“I—­I sorter—­sorter—­stepped in—­off the raft,” answered the little boy.  “Oh, it was lots of fun!”

“But you must be more careful,” said his mother.  “Was the water deep?”

“No, Mother.  It was near shore,” explained Russ, and he told how Zip had given them rides.

“Well, come into the house, and get on dry clothes,” said Grandma Bell.  “And, to make sure you won’t catch cold—­though I don’t see how you can on such a hot day—­I’ll give you some bread and jam!”

“Oh, goody!” cried Laddie, for he knew how nice the bread and jam made by Grandma Bell tasted.

“I wish I’d fallen in,” said Russ.

“Well, you may have some bread and jam also,” said his grandmother, laughing.  “And we’ll call one, two, three, four more little Bunkers, and they may have bread and jam, too.”

That afternoon and the next day the other little Bunkers had rides on the raft pulled by Zip.  And when the dog got tired of splashing out in the water to bring back the stick and tow the raft, Laddie and Russ, in their bare feet, pulled it themselves, giving Rose, Vi, Margy and Mun Bun rides along the shore.

They had lots of fun, and thought Lake Sagatook the nicest place in all the world to spend part of their vacation.

Daddy Bunker and Mother Bunker liked it, too.  They took long walks in the woods, and also went for rows in the boat Daddy Bunker hired.

For the children’s father did as he had promised, and got a large, safe rowboat, in which they went for trips on the lake, and also went fishing.  Mrs. Bunker did not care to fish, but she went along to hold the smaller children and keep them from falling out of the boat.

Several times Laddie, Russ or the other children saw Mr. Hurd, the red-haired fisherman.  Each time they asked him if he had seen the tramp lumberman with the papers Mr. Bunker wished so much to get back, and each time the fisherman had to say that he had not seen the man wanted.

Once Mr. Hurd came in his boat and showed Daddy Bunker a good place to fish.  Russ and Laddie went along also, and Russ caught two fishes.  Laddie got only one, but as it was bigger than either of those his brother caught, Laddie felt very proud.

One day, when Laddie and Russ had gone with their father for a row in the boat, Mrs. Bunker, who was in the house with Grandma Bell helping her sew, said to Rose: 

“You might take the smaller children down to the woods by the lake and play there.  It’s cool and shady, and you may take some cookies, or other little lunch with you, and have a sort of picnic.”

“And may we take Muffin?” asked Vi.

“Yes, take Muffin,” said Grandma Bell, for the maltese cat liked to be with the children as much as they liked to have her.  Zip, the dog, had gone off with Tom Hardy.

Grandma Bell put up a lunch for the children, and then Rose led them down to the shady shore of the lake, where they were to have some fun.