urry
was so excessive that he could not pull himself up in time to avoid
Harry. He bumped violently into the hammock, with the natural result
that Harry swung sharply against Norah, and for a moment things were
rather mixed.

"You duffer!" growled Harry, steadying his rocking bed. "Hurt you?
"--this to Norah.

"No, thanks," Norah laughed. "What's the matter with you two?"

"Got an idea," Wally gasped, fanning himself with a pine cone.

"Hurt you?"

"Rather. It's always a shock for me to have an idea. Anyway this isn't
mine--it's Jim's."

"Oh." Norah's tone was more respectful. Jim's ideas were not to be
treated lightly as a rule. "Well, let's hear it."

"Fishing," Jim said laconically. "Let's start out at the very daybreak,
and get up the river to Anglers' Bend. They say you can always get fish
there. We'll ride, and take Billy to carry the tucker and look for bait.
Spend the whole blessed day, and come home with the mopokes. What do you
chaps say?"

"Grand idea!" Norah cried, giving her hammock an ecstatic swing. "We'll
have to fly round, though. Did you ask Dad?"

"Yes, and he said we could go. It's tucker that's the trouble. I don't
know if we're too late to arrange about any."

"Come and ask Mrs. Brown," said Norah, flinging a pair of long black
legs over the edge of the hammock. "She'll fix us up if she can."

They tore off to the kitchen and arrived panting. Mrs. Brown was sitting
in calm state on the kitchen verandah, and greeted them with a wide,
expansive smile. Norah explained their need.

Mrs. Brown pursed up her lips.

"I haven't anythink fancy, my dear," she said slowly. "Only plum cake
and scones, and there's a nice cold tongue, and an apple pie. I'd like
you to have tarts, but the fire's out. Do you think you could manage?"

Jim laughed.

"I guess that'll do, Mrs. Brown," he said. "We'll live like fighting
cocks, and bring you home any amount of fish for breakfast. Don't you
worry about sandwiches, either--put in a loaf or two of bread, and a
chunk of butter, and we'll be right as rain."

"Then I'll have it all packed for you first thing, Master Jim," Mrs.
Brown declared.

"That's ripping," said the boys in a breath. "Come and find Billy."

Billy was dragged from the recesses of the stable. He grinned widely
with joy at the prospect of the picnic.

"All the ponies ready at five, Billy," ordered Jim. "Yours too. We're
going to make a day of it--and we'll want bait. Now, you chaps,