"An invitation!" cried Rose.
"Yes, and I do hope you will accept," said Captain Ben. "The summer is not quite over," he went on to Mr. and Mrs. Bunker, "and I'm sure these youngsters will be all the better for some more vacation. Let's go in, away from the crowd, and I'll explain about my invitation."
And each and every one of the six little Bunkers wondered what was going to happen.
CHAPTER IV
ANOTHER VACATION
Captain Ben, as both Daddy and Mother Bunker had called him, caught up in his arms Mun Bun and Margy. He was so big and strong that the children seemed feathers to him, and he easily held them both on one arm. Then he reached down his other hand and took the two hands of Laddie and Vi in his.
"Now come on!" cried Captain Ben, laughing. "I have four of the half dozen little Bunkers, and the other two can hang on my coat tails. Let's go in and have a nice talk and visit."
"Yes! Yes!" cried Mun Bun and Margy and Laddie and Violet.
"Where are we going and what are you going to tell us?" asked Vi, not forgetting, even in all the excitement about the fire, to ask her usual questions. "What are we going to do?"
"Oh, you'll find plenty to do—all six of you—if you come to my seashore place!" laughed Captain Ben. "That's what I came especially to talk about," he went on to Daddy and Mother Bunker. "I want to get out of my mind all thoughts of the great war, and if I can have this happy bunch of children around me it will be the best thing in the world. You'll let them come, and you'll come with them, won't you?" he asked, as he stood on the door sill.