off," said Archie, and he stuck the boat-hook into the ground.
"After which you are requested to light fires to frighten the wild
beasts. The woodbines are very wild at this time of the year."

"We shall have to light a fire anyhow for the tea, so that will be
very useful," said the thoughtful Dahlia.

"I myself," I said, "will swim out to the wreck for the musket and
the bag of nails."

"As you're going," said Myra, unpacking, "you might get the sugar as
well. We've forgotten it."

"Now you've spoilt my whole holiday. It was bad enough with the cake
last week, but this is far, far worse. I shall go into the wood and
eat berries."

"It's all right, here it is. Now you're happy again. I wish, if you
aren't too busy, you'd go into the wood and collect sticks for the
fire."

"I am unusually busy," I said, "and there is a long queue of clients
waiting for me in the ante-room. An extremely long queue--almost a
half-butt in fact."

I wandered into the wood alone. Archie and Dahlia had gone
arm-in-arm up the hill to look at a view, Simpson was helping Myra
with the hampers, and Thomas, the latest arrival from town, was
lying on his back, telling them what he alleged to be a good story
now going round London. Myra told it to me afterwards, and we agreed