"Yes, we did. We wanted to see what sort of stuff you were made of. You
know Seacote people are sort of like one big family, and we wanted to
know how you'd behave about the wood. You've been fine, and now we'll
cart it back where we found it. If you had got mad about it, we wouldn't
touch a stick to take it back,--would we, fellows?"

"Nope," said the other two, and the Maynards could see at once that Tom
was the captain and ringleader of the trio.

"Well," said King, judicially, "if you hadn't been the sort you are, I
_should_ have got mad. But I guess you're all right, and so you _may_
take it back. But we don't help you do it,--see? I'm Kingdon Maynard,
and this is my sister Marjorie. You fellows took our wood, and now
you're going to return it. Is that right?"

"Right-o!" said Tom. "Come on, fellows."

The three boys flew at it, and King and Midget sat on the sand and
watched them till the wood was restored to its original position.

"All right," said King; "you boys'll do. Now, come on and roast potatoes
with us."

Thus, all demands of honor having been complied with, the five proceeded
to become friends. The boys built the fire, and gallantly let Marjorie
have the fun of putting the potatoes and apples in place.

The Craig boys had nice instincts, and while they were rather
rough-and-tumble among themselves, they treated King more decorously,
and seemed to consider Marjorie as a being of a higher order, made to
receive not only respect, but reverent homage.

"You see, we never had a sister," said Tom; "and we're a little bit
scared of girls."

"Well, I have three," said King, "so you see I haven't such deep awe of
them. But Midget won't hurt you, so don't be _too_ scared of her."

Marjorie smiled in most friendly fashion, for she liked these boys, and
especially Tom.

"How old are you?" she asked him, in her frank, pleasant way.

"I'm fourteen," replied Tom, "and the other kids are twelve and ten."

"King's fourteen,--'most fifteen," said Midget; "and I'll be thirteen in
July. So we're all in the same years. I wish our Kitty was here. She's
nearly eleven, but she isn't any bigger than Harry."

Harry smiled shyly, and poked at the potatoes with a stick, not knowing
quite what to say.

"You see," King explained, "Midget is the best sort of a girl there is.
She's girly, all right, and yet she's as good as a boy at cutting up
jinks or doing any old kind of stunts."

The three Craigs looked at M