"I—I thought you said there was a bathhouse," remarked poor Dallas, "with hot and cold water."
"So there is," and she pointed to a little green house among the lilacs, "and bath-rooms in the house too."
Unfortunately Big Chief who had just come leaping out of his room heard these last remarks.
"Lots of bath-rooms," he cried, "for sissies and old women." Then he did cart-wheels down the drive to the road.
Dallas' face fell, but lightened when Mrs. Devering tapped him on the shoulder. "You wait for me," she said. "Cassowary, take the children down. Get the ball and have a game of water polo—Dad and I will follow."
Then she drew Dallas in to the big fire where he got nicely warmed by the blaze.
When Mr. Devering appeared—such a handsome lean brown-armed man in his blue bathing suit, the two good people took the boy between them, and raced down to the wharf.
"Go on, Mother," said Mr. Devering, "I'll keep the boy with me," and didn't she go diving off the end of the wharf and was soon playing water polo with her lively children.
What a sporty lot they were! In the boat-house beside a big launch there were canoes, racing skiffs, aqua-planes, life preservers, fishing tackle and many other things useful in life in the backwoods.