ow that he _isn't_ here, or I sha'n't want to stay,"
declared Nellie Agnew, who was really very timid.

"Leave it to us," said Billy Long, grandly. "We'll comb this island
with a fine tooth comb----"

"You don't suppose we girls are going to let you fellows do it all, do
you?" demanded Laura. "Of course we shall help, Short and Long."

"Aw! you'll tear your frocks and scratch yourself on the vines, and
stub your toes and fall down, and make a mess generally," declared
Short and Long, loftily. "Better stay here in camp and do your
squealing."

"Well! I like that!" quoth Jess, making a dive for the short boy. She
was considerably bigger than he, and catching him from the rear she
wound her long arms about him and so held him tight.

"Take that back, Short and Long," she commanded, "or I shall hold you
prisoner."

Short and Long found he could not get away from Jess, and finally
stopped struggling. "I didn't know you thought so much of me, Jess,"
he said, grinning. "But it embarrasses me dreadfully, to have you hug
me in public."

"Why!" laughed the big girl, "I'd think no more of hugging you, than I
would your brother, Tommy--and _he's_ a dear!"

"You'd think so if you had that kid around all the time," grunted
Short and Long, as Jess finally allowed him to wriggle loose. "I think
he's more of a terror than he is a dear."

"He takes it from you, then," laughed Bobby.

"Yep," said Lance, grinning, "it runs in Billy's family to be a
cut-up--like wooden legs!"

"What's Tommy been doing now?" asked Dorothy Lockwood.

"Why, he is great chums with the kid next door, and they got into
mischief of some kind the other day. The other kid's mother told them
that if they did such things 'the bad man would get them.' 'Who's the
bad man, Tommy?' our Sue asked him, and Tommy says:

"'Don't know. You'll hafter ask Charlie's mother. She's well
acquainted with him.'"

"Come on, now!" exclaimed Lance. "Who's going to take the _Duchess_
and go to Elberon Crossing for this bill of goods? We can't all go
hunting for robbers."

"I shall stay here to help defend the girls, doncher know," stated
Purt, swaggering about the camp. "But any of you fellows can take my
boat."

"Spoken like a nobleman, Purt!" declared Chet, laughing. "Come on,
now! Let's arrange how we shall sweep the island, from shore to
shore."

But first it was agreed that Lance and Reddy should go with the
_Duchess_ for the new supply of food for the girls.