"Probably they do," said Jimmy. "A crab is foolish enough to like anything."

"They remind me of Buck Looker and his gang," said Herb, laughing.

"They're always on the lookout for trouble, and they usually get the worst of it when trouble comes along."

"Yes, but these fellows are real sc.r.a.ppers, while Buck is just a big bully," said Bob. "I wonder if they've come to Ocean Point yet. I suppose if they had, we'd have seen something of them."

"Oh, I suppose they'll come pestering around as soon as they get here,"

said Joe. "But if they do, I guess we'll be able to take care of them."

"We'll do our best, anyway," said Bob. "They're still sore about the way we broke into their shack after they'd stolen Jimmy's wireless outfit."

"It only served them right," said Jimmy. "I think we let them off pretty easily that time. Next time we'd better rub it in a little harder."

"Well, don't let's spoil a perfect day by thinking about that crowd,"

said Joe, shouldering the basket of crabs. "I'll carry this until my back begins to break, and then somebody else can have a chance at it."

"That's fair enough," a.s.sented Bob, and the boys started for home, well pleased with the result of their expedition. There were so many jokes bandied back and forth that Joe forgot all about the weight of the basket, and it was only when he threw his load down on the porch that he remembered that none of the others had done his share. And by that time it was of no use to protest.

"Well!" exclaimed Rose, when she saw the laden basket, "old Izaak Walton didn't have anything on you. I never had any idea that you'd catch as many as that. To tell the truth, the honest truth, I didn't think you'd catch any."

"That's all the confidence my sister has in me, you see," said Joe, with a resigned air.

"They're all alike," said Herb. "They none of them really appreciate what a blessing it is to have a brother."

"We do appreciate it once in a while," returned Agnes. "Especially when they work up energy enough to go and catch some nice fat crabs. I just dote on crab salad."

"If you only knew how close your brother came to losing his foot on account of those same crabs, you'd feel sorry for him," said Bob, with a mischievous grin.

"Oh, do tell us about it," said Amy. "What happened, Herb?"

"Aw, why can't you keep quiet about that, Bob?" protested Herb.

But the girls were not to be put off so easily, and had to be told the story of Herb's defeat at the claws, as it were, of one small crab.

"Well, I don't care," he said, goaded by the laughter of the girls, "I'll get even by eating as many of those animals as I can, and maybe one of them will be the one that bit me."

"It won't do any harm to think so," said Bob. "I hated to tell on you, Herb, but that story was too good to keep."

"All right! I'll get even with you some day," threatened Herb. "It's just your confounded luck that you didn't get nipped instead of me."

"Oh, well, it's all in the day's fun," said Bob. "I'll bet these fellows will taste so good we'll forget about the trouble we had while we were catching them."

This prophecy was fully justified that evening when the unfortunate crabs disappeared as if by magic.

"We'll have to try this again some day soon," said Bob. "I never knew a crab could taste so good."

They all agreed to this, and were still discussing the afternoon's fun when they heard a familiar voice on the porch, and a moment later Dr.

Amory Dale walked into the room. They all sprang to their feet and gave him a hearty welcome.

He told them all the local news of Clintonia, and then broached the real object of his visit. He had conceived the idea of making up a party consisting only of the adults and taking a tour through the South, taking in Washington and other of the larger Southern cities. As outlined by him, the party was to go by rail, and return by steamer from Norfolk, Virginia, to Boston.

"Mrs. Dale has not been well recently," he concluded, "and, as the doctor has ordered a change of scene for her, I thought it would be nice to get a small party of friends and all take the trip together. What do you think of the proposition?"

All the adult members of the party received the idea with approbation, although for one reason or another some of them feared that they would be unable to go. Their objections were argued away by Doctor Dale, however, and before the evening was over Mr. and Mrs. Layton, Mrs.

