e dude, "and I'll kill that
dog."

"Don't you bite him," warned Short and Long, "for if you do right now
he will sure have the hydrophobia. Take it easy, Purt--cool and
easy."

But the dude could not. The very sight of that laughing, ragged-coated
dog made his blood boil. He hunted a club with which to meet the brute
when he landed.

But Lance explained about the Barnacle before the _Duchess_ came close
enough for them to land.

"Why, there he was ready to meet us at the Elberon store," laughed
Lance. "I found out that everybody along the Big Woods trails knows
the mongrel. He had come up yesterday with a tote-team which was going
into the woods.

"He welcomed Reddy and me as if we were his long-lost brothers. But
it's Purt he wants to see--believe me!"

"I'll fix him!" threatened the dude, from the shore, and waving a
club.

"Hold on!" begged Lance. "I have a better idea than that. I didn't
bring the Barnacle along to be slaughtered to make a Sweet
holiday--no, sir! What do you think about leaving him at the island
here with the girls, Chet?"

"Great! he'll guard the camp," declared Laura's brother. "Nobody else
will come around to steal grub."

"That's a good idee, Mister," said Liz, from the cook-tent. "The dog
is wuth more than any boy to watch for us."

"Hear that, will you?" demanded Chet. "You girls have one fine
suffragette in this Lonesome Liz, as Billy calls her."

"She's ripe for battle, when it comes to pitting the ladies against
the mere male," laughed Laura. "We have found _that_ out."

Against Purt's objections the Barnacle was allowed to come ashore. And
the poor beast _did_ seem so delighted to be among them again that
they had not the heart to treat him badly. At least, nobody hated him
save Lily and Purt.

Barnacle was fed hugely by Liz Bean, and had to lie down after it and
sleep. So he did not disturb Purt during the afternoon.

The girls had agreed to get supper all by themselves. Liz and Mrs.
Morse were to have nothing to do with it.

Bobby and Laura made cake. There were chickens to roast--two pairs of
them--that Lance had thoughtfully bought of a woman at the Crossing.
These were handed over to the tender mercies of Jess and Nell.

Now, Jess was a good cook; she did most of the housework at the Morse
cottage. But when they had had chicken, the butcher always cleaned the
creature before sending it home.

"My goodness!" sniffed Nell. "What do you know about taking a chicken