at Grandma Martin's table, only this was out of
doors, for the sides of the tent were raised to let in the air and the
rays of the setting sun.

"What's the matter, Father?" asked Mrs. Martin, as she saw the
children's grandfather pause after tasting the potatoes. "Is anything
wrong?"

"I think I'd like a little more salt on these."

"Yes, they do need salting. Nora, bring the salt please."

"There isn't any, except what I used when I was cooking--a little I had
in a salt-shaker."

"Oh, yes, there must be. I brought a whole bagful. I saw it when I
unpacked some of the things. There was a sack of salt."

"Well, it isn't here now," said Nora, as she looked among her kitchen
things.

"Has anyone seen the bag of salt?" asked Mrs. Martin.

She looked at Ted and Jan, who shook their heads. Then Trouble's mother
looked at him. He was busy with a piece of bread and jam. One could have
told Trouble had been eating bread and jam just by looking at his mouth
and face.

"Did you see the salt, Trouble?" asked his mother.

"Iss, I did," he answered, taking another bite.

"Where is it?"

"In de water," he replied. "I puts it in de water."

"You put the salt in the water? What water? Tell mother, Trouble."

"I puts salt in de lake water to make him 'ike ocean. Trouble 'ike
ocean. Come on, I show!" and, getting down out of his chair, he toddled
toward a little cove near the camp. The others, following him, saw
something white on the ground near the edge of the lake. Grandpa Martin
touched it with his finger and tasted.

"The little tyke did empty the whole bag of salt in the lake!" cried the
farmer. "Fancy his trying to make it like the ocean! Ho! Ho!"

"Oh, Trouble!" cried Mrs. Martin. "You wasted a whole bag of salt, and
now grandpa hasn't any for his potatoes!"

CHAPTER VI

TED AND THE BEAR

Baby William looked a little bit frightened and ashamed as his mother
spoke to him in that way. He loved his grandfather, and of course he
would not have done anything to make him feel bad if he had thought. But
Trouble was a very little fellow, though his father often said he could
get into as many kinds of mischief as could the larger Curlytops.

"Oh dear! This is too bad!" went on Mrs. Martin. "Why did you do it,
Trouble? What made you empty the bag of salt into the lake?"

"Want to make ocean wif salt water," was the answer.

"I suppose it's my fault, for telling him so much about the big sea and
its salt