“And a boat?” asked Jan.
“An’—an’—a drum?” Trouble wanted to know. “I wants a drum!”
“I don’t know about the drum!” said his father with a laugh, “but we’ll have a tent, and also a bungalow. We’ll eat in the tent when it doesn’t rain. We’ll also have a boat, for Silver Lake is a fine place for them. And there will be lots of other things so you children can have a good time. But now you must get to bed. We will start for Silver Lake to-morrow.”
And you can well believe that when to-morrow came the Curlytops were up bright and early. Such packing and getting ready as there was! But Daddy and Mother Martin, with the help of Patrick and Nora, managed to get things in shape finally. The automobile was brought around to the door. Turnover, the cat, had been shut up in a little crate, for she, also, was to be taken to Silver Lake.
“If we only had Skyrocket!” sighed Jan.
“Maybe he’ll find out where we are and come to us,” said Ted hopefully.
Trouble stood on the porch, holding Uncle Ben’s hand.
At the sight of the man with the brown beard, whom they had learned to like very much, Ted and Jan had a new thought.
“Oh, isn’t Uncle Ben coming with us?” cried the Curlytops.
“Yes, of course he is,” said Mr. Martin. “I forgot to tell you about him. Uncle Ben is coming with us, and will stay all summer at Silver Lake. He is to have charge of the boats there, for I own quite a number, and also a pavilion and a soda-water stand. Uncle Ben will have charge of them. It will be just the place for him, Dr. Whitney says, and will make him get well.”