With sticks the children tapped on trees, making a noise as nearly like the sound of a woodpecker as they could manage. But this brought to them no tame crow, and, indeed, no wild one, either.
“Well, let’s go on,” said Teddy.
Part of the cheese was left on the flat stump where they had spread it as bait. The remainder they picked up and took with them farther into the woods. They were having fun, even if they didn’t find the lame, tame crow.
After a little while the Curlytops came to an open place in the forest. Across it they saw water gleaming in the sun.
“Oh, there’s the lake!” cried Ted. “I didn’t know it came up this way.”
The lake was of odd shape, and parts of it, like the arms of an octopus, stretched out into different parts of the woods.
“I’m going in wading!” cried Ted.
“So will I!” added Janet.
They took off their shoes and stockings and splashed about in the clean, warm water of the lake near shore. Then Ted discovered a boat hidden in the bushes on shore.
“Oh, let’s have a ride!” he called to Janet.