Miss Fisk, making him promise not to repeat the experiment, went back to
her seat under the trees and the book she had brought from the house for
her own enjoyment.

The morning passed without any further incident worth recording, the
children amusing themselves with various quiet plays, the girls keeping
house, each under her own particular tree, and exchanging visits; the boys
catching trout, which they sent to the house to be cooked for dinner. They
wanted to make a fire and cook them themselves, but Miss Fisk wisely
forbade it.

She would have had the meal served in the schoolhouse, but yielded to the
clamor for an out-door repast. Several desks were brought out into the
shade of the trees, a dainty table-cloth spread over them and the party
presently sat down to a delightful collation, to which they brought keen
appetites.

Ranger had disappeared. They missed him as they were leaving the table.

"Where can he have gone?" Harry was saying, when Vi cried out, "Oh yonder
he is! and he has a dear little bird in his mouth! Oh you wicked, cruel
dog!" And running to him she tried to take it from him.

Be dropped it and snapped at her, Eddie jerking her back just in time to
save her from his teeth, while Archie, who was very fond of Vi, struck the
dog a blow with a stick, crying furiously, "You just do that again, sir,
and I'll kill you!"

Ranger then flew at him, but the boy avoided the attack by jumping nimbly