“Oh! Oh!” sighed Margie. “I didn’t know a deer would eat chicken sandwiches and lovely chocolate cake!”
“I didn’t either,” spoke Lucy. “But I guess they do. It’s too bad!” Her eyes were wide with excitement.
“I should say it is!” agreed Dick’s sister. “But what are we going to do?”
For a time it seemed as if the two girls would have to go without their picnic lunch. But Mrs. Watson, making the rounds to see that all the children were safe, suddenly noticed how upset Margie and Lucy were.
“What’s the matter?” Mrs. Watson asked.
“Someone took our lunch,” explained Margie.
“Oh, I hardly think anyone of our party would be so unkind as to do that,” said Mrs. Watson. “And there aren’t any boys along. Boys sometimes play those tricks, I know, but girls don’t.”
“I think it was an animal,” explained Lucy. But she did not speak of the deer.
Mrs. Watson heard the story of how Margie and Lucy had left their lunch on the ground, near the rock, while they ran to see what had happened to Nellie.
“Very likely some animal, a fox, perhaps, or a raccoon, came along and thought your picnic lunch was for him,” said Mrs. Watson. “Never mind, my dears. Nearly every girl brings more lunch than she can eat to these little picnics of ours. I am sure some of them will be glad to share with you.”