-not while
the old ram is in the field. Come on, we'll go and sail your boat."

The boys went back to the house and got the new sailboat Russ had made.
Going down to the sandy shore of the lake with it, they found Rose and
Violet sitting in the shade, playing with their dolls.

"Oh, I know what we can do!" exclaimed Russ, who was carrying the boat.

"What?" asked his brother.

"We can take the dolls--those Rose and Vi have--and give 'em a ride on the
boat."

"Give Rose and Vi a ride on the boat?" asked Laddie, who had not been
listening very closely. "It isn't big enough."

"'Course 'tisn't!" agreed Russ. "I don't mean _that_. I mean give the
_dolls_ a ride."

"Oh, yes, we can do that!" cried Laddie. "It'll be fun! Will you let us?"
he called to the two little girls.

"Let you what?" asked Rose.

"Let us give your dolls a ride on the boat?"

Russ had taken a board, whittled one end sharp, like the prow, or bow, of
a boat, and had rounded the other end for the stern. In the middle he had
bored a hole and stuck in this a stick for a mast. On the mast he had
tied a bit of cloth for a sail. And when the boat was put in the shallow
water of the lake, near shore, the wind blew it along nicely.

"Oh, yes! Let's give our dolls a ride!" cried Vi.

"You can give yours a ride, but I'm not," declared Rose.

"Why?" Russ wanted to know.

"'Cause she might fall off into the water."

"I can put a stone on her so she won't fall off the boat," said Russ.

"Huh! Think I'm going to let you put a stone on my doll? I will not!" Rose
exclaimed.

"I could tie her on," suggested Laddie. "I've a piece of string."

"Well, maybe _that's_ all right," Rose agreed, and then she and Violet let
Russ and Laddie take the dolls, which they tied on the sailboat. Then
along in the little sheltered cove of the lake the boat sailed, giving the
dolls a ride.

But, suddenly, there came a strong puff of wind, and the boat tipped to
one side. Laddie could not have tied the string on Vi's doll very strong,
for she slipped off into the water.

"Oh, your doll will be drowned!" cried Rose.

"No, she can't drown! She's rubber," answered Vi. "I'll just play she had
a bath in the lake."

"Well, it's a good thing it was your doll and not mine, that fell in,"
went on Rose, "'cause my doll's a sawdust one--this one is. But I have a
rubber doll up at the house, a nice one.

"Go and get her!" suggested Russ. "Then I can sail the boat in deeper
w