ee, and it took all of his attention.

Judy poked a stick into the centre of the fire. For a moment it seemed
to die down, then suddenly the big black pan seemed held aloft by a
solid cone of yellow flame.

The grease in the pan snapped, and little burnt bits of corn-meal flew
in all directions.

"Now they are cooking all right," and Judy shielded her face with her
hand, as she held the long handle and watched complacently.

Suddenly Launcelot dropped the coffee-pot.

"Take them off, take them off," he cried.

Judy, with her fork upraised, stared at him as if petrified.

"Why?" she stammered.

He snatched the pan from the fire.

"They're burning," he cried, and turned the fish up one by one.

They were as black as coals down to the very tips of their crisp little
tails!

CHAPTER VI

A RAIN AND A RUNAWAY

At her cry of dismay, Perkins strolled over to take a look.

"They're burnt, Miss," he announced, bending over the pan.

"Of course they are," snapped Judy, "any one could see that, Perkins."

Perkins looked over her head, loftily.

"Yes, Miss, of course," he said, "but it's mostly always that way when
there are too many cooks. I'm afraid there won't be enough to go
around, Miss."

"Are these all?" asked Judy, anxiously.

"Yes," said Launcelot, "I cooked four and you burned six, and there are
the Judge and Anne and Nannie and Amelia and Perkins and you and I to
be fed."

"You needn't count me, sir," said Perkins. "I never eats, sir."

With which astounding statement, he carried away the charred remains.

"Does he mean that he doesn't eat at all?" questioned Judy, staring
after the stout figure of the retiring butler.

Launcelot laughed. "Oh, he eats enough," he said, "only he doesn't do
it in public. He knows his place."

"I wish he did," said Judy, dubiously. "Oh, dear, what shall we do
about the fish?"

"There will be one apiece for the others," said Launcelot. "I guess
you and I will have to do without--Judy--"

He spoke her name with just the slightest hesitation, and his eyes
laughed as they met hers.

"And I said any one could cook!" Judy's tone was very humble. "What a
prig you must have thought me, Launcelot."

"Oh, go and get some flowers for the table and forget your troubles,"
was Launcelot's off-hand way of settling the question, and as Judy went
off she decided that she should like him. He was different from other
boys. He was a gentleman in spite of his