They had journeyed to the woods in an automobile, carrying two tents which were set up under the trees.  One tent was used to sleep in and the other for a dining room.  There was also a place to cook.

With the Brown family was Uncle Tad, who was really Mr. Brown’s uncle.  But the jolly old soldier was as much an uncle to Bunny and Sue as he was to their father.  Bunker Blue, a boy, had also come to Camp Rest-a-While with the Brown family, but after having many adventures with them, he had gone back to Bellemere, where Mr. Brown had a fish and a boat business.  With him went Tom Vine, a boy whom the Browns had met after coming to camp.

Bunny Brown and his sister Sue liked it in the big woods that stretched out all about their camp.  They played many games under the trees and in the tents, and had great fun.  Mrs. Brown liked it so much that when the time when they had planned to go home came, she said to her husband: 

“Oh, let’s stay a little longer.  I like it so much and the children are so happy.  Let’s stay!”

And so they stayed.  And they were still camped on the edge of the big woods that morning when Mrs. Brown called Bunny and Sue to do something for her.

After telling her mother about the pretend-fever which Bunny had, Sue went back to where her brother was lying on a blanket under the bushes.  She made-believe feel his pulse, as she had seen the doctor do when once Bunny had been really ill, and then the little girl put her hand on Bunny’s cheek.

“Say! what you doin’ that for?” he asked.

“I was seeing how hot you were,” answered Sue.  “I guess your fever’s most gone, isn’t it, Bunny?” she asked.

“Is it time to eat?” he asked quickly.

“Yes, I think it is.  And I think mother has a surprise for us, too.”

“Then my fever’s all gone!” exclaimed Bunny.  “I’m all better, and I can eat.  Then we’ll see what mother has.”

Never did an ill person get well so quickly as did Bunny Brown just then.  He sat up, threw to one side a blanket Sue had spread over him, and called: 

“Where’s the pie and cake?”

“Here they are,” Sue answered, as she took them from a little box under the bushes.

“And where’s the milk?” asked Bunny.  “Fevers always make folks thirsty, you know.  I’m awful thirsty!”

“Here’s the milk,” said Sue.  “I didn’t ask mother if I could take it, but I’m sure she won’t care.”

“No, I guess not,” said Bunny, taking a long drink which Sue poured out for him from a pitcher into a glass.

Then Bunny and his sister ate the pie and the cake which their mother had given them that morning when they said they wanted to have a little picnic in the woods.  Instead Bunny and Sue had played Indian and soldier, as they often did.  First Bunny was a white soldier, and then an Indian, and at last he made believe he was shot so he could be ill.  Sue was very fond of playing nurse, and she liked to cover Bunny up, feel his pulse and feed him bread pills rolled in sugar.  Bunny liked these pills, too.