As soon as you turn back to the rest of the group, you see that a half dozen Muskrats have been arranged in a ragged line. A small girl with pink ribbons in her curly dark hair is marching up and down in front of them like a general reviewing the troops.
"We're going to have a race!" the girl is saying. "And the loser has to carry the winner's stuff to the cabin. Except that you have to hop the whole time!" she adds with sudden inspiration. "Backward!"
To your surprise, all of the other Muskrats are watching the new girl in awe, eager grins on every face as they line up for the race. Somehow her suggestion has inspired them all, and they're looking to her as a leader.
How could Pearl have let this happen? Well, she's been cornered by a well-dressed couple whose resemblance to the pink-ribboned general is obvious: they must be her parents. "Our Justine is a very delicate child," the mother explains.
Delicate? Does she really not see that her daughter is already ordering around the rest of her cabinmates?
"She has nightmares," the father adds.
Pearl nods attentively, murmuring, "We understand, Mr. Winfield."
That name rings a bell: they're the family from Kingsport. They're from the rich side of town, too. You could tell from their shoes and clothes, even if you couldn't tell from their attitude.
"Overnight camp is a very important stage in child development," Mrs. Winfield continues, "and we want to ensure that Justine gains the appropriate skills. Independence, initiative, and so on."
"We're counting on you," Mr. Winfield finishes. He and Mrs. Winfield stride off to give their daughter a last fussy goodbye, while another pair of parents closes in on Pearl to give another set of important instructions. Over their shoulders, Pearl shoots a pointed look at Justine and silently mouths, Do something!
Having a camper like Justine could be either the best thing for the Muskrats or the worst thing. She's clearly a good leader, and the other kids trust her. If you can get her on your side, then you can get her to help you—but if it goes too far, then she'll be running the cabin instead of you and Pearl.