es once used in Holland. It may get
its name from that."

"Are they good to eat?" asked Russ.

"Some kinds are said to be," answered Cousin Tom, "though I never tasted
one myself. I have heard of fishermen eating certain parts of the skates
caught along here. But I never saw any one do it. Whenever I catch a
skate I throw it back into the water. I can't see that they are good for
anything."

The skate which Laddie and Russ were watching, and which seemed to have
been cast up on the beach by the waves, was flopping about, now and then
raising itself on its queer legs, until, finally, the tide came up
higher and washed it out into the sea again.

"I guess it's glad to get back in the ocean," said Russ.

"Yes," agreed his brother. "I'd have put it back in only I was afraid it
might bite me."

"No, I don't believe it would," said Cousin Tom.

"There's heaps of funny things down at the seashore," said Laddie, as he
watched to see if the skate would swim back, but it did not.

"Lots of funny things," agreed Russ.

"The shore is a good place to make riddles," went on Laddie.

"And it's a bad place to lose things," said his brother. "Look how Rose
lost her locket."

"Yes, that was too bad," said Daddy Bunker. "I'm afraid we shall never
find that now. There is so much sand here."

"We've dug holes and looked all over," said Russ, "but we can't find
it."

"I wish we could find that box we had up on shore and that the waves
came up and washed away," remarked Laddie. "Don't you 'member the box
you were going to open, Daddy?"

"Yes, I remember," answered Mr. Bunker. "I would like to know what was
in that. But I don't suppose we ever shall."

"And I guess we'll never get back Vi's doll that I lost," said Russ.
"But when I get back home I'm going to save up and buy her another."

"That will be a nice thing to do," replied Mr. Bunker. "Of course Violet
has, in a way, forgotten about her doll, but I'm sure she would like to
have you get her another."

"And I will!" exclaimed Russ. He did not even dream how soon he was to
do this.

"Well," said Cousin Tom, after the skate had been washed out to sea, "I
don't believe, Daddy Bunker, that we are going to have any luck fishing
to-day. I think we might as well go back to the bungalow and see what
they have to eat."

"I hope they didn't count on us bringing some fish," said the father of
the six little Bunkers with a laugh. "If they did we'll all go hungry."

"I don'