"

The only individual of the party who remained calmly indifferent was
Master Jacky. That charming creature, having made up his mind to feed
on jam tart, did not feel that there was any need for salt. An
attentive observer might have noticed, however, that Jacky's look of
supreme indifference suddenly gave place to one of inexpressible glee.
He became actually red in the face with hugging himself and endeavouring
to suppress all visible signs of emotion. His eye had unexpectedly
fallen on the paper of salt which lay on the centre of the table-cloth,
so completely exposed to view that nobody saw it!

"Why, here it is, actually before our eyes!" shouted George, seizing the
paper and holding it up.

A small cheer greeted its discovery. A groan instantly followed, as
George spilt the whole of it. As it fell on the cloth, however, it was
soon gathered up, and then Mr Sudberry ordered everyone to sit down on
the grass in a circle round the cloth.

"What a good boy Jacky has suddenly become!" remarked Lucy in some
surprise.

"Darling!" ejaculated his mother.

"A _very_ good little fellow," said Flora, with a peculiar smile.

Jacky said nothing. Hector's eye was upon him, as was his upon Hector.
Deep unutterable thoughts filled his swelling heart, but he spoke not.
He merely gazed at the jam tart, a large portion of which was in a few
minutes supplied to him. The immediate result was crimson hands, arms,
and cheeks.

While Hector was engaged in concocting the potato salad the kettle
upset, extinguished the fire, and sent up a loud triumphant hiss of
steam mingled with ashes. Fortunately the potatoes were cooked, so the
dinner was at last begun in comfort--that is to say, everyone was very
hot, very much exhausted and excited, and very thirsty. Jacky gorged
himself with tart in five minutes, and then took an opportunity of
quietly retiring into the bushes, sheltered by which he made a detour
unseen towards the place where the boat had been left.

Alas for the picnic party that day, that they allowed Hector to prevail
on them to begin with his potato salad! It was partly composed of raw
onions. After having eaten a few mouthfuls of it, their sense of taste
was utterly destroyed! The chickens tasted of onions, so did the cheese
and the bread. Even the whiskey was flavoured with onions. The
beefsteak-pie might as well have been an onion-pie; indeed, no member of
the party could, with shut eyes, have positi