their faces, that the girls burst into gales of uncontrolled
laughter.

"You look just like candidates for a minstrel show," gasped Mollie,
while the boys stood regarding her reproachfully. "Oh, boys, if you only
had a mirror! If you only had!"

CHAPTER XIII

THE GATHERING OF THE CLANS

"If you got us some soap and water," Will suggested after they had
indulged in some sheepish grins at their own expense, "you might be
doing a little good in the world."

"Well, you ought to know how to find it yourselves," Grace retorted.
"Suppose you go and wash, and make yourselves look like respectable
citizens again--even though you aren't," she added sweetly.

"Look out, Grace, some time we will get even for all the knocks you have
been handing out," Frank threatened, shaking a grimy fist in her
direction.

"Now I don't suppose we can have a fire at all," sighed Mollie, as the
boys made a rush for the stairs. "And I did so want one."

"If we can find a blower," Allen shouted from the landing, "we'll have a
good fire yet."

"Yes, look around, girls, will you?" Roy added, "It will save no end of
time."

"Do you know what a blower looks like?" Mollie inquired, a puzzled frown
on her forehead. "How can I find anything when I don't know what it
looks like?"

"Oh, I know," said Betty. "We used to have one at home before dad put
the hood on the fire-place. Let's go on a still hunt."

This they did, and when the boys came down a few minutes later they
proudly announced their discovery.

"This is it, isn't it?" asked Betty, indicating a big square of tin with
a handle at the top. "It looks like the one we used to use."

"It's exactly the thing," cried Frank, pouncing on it eagerly. "Now if
this doesn't make the wood burn, nothing will."

In less time than it takes to tell the boys had succeeded in igniting
the green wood, and had applied the blower before the smoke had had a
chance to get out into the room.

The fire danced and glowed, while its leaping flames sent fantastic
shadows playing hide and seek around the room.

"How is this for a fire, eh?" said Will, holding out his hand to the
welcome warmth of the blaze, for although the days were hot, the nights
were apt to be damp and cool on this island, surrounded as it was by the
waters of the lake. "Some time the girls will find out that we know our
business pretty well. Oh, that feels good!"

"You are right," said Frank, as they instinctively drew their