howled through the trees in the wood, and, now and then, a loud crash
could be heard, as some tree branch broke off and fell to the ground.

Then, suddenly, it began to rain very hard. My! how the big drops did
pelt down on the tent, sounding like dried corn falling on a tin pan!

"Oh, the rain is coming in on me!" cried Bunny. "I'm getting all wet,
Daddy!"

Surely enough, there was a little hole in the tent, right over Bunny's
cot, and the rain was coming in there.

"Swish!" went the lightning.

"Bang!" went the thunder.

"Whoo-ee!" blew the wind.

It was certainly a bad storm at Camp Rest-a-While.

CHAPTER XIV

TOM IS GONE

"Daddy! Daddy!" cried Sue, from behind the curtain, in the part of the
tent where she slept with her mother. "Daddy, do you think we'll blow
away?"

"Oh, no," answered Mr. Brown. "Don't be afraid. Bunker and I fastened
down the tent good and strong. It can't blow over."

"But I'm getting all wet!" cried Bunny. "The water's leaking all over my
bed, Daddy!"

"Yes, I didn't know there was a hole in the tent. I'll fix it
to-morrow," said Bunny's father. "You get in my bed, Bunny!"

"Oh, goodie!" Bunny cried. He always liked to get in his father's bed.

But as Bunny jumped out of his own little cot, and pattered in his bare
feet across to his father's, he saw Daddy Brown getting up. Mr. Brown
was putting on a pair of rubber boots, and a rubber coat over his bath
robe, which he had put on when the storm began.

"Where you going, Daddy?" asked Bunny, as he crawled into the dry bed,
and pulled the covers up over him, for the wind was blowing in the tent
now. "Where you going?"

"I'm going out to see that the tent ropes are all right," said Mr.
Brown.

"Going out? What for?" called Mrs. Brown. "You musn't go out in this
storm. It's terrible!"

"Oh, but I must go!" answered Daddy Brown with a laugh. "I don't mind
the thunder, lightning and rain. If some of the tent pegs come loose,
the ropes will slip off, and the tent will blow over. Bunker Blue and I
will go out and make sure everything is all right."

"I could go with you," said Uncle Tad from his cot. "Shall I?"

"No, you stay where you are," Daddy Brown said. "You might get the
rheumatism if you got wet."

"I used to get wet enough when I was in the army," returned the old
soldier. "Many a time, when it stormed, I used to get up to fix the
tent."

"Well, Bunker and I will do it now, thank you," Mr. Brown went on. By
this time Bunker Blue had on his rubber boots and coat. Then, taking a
lantern with them, Mr. Brown and Bunker went outside.

"Fasten the tent door after us, Tom," called Mr. Brown to the city boy,
"or everything will blow away inside. Tie the tent flaps shut with the
ropes, and you can open them for us when we want to come in again."

Out in the storm went Daddy Brown and Bunker Blue. As they opened the
flaps, or front door of the tent, a big gust of wind came in, and dashed
rain in Bunny's face, so that he covered his head with the bed clothes.
He had one look at a bright flash of lightning, and he could see the
ground outside all covered with water.

"I'm glad I don't have to go out in the storm," he thought, and he felt
sorry for his father and Bunker Blue.

But Mr. Brown had often been out on the ocean in worse storms than this,
and so had Bunker, so they did not mind. With their lantern they walked
all around the sleeping-tent, making sure that all the ropes were fast
to the pegs, which were driven into the ground. Some of the wooden pegs
were coming loose, and these Mr. Brown and Bunker hammered farther into
the dirt.

All the while the wind blew, and the rain pelted down, while the
lightning flashed brighter, and the thunder rumbled so loudly that it
scared Sue.

"I--I don't like it!" she sobbed, and she crept into bed with her
mother. "Please make it stop, Mother!"

"No one can make the thunder stop, Sue, dear," said Mrs. Brown. "But the
thunder won't hurt you, and the storm is almost over."

Just then there came a very loud clap.

"Oh, dear!" cried Sue. "I'se afraid!"

Bunny heard his sister, and called out:

"That sounded just like Fourth of July; didn't it, Sue? When the big
boys fired the cannon on top of the hill."

"Isn't you afraid, Bunny?" asked Sue.

"No, I--I like it," Bunny answered.

He tried to make himself believe he did, so Sue would not be so
frightened.

"Well, if you isn't afraid I isn't goin' to be, either," said Sue, after
a moment. And she stopped crying at once, and lay quietly in her
mother's cot-bed. And then the storm seemed to go away. It still rained
very hard, but the wind did not howl so loudly, and the lightning was
not so scary, nor the thunder so rumbly.

