“Oh, and by the way, boys, Uncle Tom told me to be sure and thank you for the pig although he was quite overwhelmed at first. Fancy, having a nice fat pig fished out of the ocean for you!” exclaimed Aunt Edith.
“He’s going to keep it, isn’t he?” anxiously asked Paul.
“Oh, certainly—for a time, anyway. We have called it Katahdin, for it proved its undisputed right to the name by making such free use of the last syllable in the name!”
This amused the boys tremendously and they felt relieved to find that Uncle Tom had gladly accepted the foundling.
“Speaking of fern baskets—where are you going for the ferns?” asked Elizabeth.
“We thought of going to Sprague’s Cove for them,” replied Fred.
“Oh, do take us with you then,” cried Miriam.
“Yes, Fred, do! Then I can go off on a little hunting trip by myself?” said Billy, eagerly.
“As long as you don’t shoot anywhere near us, it will suit me,” warned Fred.
“Oh, I’ll keep a mile or more away—anyway, you know I am not Paul or Dudley, who hit a mark at right-angles to their target!” teased Billy.