While the boys and Belle were fishing, Laura and Jessie wandered up and down the rocks and the grassy glade beyond, gathering wild flowers and also some blackberries that grew in that vicinity. Dave's sister also succeeded in getting several photographs, including two of the others with their fishing outfits. "Now, I want you all to stand in a group, with your fish on strings," said Laura, a little later, when the fishing seemed to slow up a little. And then she arranged them to suit herself and took two snapshots. "Now, let me take a snapshot of you and Jessie, with your bunches of wild flowers," said Dave, and this was soon added to the other films. They had great fun building a campfire and preparing lunch. The boys cut the wood and started the blaze, and even made coffee, while the girls spread a tablecloth that had been brought along, and put out tin plates and tin cups, and the various good things to eat. Then some of the fish were cleaned by the boys and fried by the girls, and all sat down to enjoy what every one declared was better than a feast at a hotel. In the meantime the horses were tethered in a new place, so that they could crop the luxurious grass. "I can tell you one thing, life in the open air gives one a great appetite," remarked the senator's son, as he smacked his lips over a particularly dainty portion of trout. "As if there was ever anything the matter with Roger's appetite," cried Phil. "How about yourself, Phil?" questioned Dave, with a grin. "Oh, I reckon I can get away with my share," answered the shipowner's son calmly, as he reached for another portion of the fish. As there was no hurry, the boys and girls took their time over the meal, and many were the stories told and the jokes cracked while the food was disappearing. "If only some of the Oak Hall boys could see us now!" cried Dave. "Wouldn't they envy us!" "They certainly would," answered Roger. "And what of the girls at home?" asked Jessie. "I rather think they'd like to be in our place." "Crumville seems a long way off, doesn't it?" said Laura. Besides the fish, they had chicken sandwiches, cake, pie, and half a dozen other things to eat, and coffee, and water from a sparkling spring to drink. When they had finished, they took it easy for a while, and then fished some more, and went strolling. "I think we had better be thinking of returning," said Belle, at length. "It is a long ride back, remember, and unless I am mistaken there is a storm coming up." "A storm!" cried Jessie. "Oh, I hope not!" "We don't want to get wet," added Laura. "I don't think the storm will come right away. But I don't like the looks of the clouds yonder." "They certainly do look bad," remarked Dave, casting his eyes in the direction to which Belle pointed. "It didn't look like rain this morning." "It may be more wind than rain, Dave. Sometimes we have great windstorms around Star Ranch."