ts. Only we don't
ever throw 'em at each others' eyes. Sand in your eyes hurts like
anything."

"I know it does," agreed Russ. "Mun Bun got some in his the other day
and he cried a lot."

"Well, come on, let's play soldier some more," suggested George. "I'll
be on Laddie's side. You go in the fort, Russ, and we'll stand against
you. Two to one is fair when the one is inside a fort."

"And won't you throw any more sand bullets or cannon balls?"

"No, only paper ones."

"All right, then I'll play."

Russ went back in his fort, and Laddie and George, outside the wall of
sand, began pelting him with wads of paper. But now the battle went
differently. The attacking force could shoot twice as many paper bullets
and balls as could Russ and they soon ran up on him, pelting him so that
he had to put his hands over his head.

"All right--I surrender! I give up!" he cried.

"Wait till I haul down the flag!" laughed George.

Then he took down the red and blue penciled handkerchief and he and
Laddie took possession of the fort. Russ was beaten, but he did not
mind, for it was all in fun. Then he took a turn outside the fort, with
Laddie and George inside. However, as this was two against one, Russ
could not win, though the three boys had jolly times.

They were pelting away at one another, using paper "bullets" and "cannon
balls," shouting and laughing, when, as they became quiet for a moment,
they heard a voice asking:

"What is all this?"

They looked up to see Mrs. Bunker with Mun Bun and Margy.

"How-do?" called George, grinning.

"Oh, we're having such fun!" cried Laddie. "We're soldiers and we got a
fort, and we had a flag----"

"It's made out of a handkerchief and red and blue pencils," added Russ.

"I want to play soldier!" exclaimed Mun Bun.

"No, it's too rough for you," explained Russ.

"I want to play, too!" insisted Margy.

"We're done playing fort and soldier," said Russ. "We'll play something
else."

"Let's see who can dig the deepest hole," suggested George. "I'll go and
get a shovel, and you have yours, Russ and Laddie. Let's see who can dig
the deepest hole!"

The two older Bunker boys thought this would be fun, and George ran
over to his cottage to get his shovel.

"Can we play that game, Mother?" asked Margy.

"Yes, you and Mun Bun can do that," said Mrs. Bunker.

The warm sun was drying out the beach, and when George came back with
his shovel he and Laddie and Russ began three hol