“Now don’t oversleep, girls,” shouted Fiji, as the boys followed Mrs. Baker away from the Bluff.
“If you’re not ready to start when we call in the morning, we’ll just go on without you,” added Fred Remington.
“We want to get bags and bags of chestnuts in the morning, ’cause we’ve got other things to do in the afternoon for the party to-morrow night,” explained Jack Hubert.
“Oh say! Don’t talk as if we were the sleepy-heads that you boys are! Don’t we know you!” scorned Jane, as Zan and she exchanged glances which said as plain as could be: “Trying to pose with their sisters present!”
And so it proved. The girls were ready and impatiently calling or signalling before the boys appeared on the trail coming through the woods from the farm-house.
That morning a great harvest of hickory nuts and chestnuts was gathered and by the time the hunters were back at camp they were half-famished from the crisp, cold air and bracing exercise.
Fiji had seen some rabbits during the morning, and the moment he was at the house began:
“Mumsie, Fred brought his rifle and we’re going hunting this afternoon. The other little boys can do that work for you.”
“Indeed you’re not! Rifle or no rifle, Fred is my guest and he will not use the fire-arm while I have anything to do about it.”
“Oh pshaw, Mum! He knows everything about a gun! He and I won’t go near anyone else, and you know you can trust me!” coaxed Fiji.