The rain still leaked in through the hole in the tent, but Tom Vine
moved Bunny's cot out of the way, and set a pail under the leak.

All at once there sounded a banging noise, as if a whole store full of
pots and pans and kettles had been turned upside down.

"Oh, what's that?" cried Mother Brown.

"Sounded as if something blew away," said Uncle Tad. "I'll get up and
look."

But he did not have to, for, just then, in came Daddy Brown and Bunker
Blue, their rubber coats all shining wet in the lantern light.

"What made that noise?" asked Mother Brown.

"The cook-tent blew over," said Daddy Brown, "and all the pots, pans and
kettles fell in a heap. But we'll let them go until morning, I guess, as
the worst of the storm is over. Now we'll all go to bed again."

"This tent won't blow over; will it, Daddy?" asked Bunny.

"No, it's all safe now. Go to sleep."

But it was some little time before they were all asleep again. Nothing
more happened that night, and Bunny and Sue were up very early the next
morning to see what the storm had done.

Camp Rest-a-While was not a pretty sight.

Besides the cook-tent having been blown over, there were broken branches
of trees scattered about. The tents were covered with leaves blown from
the trees, and there were many mud puddles.

The oil stove, and the pots, pans and other things, with which Mother
Brown cooked, were piled in a heap under the fallen cook-tent. The tent
itself was soaking wet, and one of the poles that had held it up was
broken.

"Oh, we can't ever have anything to eat!" said Sue sadly, as she looked
at the fallen tent.

"We can build a campfire," said Bunny. "Uncle Tad used to cook breakfast
over one; didn't you?" and he turned to the old soldier.

"Yes, Bunny, I did. But I guess we won't have to this time. We'll soon
have the oil stove working."

Then he and Daddy Brown, with Bunker Blue and Tom Vine, set to work. The
blown-down tent was pulled to one side, and it was seen that though
everything under it was in a heap, still nothing was broken.

Soon some milk was being warmed for the children, and coffee made for
the older folk. Then Mother Brown even made pancakes on the oil stove,
which was set up on a box at one side of the dining-tent. The day was a
fine one, and there was not enough wind to make the stove smoke.

So they had breakfast after all, and then began the work of making Camp
Rest-a-While look as it had before the storm. A new tent pole was cut,
and the tent put up again, stronger than before. Bunny and Sue helped by
picking up the scattered pieces of tree branches, and piling them in a
heap. Then they swept up the torn-off leaves, and by this time the sun
had dried up some of the puddles of water. By noon time the camp looked
as well as it had before the storm.

"And don't forget to fix the hole over my cot," cried Bunny. "I don't
want to be rained on any more, Daddy."

"I'll fix it," said Mr. Brown, and he did.

"I didn't hear any fire engines last night," said Tom Vine as they sat
at supper that evening, after coming in from a little sail around the
lake, Bunker having fixed a sail onto the rowboat.

"Fire engines!" exclaimed Bunny. "Why should you hear fire engines,
Tom?"

"Why, in the city, where I lived, before I went with that farmer, the
fire engines used to come out after every storm. Places would be struck
by lightning, you know. I've seen lots of fires. But I didn't hear any
engines last night."

"There aren't any engines in these woods," said Daddy Brown. "Of course
trees are often struck by lightning, and lightning often sets fire to
houses in the country, but there aren't any engines out in the woods."

"And no policeman, either," added Tom. "It seems funny not to see a
policeman, and have him yell at you to move on, or keep off the grass."

"Do you like it better here than in the city?" asked Mrs. Brown.

"Oh, heaps better, yes'm! I love it here. I hope I don't ever have to go
back to the city--or to that mean farmer."

Nothing had been seen of the man who wanted to get Tom back, since that
day when he had called at the camp. Bunny and Sue had almost forgotten
him, but it seemed that Tom had not. He was always a little bit afraid,
thinking that the cross man might come back.

One morning, two days after the big storm, when Bunny, Sue and all the
others were gathered around the breakfast table, Daddy Brown asked:

"Where is Tom Vine?"

"He was here a minute ago," Bunny said.

"I think he went to the spring to get a pail of water," put in Uncle
Tad.

"Yes, that's where he went," said Mrs. Brown. "I said we would need some
fresh water, and he went after it."

"Well, we won't wait for him," said Daddy Brown. "We'll eat, and he can
have his breakfast when he comes."

But the others had finished breakfast, and Tom Vine had not come back
from the spring, though they waited for some time.

"I wonder what's keeping him," said Mrs. Brown.

"He couldn't have fallen in; could he?" asked Uncle Tad.

