"Well, it went, just as I thought it might," remarked Ben, grimly. "Too bad!" returned Luke. "I reckon it was my fault. I should have let you put on that other shoe before we started." "It's nobody's fault!" cried Mr. Basswood, quickly. "Now then, boys, we'll see how soon we can get another shoe on." Many hands made the labor of jacking up the car and changing the tire a light one. Fortunately the automobile was equipped with a pump attached to the engine, so that blowing up the tire by hand was unnecessary. "This is only a little exercise to get up an appetite for that lunch," remarked Dave, gaily. "We want to do full justice to the stuff in the hamper." "As if there was ever anything the matter with your appetite!" cried Phil, dryly. "Why Philip, my son, you know I never eat more than a bird!" retorted Dave, with a twinkle in his eye. "Humph! A bird, eh? I guess you must mean an ostrich," retorted the shipowner's son, and at this sally there was a general laugh in which even Dave joined. "Just eleven o'clock," remarked Luke, consulting his watch. "When do we stop for that lunch?" "At twelve o'clock precisely," answered Mrs. Basswood. "That is, of course, if we happen to be in the right kind of a place. We don't want to stop just anywhere." "Might eat the lunch while we were running," suggested Roger. "It would make it last so much longer." "Wow! What a joke!" cried Phil. "Say, that puts me in mind of a story!" burst out Shadow. "A fellow named William took his best girl for a trip by train to another town, and on the way they went into the dining-car for lunch. He said afterwards that it was the longest lunch he had ever eaten, and as the girl had ordered nearly everything on the bill of fare it was also the longest bill he had ever paid." "A long bill but a short story, Shadow!" cried Luke. "I'd like to know one thing, Shadow," observed Dave. "Was it William who paid the bill or was it Bill who had to put up several Williams to pay for it?" "Good gracious, Dave! What are you talking about?" queried his sister, with a puzzled look on her face. "Oh, that's easy, Laura," answered Roger. "William--Bill, Bill--William. Don't you see the joke?" "Yes, of course! How thick I am!" returned the girl, quickly. Soon they were once more on the way. They had a long hill to ascend, the road winding in and out among the trees and around the rocks. It was a hard pull, and several times they had to change to second gear and even to low. "O my, what a beautiful view!" cried Belle, when the top of the hill was gained. And in her excitement she stood straight up in the automobile to look around her. "It certainly is beautiful," returned Jessie. "One can see for miles and miles in every direction!" "Oh, Mrs. Basswood, don't you think this would be a lovely place to have lunch?" cried Laura. At the mention of lunch, Luke, Shadow, and Phil brought out their watches simultaneously.