“Woof,” said Timmy, approvingly, and sniffed inside the basket.

Wrapped in brown paper were some biscuits and a bone, together with a small pot of paste. George undid the packet. “I packed these for you, Timmy,” she said. “Say thank you!”

Timmy licked her so lavishly that she cried out for mercy. “Pass me the towel, Ju!” she said. “Timmy’s made my face all wet. Get away now, Timmy — you’ve thanked me quite enough! Get away, I said. How can I spread paste on your biscuits for you if you stick your nose into the pot all the time?”

“You spoil Timmy dreadfully,” said Anne. “All right, all right — you needn’t scowl at me, George! I agree that he’s worth spoiling. Take your bone a bit further away from me, Tim — it’s smelly!”

They were soon eating sardine sandwiches with tomatoes, and egg-and-lettuce sandwiches after that. Then they started on the fruit cake and the lemonade.

“I can’t think why people ever have table-meals when they can have picnics,” said Dick. “Think of Uncle and Aunt and those two men tucking into a hot meal indoors on a day like this. Phew!”

“I liked that big American,” said George.

“Aha! We all know why,” said Dick, annoyingly. “He thought you were a boy. Will you ever grow out of that, George?”

“Timmy’s trying to get at the cake!” said Anne. “Quick, George, stop him!”

They all lay back on the sand after their picnic, and Julian began a long story of some trick that he and Dick had played on their form-master at school. He was most annoyed because nobody laughed at the funny part, and sat up to see why.

“All asleep!” he said, in disgust. Then he cocked his head just as Timmy pricked up his ears. A loud roaring noise came to him.

“Just the American revving up his car, do you think, Tim?” said Julian. The boy stood up and saw the great car tearing down the sea road.

The day was too hot to do anything but laze. The Five were quite content to do that on their first day together again. Soon they would want to plan all kinds of things, but the first day at Kirrin was a day for picking up old threads, teasing Timmy, getting into the “feel” of things again, as Dick said.

Dick and Julian had been abroad for four weeks, and Anne had been away to camp and had had a school friend to stay with her at home afterwards. George had been alone at Kirrin, so it was wonderful to all the Five to meet together once more for three whole summer weeks. At Kirrin too, Kirrin by the sea, with its lovely beach, its fine boating — and its exciting little island across Kirrin Bay!

As usual the first day or two passed in a kind of dream, and then the children began to plan exciting things to do.