces of
civilization.”

The girls discovered a little path leading towards the centre of the
island, and followed it. After about two minutes’ walk they found
themselves in a clearing, and Ruth discovered the remains of a fire.
 “This is the camping spot, anyway,” said the captain; “so now
suppose we go back for our supplies.”

In a short time they were again started upon their tour of

exploration. But there were no more paths, and the thickness of the
undergrowth retarded their progress. A few birds fluttered at their
approach, and Marjorie found the remains of a dead snake, but
otherwise their expedition was uneventful.

“Not much excitement here,” remarked Ruth, as they returned to

their camping spot, somewhat disappointed.

“No, but it’s a lovely place to be,” put in Marjorie. “Why do you
always want excitement, Ruth?”

“Oh, I can’t stand anything slow!” she replied.

“Then see that you don’t cause any more delays,” said Miss
Phillips, rather sharply. She had not forgiven Ruth for what she still
considered a premeditated mistake in losing the way.

Ruth said nothing, but closed her lips tightly. She was very angry
with Miss Phillips, and wished that she might do something to annoy
her. She decided to think up a plan of action.

“If you put the tents up quickly,” said the captain, “there ought to
be time for a swim before supper. How about it, Frieda?”

“All right—if you don’t stay too long. Please be here on the dot of
six,” she warned them, “not a minute later. We’re going to have
corn-fritters and maple syrup for supper!”

“Hurrah! That’s worth working for!” cried Marjorie, as she lifted

her shelter-half from the ground.

A few minutes later, all of the girls except Frieda and the captain
had disappeared, clad in their bathing suits, through the trees that
hid the water from the encampment. They skipped along as fast as
they could, watching out to avoid the sharp rocks which might hurt
their tender feet. One after another they reached the shore, and,
plunging into the water, struck out for the deepest part.

“I’ll race you across the stream, Marj!” challenged Ruth, anxious
for adventure.

“Come on!” cried Marjorie.

“No, no, girls!” commanded Frances Wright, who, because of her

commission as lieutenant, had been placed in charge. “There may be
some springs of cold water out there farther that would give you
cramps. Besides, there is so little time now. Wait till tomorrow.”

Disappointed at these words, the girls swam slowly about, keeping

close to the shore. It was getting cooler now, and they did not want
to stay in long. Marjorie stayed with Alice, helping her with her
strokes for a short time; then they both decided to go back to camp.

“I believe I’ll go too,” said Ethel; and Lily and Doris joined the
party.

“I’d like to go back, but I feel responsible,” observed Frances;

“Ruth, will you and Florence promise to do nothing rash if I leave
you?”

“Cross my heart!” responded Ruth.

“All right; then I’m going. But don’t wait too long!”

But when the rest of the girls gathered around the fire to enjoy
Frieda’s delicious corn fritters, neither of the girls had appeared.

“I almost think I ought to go down to the stream,” said Miss

Phillips, rising. But the sudden appearance of Florence Evans,
completely dressed, reassured her.
 “Where’s Ruth?” she demanded.

“She’s all right; she’ll be up soon. She wanted to practice the

Australian Crawl, and I couldn’t get her away. But she said she’d be
up soon.”

Miss Phillips looked annoyed. Why must Ruth always do something

different from the others? And why should she always be so
inconsiderate? The captain glanced slyly at Frieda; but the girl did
not seem to resent the thoughtlessness of the other in keeping her
back.

They were almost through with supper, when Ruth, dripping wet,
emerged from among the trees.

“I humbly apologize!” she cried; “but I simply made up my mind

that I wouldn’t stop till I got that stroke, and I succeeded!”

If Ruth expected applause at her announcement she was

disappointed, for no one passed even a comment. Miss Phillips made
no effort to hide her irritation.

“Hurry, Ruth,” she said, “if you want any supper. It’s selfish to
keep Frieda waiting!”

Ruth disappeared into her tent with a pout on her face. Always
Frieda, or Marjorie, or somebody else that the captain seemed to be
concerned about—anybody but her! Then she smiled at the little
secret trick she had played upon them. Miss Phillips was too cock-
sure of herself; she never had anyone cross her! Well, perhaps in
the morning she would find something to her distaste!

After the supper things had been cleared away, Marjorie

suggested that they get their canoes and go out on the water. Ruth
was the first to voice an opposition.
 “I’m too tired!” she protested. “But you can all go, for I’m not a bit
afraid to stay here alone.”

“No,” said Miss Phillips; “I think we will all stay here tonight; it will
be safer. And we can have a little stunt night like the one we had
that time at camp.”

The evening passed quickly and pleasantly; by nine o’clock the

girls were all in bed, and soon afterwards, asleep. Ruth was the last
to close her eyes, and the first to open them in the morning.

But she did not get up immediately; she lay still, contemplating
the very agreeable adventure which was about to take place. As
soon as she heard the others stir, she too began to dress.

