“What are we going to do this morning?” asked Hoop moodily.
“Let’s go for chestnuts,” said Molly. “Don’t you like them? I know where there are lots and lots, bushels and bushels! And we’ll have them boiled.”
“They’ll do for our club luncheon tomorrow,” suggested Dutch. “Where are they, Molly?”
“Never mind. You come with me and I’ll show you.”
“Not far, I hope,” said Spud. “I mustn’t get tired. I’ve got to run the length of the field this afternoon for a touchdown.”
“Gee, you’d have to run about ten miles before you’d ever make a touchdown,” said The Fungus unpleasantly.
“Is that so?” asked Spud. “The rest of you can hunt chestnuts if you like; I’m going to hunt toadstools!”
Whereupon he made for The Fungus. But the latter was not caught so easily and they had it around the house several times before The Fungus was finally driven to bay. Spud was valor itself as long as The Fungus fled before him, but when the adversary put his back to the house and invited closer acquaintance Spud held off and viewed him dubiously.
“Huh,” he said finally, “you’re too hideous to touch!”
They followed Molly to the woods and found that she had not exaggerated so greatly after all. The nuts were plentiful enough and the frosts had started the burs opening. Of course most everyone had trouble with the stickers and Dutch actually sat down on a bur with uncomfortable results. But they had a good time and returned at half-past ten with nearly two quarts of nuts. After that they sat on the porch, in the sun for a while and ate as many as they wanted. Then Molly took charge of the rest and agreed to have them boiled for the morrow’s meeting of the Pippin Club.