his helmet;
"and I hear," glancing round at them all with an amused twinkle in his
eyes, "that none of you like me."

"Oh, but we didn't know that you were Dodds," Drusie hastened to
explain. "It was Dodds we did not like, not you."

"Well, as I am Dodds, you can't like me if you don't like him," the boy
said with a laugh, in which they all were obliged to join, as they
realized that they had really been liking Dodds all the time without
knowing it.

"Well, as I am cool now," Dodds said, getting up and wading to the
bank, "I think I'll go and put on some dry things. And I should think
that you had better do the same. And then, isn't there a birthday
feast to be eaten? I rather think I heard something about it too. You
know, I was fishing here one day, and you were all in the fort talking
about the fight, and wondering if Hal meant to hold it, and it struck
me that it would be rather a good idea if I held it in his place. And
so I just did. And jolly good fun it has been too.--Don't you think
so, Hal? or do you still think that playing with kids is slow work?"

At that Hal began to grow red, and Drusie, who knew that he was sorry
for that and for many other foolish things that he had said, interposed
quickly.

"I think we had better go home and change too," she said; "and then we
will all meet in the summer-house for the feast."

"Am I asked too?" said Dodds, who was not shy.

"Of course," they all cried.

"Right you are then," said Dodds, shaking himself and squaring his
shoulders for a run. "I'll bring some contributions to the feast.
Let's see who'll get changed and be there first. I bet you I will."

But as it happened, his five hosts and hostesses were the first to
reach the summer-house; and while they waited for their guest Hal took
a small baby guinea-pig from his pocket, and gave it to the astonished,
delighted Drusie.

"My birthday present to you, Drusie. I got it down at the village this
afternoon. Isn't it a beauty?"

"Oh, it's a darling!" Drusie cried, covering both the guinea-pig and
Hal with kisses. "How awfully, awfully good of you, Hal! Is it really
my very, very own?"

"Yes, rather," said Hal, looking very gratified at her delight. "I
went down into the village this afternoon and got it. I paid for it
too," he added proudly. "Nurse advanced me the money."

Then Dodds arrived with a basketful of good things for the feast, and a
very merry feast it was. And by the time i