CHAPTER VIII
EXPLORING--A RACE FOR POND LILIES

"Now let's explore," Bert said to the girls the next morning. "We
haven't had a chance yet to see the lake, the woods, or the island."

"Hal Bingham is coming over to see you this morning," Dorothy told
Bert. "He said you must be tired toting girls around, and he knows
everything interesting around here to show you."

"Glad of it," said Bert. "You girls are very nice, of course, but a
boy needs another fellow in a place like this," and he swung himself
over the rail of the veranda, instead of walking down the steps.

It was quite early, for there was so much planned, to be accomplished
before the sun got too hot, that all the children kept to their
promise to get up early, and be ready for the day's fun by seven
o'clock. The girls, with Mrs. Bobbsey, Mrs. Minturn, and Freddie,
were to go shell hunting, but as Bert had taken that trip with his
father on the first morning after their arrival, he preferred to look
over the woods and lake at the back of the Minturn home, where the
land slid down from the rough cliff upon which the house stood.

"Here comes Hal now," called Dorothy, as a boy came whistling up the
path. He was taller than Bert, but not much older, and he had a very
"jolly squint" in his black eyes; that is, Dorothy called it a "jolly
squint," but other people said it was merely a twinkle. But all
agreed that Hal was a real boy, the greatest compliment that could be