“Why, sure,” Will backed him up eagerly.

“Frank means that we’ve got a confounded, disagreeable job to do before we can settle down and be happy on good old United States soil again—­”

“And the sooner we get it done, the better,” finished Roy.

Allen nodded.

“I guess that’s about the size of it,” he said.  “The sooner we get there, the sooner we’ll be coming home again.  And, say, fellows, what a home coming!”

At the wistfulness in his voice the girls felt the tears rise to their eyes, and to save them from a breakdown Betty crisply changed the subject.

“I hope you boys can get over to the Hostess House Thursday night to see the entertainment we are helping get up among those new fellows who came week before last,” she cried.

“Working yourselves to death over it, are you?” inquired Allen.

“Never!” returned Grace, with sudden emphasis.

“But it’s lots of fun,” chuckled Mollie.  “We have found out by judicious inquiry—­Amy, here, soon worms out the heart secrets of these boys by her quiet, sympathetic way—­that a number of those boys have parlor tricks of one sort or another, and—­”

“That orchestra fellow really is good,” interrupted Amy.  “Boys, you should hear him play!  He has a guitar hung over his shoulder, a harmonica strapped to his head, a piano near by to which he makes sudden dashes, and all the while he dances the most marvelous dance!”

For once Amy was aroused to enthusiasm.  The boys, however, were less interested, and Roy wanted to know what the girls themselves had to do in the coming entertainment.

“Oh,” laughed Betty, “we are stage managers, scenic artists, stage hands, costumers, modern mutation of the Greek chorus, stays and props for the weak and timid, brakes for the overbold—­in fact, we are around to do any work that nobody else wants to do.

“But we haven’t decided,” she reminded them suddenly, “just how we’re going to spend the rest of the afternoon.  Of course we can always take a walk—­”

“Not after that lunch,” declared Allen, striving to sit up, and sinking down again with a moan, “I’m ten pounds heavier than when I came.”

“Well, you ought to be ashamed to admit it,” retorted Mollie.  “I thought in the army you had to be able to hike fifteen miles without winking.”

“Sure.  But this is our day off,” objected Roy.  “What do you suppose we get leave for—­just to do what we can do every day of our lives?”

“Well, then, for goodness sake, suggest something,” cried Mollie impatiently.

“I have an idea,” cried Allen, so suddenly that they all started.

“Well, you needn’t be so proud of it.”

“Do you remember that pond we came across the day we went prospecting alone, Frank?” he continued, not noticing the interruption.

“Yes,” Frank answered, catching the idea and looking interested.  “Seems to me it ought to be somewhere in this neighborhood.  Going to catch some fish?”