Val picked up a piece of wood and a frying-pan, which lay on the opened pack. Pounding the pan with the stick like a drum, he yelled,
“Come and get it!”
“That’s the word that brings ’em in these parts,” he added to Joe.
It did.
“That’s the most eloquent speech I ever heard!” exclaimed Mr. Jones.
In about one minute, they were all gathered around the fire. Val passed the food and Joe poured the coffee.
“Say, what do you take these sardines out with?” demanded Mrs. Jones.
“Fingers were made before forks, mother darling,” said Bob. “See—watch your little son.”
He picked up a sardine by the tail, and dropped the whole of it into his mouth.
“Well, I must say, I’d like a fork——” she began, and Joe turned red, for he had forgotten the forks for the sardines.