“I hope we can make a quick get-away,” remarked Lily, as she

adjusted her tie. “It always seems to make Captain Phillips so happy
when we make an early start.”

Ruth said nothing, but whistled softly to herself, succeeding, by

the display of indifference, to intimate to her companion that the
captain’s happiness was not her one and only desire in life.

As the girls left their tent, they heard their officer’s voice.

“Somebody please volunteer to get water. You found the spring

yesterday, you remember, down near the edge of the bank by the
stream.”

“I’ll go!” called Alice Endicott, ever ready to be obliging.

“So will I,” chimed in Marjorie, joining the other girl and running
with her towards the water.

“Where are the canoes?” asked Marjorie, as soon as they had

reached the bank. “Wasn’t it about here that we left them?”
 The girls stopped short and gazed up and down the stream,
scanning the banks on both sides. The canoes were nowhere in
sight!

“Marj!” exclaimed Alice, aghast, “can I be dreaming about the time

we went for your canoe, and couldn’t find it—or are they really
gone?”

“It’s impossible!” protested Marjorie. “Oh, Alice, surely we’re

mistaken!”

But as in their previous experience, their first fears were correct.

Walking to a point on the shore which projected far into the water,
they looked searchingly in every direction; but they saw nothing
except the water, the line of the shore, and the wall of trees on
either side. Could this be the work of thieves?

Forgetting all about their pails of water, they ran as fast as they
could back to the camp, and shouted their news as soon as they
were within hearing distance. For they felt that not a moment was to
be lost.

Frieda dropped the pan of biscuits she was carrying, and Miss
Phillips looked at the girls as if she thought them crazy. And then the
scouts began to ask them breathless, excited questions.

“Could we starve to death, Captain?” demanded Doris, nervously.

But Miss Phillips, now perfectly self-controlled, laughed good

naturedly.

“Hardly,” she replied. “First of all, everybody, except Alice, and

possibly yourself, Doris, could swim to the mainland and bring a boat
for the others. Secondly, although we do not have a great deal of
food, we could really live for a long time on what we have. And
third, this is not a lonely spot,—there are sure to be boats passing
occasionally. But the loss of the canoes themselves,—I guess we
could make the rest of the trip to Silvertown by train or trolley—
would mean a good deal to the members of Pansy troop.”

“But how do you suppose they got away?” asked Ruth. “Could
thieves——?”

“No,” said Miss Phillips; “it is all my fault for not insisting upon
tying them in some way. Evidently the stream has a slight tide, like a
miniature ocean, and they have simply been washed out and down
stream. Yet, I was sure we had pulled them up far enough upon the
banks. But the current is not so very fast; perhaps we can catch
them.”

“What with?” asked Marjorie. “Are we going to stop and build a

raft?”

“No, no!” laughed Miss Phillips; “we’ll swim after them.”

“Oh, Captain, I could never do that! Oh, what shall we do?” wailed
Alice, helplessly.

“First of all, obey your scout law: A Girl Scout is cheerful. Next, eat
your breakfast that Frieda has prepared for you. And that reminds
me, where is the water, Marjorie?”

The girl started guiltily. “We forgot it!” she admitted. “But we’ll go
back.”

“Very well; then hurry!”

The warm, wholesome food revived the scouts’ spirits, and they
discussed the proposition more hopefully.

“Ruth, you wanted adventure,” remarked Miss Phillips; “now you’re

getting it.”

The girl looked down at her plate, and smiled mysteriously.

 “I wonder if any of us really will find the canoes,” said Marjorie.

“Whoever does will be a real heroine!” exclaimed Ruth, thus, as it

were, arranging the stage for her own complete triumph.

“Well, we’ll each do something,” said the captain. “As soon as your
breakfast is digested, we’ll organize into squads. Let me see——”

She paused for a moment, looking thoughtfully around the group.

“Doris—and Alice—and Frances are to stay at camp,” she

announced slowly. “Ruth you and I will swim the shortest way to the
main-land to look for help. Marjorie and Ethel may swim over and
explore all around the farther shores of this creek, looking for nooks
in the bank where the canoes may have drifted; and Lily and
Florence may take this side. Frieda, I would like you to start with us;
for you are such a strong swimmer you could investigate the creek a
distance if necessary.”

“But why don’t you take Marjorie with you too?” asked Ruth,
obviously dissatisfied with the plans. “She’s a better swimmer than I
am!”

“I wanted to give you a chance to earn the glory,” replied Miss

Phillips.

“Oh, no, do let Marjorie——”

“I have placed you, Ruth; and you are all to obey my orders. They
are final!”

Ruth turned away crestfallen. For some reason unknown to the

girls, she was not nearly so eager for the adventure as they would
have expected her to be. The others all chafed at the hour of
idleness their captain insisted upon enforcing, before starting upon
their search. By nine o’clock, all but the scouts designated to remain
at camp were in their bathing-suits, ready to take the plunge.
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