This they did and to their delight found some of the delicate little shells they were so anxious for. They were still absorbed in their search for these when Cap'n Si returned.
"Oh, see what he has," cried Jennie.
"What," asked Edna, turning her head to look.
"A string of fish. I wonder if he got them for us and if he is going to cook them."
They soon found that this was what Cap'n Si intended to do, for he began to gather driftwood for [51]a fire, and while the stones were heating he cleaned the fish, which he finally set to cook on the heated stones.
"After all, I think we'd better have our picnic on the beach," said Jennie, "for we won't want to carry fish so far. I'll go get the basket and we can spread it out, the picnic, I mean, on that big flat rock."
"I think that will be nicer than the woods," declared Dorothy, "for we have had picnics in woods often, but we never had one on a beach before."
Jennie proceeded to open the basketful of supplies and the other bustled about getting all things properly placed. They wondered how they would be served with fish as there were no plates, but Cap'n Si soon solved this difficulty by handing it around on clean pieces of driftwood.
"How good it does taste," said Dorothy. "I never did taste such good fish. I think this is the finest kind of picnic. Don't you wish our mothers could see us, Edna?"
"I don't see how I am able to eat so much?" remarked Edna. "I thought I was as hungry as I could be at lunch time and when it was over I didn't feel as if I ever wanted anything to eat again, but now I am just as hungry as if there had never been any lunch."