rselves you and
Mary must tell the others." And so it was agreed.

Those ahead had already reached the vicinity of the rocks and trees, and
now began a diligent hunt by all for the rare ferns said to be growing
there.

"Our idea was to empty the lunch from the shoeboxes and then fill the
boxes with ferns," said Ruth.

The girls had brought a tablecloth with them to spread on the ground,
and the entire lunch was placed in this and then wrapped in a newspaper
and placed on a flat rock.

"I wonder if the squirrels will bother the lunch?" questioned Fred. They
had noted several of the frisky little animals flitting from tree to
tree as they walked along.

"The squirrels want nuts. I don't think they care for mustard sandwiches
and onion cake," cried Andy. "Gee! but it feels good to be out here," he
went on, and, leaping up, he grasped the limb of a low-growing tree and
went through the performance generally known as "skinning the cat."

"Oh, Andy, do be careful!" called out his cousin Mary. "First thing you
know you'll twist your arms off."

"Oh, I do this every morning before I wake up," answered the fun-loving
Rover cheerfully.

"I'll get him down!" cried Randy, and, taking up a handful of dead
leaves, he threw them at his twin. Andy promptly gave a swing, let go of
the tree, and landed on his brother's shoulders, and both went down to
the ground, there to roll over and over, kicking the dead leaves in all
directions.

"Hi, you!" cried Jack sternly. "What sort of a ladies' exhibition is
this! Get up there before I yank you up!"

"You'll have those beautiful suits ruined," came from Annie Larkins.

The search for the rare ferns then began in earnest, and this led them
through the woods and around a great number of sharp rocks and a
considerable distance away from where the things to eat had been left.

"Here is one," called Ruth presently, and pointed it out.

The girls had brought trowels with them, and now Jack lost no time in
digging up the fern and placing it in the corner of one of the boxes.
Several other plants were located nearby, and all the boys and girls
were soon busy. Some of the ferns were quite small, but others were of
good size, and all showed up well when grouped together.

"We have a little fernery at home," explained Ruth. "Last winter the
plants did not do so well, and these will therefore come in very nicely.
I'm sure my folks will be pleased to see them."

"I suppose Uncle Barney i