Laddie and smiled. Still he made no
move toward helping gather the driftwood for the bungalow they were
going to make.

"Well, why don't you help get wood?" asked Laddie again. "Think we're
going to do all the work and have you sit there?"

"Say, I'm a pirate, ain't I?" asked Russ, not getting his words just
right, though his brother and sisters understood what he meant. "Didn't
you say I was to be the pirate?"

"Yes, 'cause we don't want to be," retorted Rose.

"Well, all right then, I'm going to be the pirate," went on Russ.

"But you've got to get us good things to eat," said Vi. "We're the
prisoners, an' you said they had good things to eat."

"I'll get good things to eat if Cousin Ruth'll give 'em to me," promised
Russ. "But I'm the pirate, and pirates don't ever work. They just boss
the prisoners. Now come on, prisoners, and build me the bungalow!" and
Russ leaned back on a pile of sea weed and looked very lazy and
comfortable.

"Don't pirates _ever_ work?" asked Laddie.

"Nope! Not the kind I ever heard Mother read about in books," went on
Russ. "They just tell the prisoners what to do, 'ceptin', of course,
when there's any fighting. Pirates are 'most always fighting, but we
won't play that part, 'cause Mother doesn't like that. I'll be a good
pirate, and I'll let you prisoners build the bungalow."

"But you've got to get us something to eat," said Vi again.

"I'll do that," promised Russ. "I'll go up now and ask Cousin Ruth for
some, and you prisoners can be getting a lot of wood."

The plans Russ made came out all right. Cousin Tom's pretty young wife
was very glad to give the children some crackers and cookies to take
down on the beach to eat, and when Russ got back with the bag of good
things he found that Rose, Laddie and Violet had collected a large pile
of driftwood.

"Now we'll make the bungalow," decided Russ. "I'll help work at that,
'cause the pirates want it made just so. But you prisoners have got to
help."

"Can't we eat first, 'fore we make the bungalow?" asked Violet. "I'm as
hungry as anything!"

"Yes, I guess we could eat first. I'm hungry, too," returned the
"pirate."

Then the "pirate" and his "prisoners" sat down on the sand together, as
nicely as you please, leaning against bits of driftwood covered with
seaweed, and ate the lunch Cousin Ruth had given them. It did not take
very long. Probably you know what a very short time cookies last among
four hungry children.

"We