“Say, fellows, we forgot to get our trunks,” said Chet, interrupting himself in the midst of an earnest conversation with his sister.  “Give me your checks and I’ll go back and see about them.”

“But if there isn’t room for us, how are we ever going to get our baggage to the house?” Teddy asked.

“We’ll get the wagon that took ours up,” Laura answered.  “We’ve got to get some provisions, anyway.”

So with a great deal of fun and laughter they looked up the ancient wagon and went to the general store to get a formidable supply of provisions.

“Looks as if you were buying the store out,” Teddy remarked, as Billie pulled out a long list of items.  “What’s the big idea?”

“You boys,” said Billie, dimpling at him.  “We knew what kind of appetites you would bring along with you, so we decided on safety first.”

“Now we know you girls are bright,” said Ferd admiringly, and Billie made a face at him.

The ride to the house was one big lark.  The boys sat on the trunks among the provisions, and the girls went off into gales of merriment at their comical efforts not to step on the eggs or fall among the fruit.  They were having such an awfully good time that even the solemn old driver had to join in the fun.

At last they reached Billie’s house, and with much ceremony the boys jumped down from the wagon and ran to the carriage to help the girls out.  And all they got for their pains was scorn and derision on the part of the girls.

“Get out of the way before I step on you, little speck of dust,” Laura cried haughtily to Ferd, who turned up his collar and slunk along toward the house as though his humiliation were more than he could bear, amid shouts of laughter from the merry crowd that followed him.

“That’s the way to treat ’em, Laura,” Chet cried, but at that Ferd turned upon him.

“Say, you’d better look out,” he said belligerently.  “I can’t hit a lady—­”

“A which?” murmured Billie, with a wicked glance in Laura’s direction.

“For calling me names,” continued Ferd, glaring at Chet, who began to tremble in mock fright; “but there’s nothing to keep me from wiping the ground up—­”

“Yes there is!  It’s my ground, and I won’t have it wiped up,” said Billie decidedly, at which Ferd had to laugh and the mock war came to a close.

“Say, this is some classy place, what?” said Chet, stopping in front of the rambling old house and regarding it admiringly.  “Have you met with any ghosts yet, girls?”

“Oh, half a dozen,” said Laura indifferently, and he was just about to ask some more questions when Mrs. Gilligan met them at the door and began giving instructions.

After that there was nothing to do but obey, and the boys and girls did not meet again until lunch time.  Then they regarded each other across the table joyfully.

“I say, let’s go for a tramp in the woods this afternoon,” Ferd suggested, after he and the other lads had taken a look around the house.  “This is the prettiest, wildest country I’ve ever seen, and I’d like to nose about a little.”