nts so the
water would run off when it stormed.

"And now let's take a walk and see what we can find," suggested Ted to
Janet, when Mother Martin said they might play about until supper was
ready, for they had called the lunch they had eaten their dinner.

"Don't go too far," cautioned Mother Martin.

"Oh, we can't get lost on this island," said Ted. "All we'd have to do,
if we were, would be to walk along the shore until we came to this
camp."

"I know that. But it wasn't so much about your getting lost that I was
thinking," said Mrs. Martin.

"Oh, you mean--the tramps?" half whispered Janet.

"Well, I don't know whether there are any here or not," went on her
mother. "But it's best to be careful until grandpa has had a chance to
look about. Where is grandpa now?"

"He's getting some water at the spring," Ted answered.

There was a fine spring on Star Island, not far from the place where the
tents had been set up, and Mr. Martin was now bringing pails of water
from that and pouring them into a barrel which would hold so much that
even Trouble would have plenty to drink no matter how thirsty he was.

"Well, don't go too far away until either grandpa or I have a chance to
go with you," added Mrs. Martin.

"Me come, too," called Trouble, as he saw his brother and sister
starting off.

"Oh, Mother!" exclaimed Teddy.

"No, you stay with mother," said Mrs. Martin. "I'll give you a nice
drink of milk."

"Don't want milk. I's had milk. Trouble want Ted an' Jan."

"But you can't go with them, my dear. Come on, we'll go and throw stones
into the lake and make-believe it's a great, big ocean!"

Baby William pouted a little at first. He liked to have his own way. But
when he saw what fun his mother was having tossing stones into the lake
and making the water splash up, Trouble did the same, laughing at the
fun he was having.

"Dis a ocean, Momsey?" he asked as he set a little stick afloat, making
believe it was a boat.

"Well, we'll call it an ocean," Mrs. Martin answered. "But this water is
fresh, and that in the ocean is very salty. Some day I'll take you and
my two little Curlytops to the real ocean, and you can taste how salty
the waves are. Now we'll throw some more stones."

Meanwhile Ted and Jan started for a little walk down the path that went
the whole length of Star Island.

"Shall we take Nicknack?" asked Jan.

"No, let's wait until he dries off after his bath," decided Teddy. "I
don't like we