"Then why not say it is dinner-time, Verny?" asked Ruth.
"You must be hungry, too!" declared Judith.
"I bet we all are, if Verny will take the count," asserted Hester.
"Well, we may as well stop here beside this stream and eat, as to go on and fare worse," admitted the Captain.
"Some one's got to fish," said Judith.
"Why not all fish and the sooner catch what is needed?" advised Mrs. Vernon. So this suggestion was followed out.
Four goodly sized fish rewarded the combined efforts of the fishermen that time, and then two scouts were detailed to clean them, while two went to build a fire. Others were tolled off to attend to other work, and in half an hour a savory meal was ready.
When all signs of cooking and eating were cleaned away, Mrs. Vernon took the bunny again and said they had best go on.
"Outdoor cooking and eating always makes me feel fine. I can walk a hundred miles now, and feel it no more than if it were a trifle," said Julie, taking a deep breath.
"All the same, we haven't gone five miles yet, according to Verny's map, and there is still that walk home, so don't brag too much, Julie," advised Betty, seriously.