"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 is now living with you, Ruth," said Jack.