"No, the spring isn't large enough," Bunker Blue answered. "I'll go to
look for him."

Bunker ran off along the path that led to the spring. In a little while
he came hurrying back. He carried a pail full of water, and he said:

"I found the empty pail by the spring, but Tom was gone!"

CHAPTER XV

LOOKING FOR TOM

Bunker Blue, with the pail of water, walked up to where Bunny, Sue and
the others were still sitting at the breakfast table, though they had
finished eating.

"Tom's gone," said Bunker again.

"Gone where?" asked Bunny.

"I don't know," answered the red-haired boy. "I looked all around by the
spring, but I couldn't see him. The pail was there, but Tom wasn't."

"Could he have fallen in?" asked Mrs. Brown, just as Uncle Tad had
asked.

Bunker Blue shook his head.

"The spring is only about big enough to dip a pail in," he said, "and
Tom is bigger than the pail."

"But maybe he curled all up in a little heap when he fell in," said
Bunny. "Oh, dear! I don't want Tom to be lost!"

Bunny and Sue had grown to like Tom very much.

Once more Bunker Blue shook his head.

"I could look right down to the bottom of the spring," he said. "It's
quite deep, even if it isn't big. But Tom wasn't in it. There was a big
bullfrog in the water, though."

"Was the frog big enough to--to eat Tom?" asked Sue, her eyes wide open.

Sue's mother and father laughed, and Bunny said:

"A bullfrog couldn't eat anybody!"

"They could if they was a big enough frog; couldn't they, Daddy?" asked
Sue.

"Well, I don't know," replied Mr. Brown. "Then you couldn't see anything
of Tom, Bunker?"

"No, sir, not a thing."

"Had he filled the pail with water?" Uncle Tad wanted to know.

"The pail was empty, and it was tipped over," Bunker said. "I don't know
whether Tom had filled it, and then something had knocked it over, or
not. Anyhow, the pail had no water in it, so I dipped it into the
spring to fill it, and came on back to tell you."

"That was right," said Mr. Brown. "We'll go over and look around. Tom
may have seen some new kind of bird, or something like that, and have
wandered off in the woods, following it."

"Maybe he saw a bear, and ran," suggested Bunny.

"No, I guess the only bear around here is the tame one that came in our
tent the first night," said Mrs. Brown. "Oh, I do hope nothing has
happened to Tom!"

They all hoped that, for the strange boy was very well liked.

Mrs. Brown remained at the tent to wash the breakfast dishes, since Tom
was not there to do them, while the others--Bunny, Sue, their father,
Uncle Tad and Bunker--went to the spring. It was on the side of a little
hill, where grew many trees, and was about three minutes' walk from Camp
Rest-a-While.

Mr. Brown and Uncle Tad looked all around the hole in the ground--the
hole was the spring, and it was filled with clear, cold water. The
bottom of the spring was of white sand, and sitting down there, having a
nice bath, was a big, green bullfrog. With his funny eyes he looked up
at Bunny and Sue as they leaned over the spring.

"Oh, look!" cried Sue. "What a big frog!"

"But he isn't big enough to swallow Tom," said Bunny.

"No, that's so," agreed Mr. Brown. "We'll have to look for Tom. Bunny
and Sue, you stay with me. Uncle Tad, you and Bunker walk around in the
woods. It may be that Tom fell and hurt himself, when running after a
bird or butterfly, and can't walk. We'll find him."

Tom, having lived all his life in the city, thought the birds and
butterflies were most wonderful creatures. Every time he saw a new one
he would run up to it to get a close look. He never tried to catch them,
he just wanted to watch them fluttering about the flowers.

But, though they looked all around in the woods by the spring, there was
no sign of Tom. Up and down, back and forth, they walked, looking
beside big rocks or stumps, behind fallen logs and under clumps of
bushes they peered, but no Tom could they find.

"Oh, he's losted, just like we was losted," said Sue, sadly.

"Yes, I guess he is," agreed Bunny. "Splash, can't you find Tom?"

The big dog barked: "Bow-wow!" But what he meant by that no one knew.
Splash, however, could not find Tom.

"Let's call his name," said Uncle Tad.

So they called his name.

"Tom! Tom! Tom Vine! Where are you?"

But Tom did not answer.

"This is queer," said Mr. Brown. "I don't believe he'd run away and
leave us. He liked it too much at our camp."

"Perhaps he saw that mean man," said Bunker Blue. "Tom may have seen the
cross farmer who wanted him to come back to work, and Tom may have run
away off and hid--so far off that he can't hear us calling."

"Yes, that's so. He _may_ have done that," agreed Mr. Brown. "We'll go
back to camp, and wait for him. He may come when he thinks the man has
gone away."