Plummer, and Mrs. Atwood had promised to make the trip. Rose begged so hard to go that finally she, too, was included. The rest of the evening was taken up by excited discussion of the proposed trip. Dr. Dale was urged to stay all night, and finally, as it was getting late, he agreed.

He found time to question the boys about their trip to the big wireless station, and they told him enthusiastically all about it. The evening pa.s.sed so quickly that they were all surprised to find that it was considerably past their usual bedtime, and it was a tired but happy quartette of lads that finally said "good-night" and left the older people to complete the plans of their forthcoming trip.

CHAPTER XIV-FUN IN THE SURF

The next morning the boys learned that the tourists had decided to leave on the following day. Mrs. Fennington, Herbert's mother, had decided to stay at Ocean Point and "take care of the boys and her girls," she said.

All that day there was great excitement and bustle of packing, and by evening all was ready for the tourists' departure. Everybody went to bed early that evening, as they intended to get the early train to Clintonia, whence they were to go direct to Washington.

Everything went according to schedule, the boys going down to the station with their parents to see them off. Many were the injunctions laid on the boys to "be careful" and "not to swim out too far." This was duly promised, although the boys prudently forebore to say just what they considered "too far." Anything less than a mile was all right, as they figured it.

At last the train pulled out, and after it was lost to view around a curve the boys took their way rather more quietly than usual back to the bungalows, which seemed to them to wear a rather forlorn and deserted air. But their usual good spirits soon a.s.serted themselves, and they began to plan what they should do for the rest of the day.

"It's a swell day for a swim," said Bob. "Let's jump into our bathing suits and fool the hot weather."

"I'll never say no to a swim," said Jimmy. "It seems to me that all I do all summer is melt and sizzle except when I can get into the ocean.

That's about the only time I feel comfortable."

"A swim it is, then," said Joe. "And the last one down to the beach gets thrown in by the others."

There was a mad scramble as the boys rushed into their respective bungalows and changed from regular clothes to bathing suits. Articles of clothing flew in every direction, and in an incredibly short s.p.a.ce of time Joe emerged, followed closely by Bob, and they set off at an easy pace for the beach, looking backward from time to time to see if the others were coming. Jimmy was the next to emerge, and he started off with head down and hands and feet flying, evidently determined not to be the last this time.

But he had hardly started when Herbert came bursting out of the door and made after his corpulent friend. But Jimmy had gained quite a lead, and it was hard to predict which would be the last to the beach and therefore subject to a thorough ducking at the hands of his friends.

Bob and Joe were so far in the lead that they were in no danger, and they enjoyed the race between Jimmy and Herb immensely.

"They say an elephant can run fast, and Jimmy's just like one," said Joe. "He's certainly putting his heart into it. Which do you think will win, Bob?"

"It's hard to tell," laughed Bob. "But if Jimmy loses he'll be so hot that he won't mind being ducked, so it will be all right anyway."

They were all close to the beach now and Herb was fast catching up with Jimmy, who was making heavy weather of it in the deep sand. Herb kept gaining. He was not three feet back of Jimmy when suddenly the latter stumbled and fell. Herb was so close to him that he had no time to stop or swerve, and he tripped over his prostrate companion and went sprawling. Like a flash Jimmy was on his feet again, and before Herb could recover from his fall and get started again, Jimmy had reached the edge of the water, where Bob and Joe were already waiting.

Herb came along a few seconds later, primed for an argument.

"You tripped me up on purpose, Jimmy," he accused, when he could get his breath. "That was nothing but a trick."

"You bet it was a trick, and a mighty good one, too," said Jimmy. "It saved me a ducking, anyway. You'd better get ready to take your medicine."

"Jimmy's right," ruled Bob. "Come on, fellows."

With one accord the other three rushed on the unfortunate Herb, cutting short his vehement protests. Seizing him by the hands and feet, they lugged him out until the water was three feet or so deep, and then, swinging him back and forth a few times like a pendulum, they threw him with a resounding splash into the crest of an incoming breaker.