Toward the middle of the afternoon, however, as he had been pretty good
playing around the tent, he was allowed to roam farther off, though told
he must not go near the water.

"You stay with me, Baby," called Nora. "I'm going to bake a cake and
I'll give you some."

"Trouble bake a cake, too?" he asked.

"No, Trouble isn't big enough to bake a cake, but you can watch me. I'll
get out the flour and sugar and other things, and I'll make a little
cake just for you."

On a table in the cooking tent Nora set out the things she was to use
for her baking. There was the bag of flour, some water in a dish and
other things. Just as she was about to mix the cake Mrs. Martin called
Nora away for a moment.

"Now, Trouble, don't touch anything until I come back!" warned the girl,
as she hurried out of the tent. "I won't be gone a minute."

But she was gone longer than that. Left alone in the tent, with many
things on the table in front of him, Trouble looked at them. He knew he
could have lots of fun with some of the pans, cups, the egg beater, the
flour, the water and the eggs. A little smile spread over his tanned,
chubby face.

"Trouble bake a cake," he said to himself. "Nora bake a cake--Trouble
bake a cake. Yes!"

First Baby William pulled toward him the bag of flour. He managed to do
it without upsetting it, for the bag was a small one. Near it was a bowl
of water with a spoon in it. Trouble had seen his mother and Nora bake
cakes, and he must have remembered that they mixed the flour and water
together. Anyhow that was the way to make mud pies--by mixing sand and
water.

Trouble looked for something to mix his cake in. The tins and dishes
were so far back on the table that he could not get them easily. He must
take something else.

Off his head Trouble pulled his white hat--a new one that grandpa had
brought only that day from the village store.

"Make cake in dis," murmured Baby William to himself.

He pushed a chair up to the table and climbed upon it. From the chair he
got on the table and sat down. Then he began to make his cake in his
hat.

[Illustration: THEN TROUBLE BEGAN TO MAKE A CAKE IN HIS HAT. _Page
138_]

CHAPTER XII

THE CURLYTOPS GO SWIMMING

"Trouble make a cake--Trouble make a nice cake for Jan an' Ted,"
murmured Baby William to himself. Certainly he thought he was going to
do that--make a nice cake--but it did not turn out just that way.

Trouble's hat, being of felt, held