Back to camp they all went. Bunny and Sue felt bad about Tom's being
lost. So did the others. Every time Splash would stop in front of a
clump of bushes, and bark, as he often did, Bunny and Sue would run up,
thinking their friend had been found.

But it would be only a bird, a rabbit or a squirrel that Splash had
seen, which made him bark that way. Tom was not to be found.

They waited in camp all the rest of that day, only going out a little
way for a row on the lake. Night came, and there was no Tom. It grew
very dark, and still he had not come.

"Oh, dear!" cried Sue. "Will he have to sleep out alone all night?"

"Perhaps he'll come back before you are awake in the morning," said
Mother Brown. "Anyhow, Tom isn't afraid of the dark, and it is now so
warm that anyone could sleep out of doors and not get cold. I think Tom
will be here in the morning."

But morning came, and there was no sign of Tom. A lantern had been left
burning outside the tent all night, in case he should come. But he did
not.

"Well," said Mr. Brown, after breakfast, "there's only one thing to do,
and I'm going to do it."

"What is that?" asked his wife.

"I'm going over to Farmer Trimble's, to see if Tom is there."

"Oh, Trimble is the name of the man who wanted to take Tom away; isn't
it?"

"Yes, that's the man who came here, and tried to get Tom. It may be that
Mr. Trimble saw Tom at the spring, getting water, and made him go away.
So I'm going over to the Trimble farm, and see."

"Oh, may we come?" asked Bunny.

"Yes," said Mr. Brown. "I guess so. I'll take you and Bunker Blue with
me. And if we find Tom we'll bring him back with us. That man has no
right to keep him!"

CHAPTER XVI

"WHO TOOK THE PIE?"

The shortest way to go to the Trimble farm was to row across the lake in
the boat, and then to walk a little distance through the wood. Mr.
Brown, with Bunny and Sue, started, with Bunker Blue at the oars,
dipping them in the water, pulling hard on them, and lifting them out
for another dip.

"Don't row too hard, Bunker," said Mr. Brown. "It is a hot day, and I
don't want you to get tired out. Besides, we are in no hurry, so take it
easy."

At the last minute, Splash, the dog, had run down the hill to the lake,
and climbed into the boat. He did not want to be left behind.

"May we take him, Daddy?" asked Bunny.

"Oh, yes. Let him come along. He's a good dog, and maybe he can help us
find Tom."

Splash was a regular water-dog. He could swim across the lake, he could
jump in and bring back sticks that Bunny or Sue would toss in, and he
liked to be in a boat. Splash knew that dogs, as well as boys and girls,
must keep quiet in boats, especially small boats, so they would not tip
over. And now Splash perched himself up in the bow, or front part of the
boat, and quietly sat there, looking across at the other shore.

Bunny looked down over the side, where he was sitting, and saw some fish
swimming about, for the water of the lake was very clear.

"I wish I had brought my fishpole," Bunny said. "I could catch some fish
for dinner."

"We've something else to do besides catching fish to-day, Bunny,"
replied his father. "We've got to find Tom Vine."

"Do you think we'll find him, Daddy?" asked Sue, as she hugged one of
her dolls, which she had brought with her.

"Well, maybe so, little girl. I can't think of anything else that would
happen to Tom, except that he would be taken by Mr. Trimble. I think
we'll find him."

They were half way across the lake when Sue suddenly cried:

"Oh, there she goes! Oh, she's fallen in!"

"What is it?" asked Mr. Brown, turning around quickly, for he was seated
with his back toward his little girl.

"It's my doll!" Sue cried. "She jumped right out of my arms, and fell in
the lake."

I guess Sue meant that her doll slipped out of her arms, for dolls can't
jump--at least not unless they have a spring wound up inside them, like
an alarm clock, and Sue's doll wasn't that kind.

"Stop the boat, Bunker! Row back!" cried Mr. Brown. "Sue's doll fell
overboard, and we don't want to lose her!"

Bunker stopped rowing, and he was reaching out with an oar to pull in
the doll, which was floating like a little boat on top of the water, not
far away. But before Bunker could save the doll, Splash, with a loud
bark, jumped in and swam out toward the plaything of his little
mistress.

Seizing the doll in his mouth, Splash swam back with her to the boat.
Bunny stretched out his hand to take the doll, but Splash would not give
it up to him. The dog knew that boys don't play with dolls, and that
this one belonged to Sue. So Splash swam around to the other side of the
boat where Sue was anxiously waiting, and he let her take the doll from
his mouth.

"Good dog!" cried Sue, patting him with one hand. Then she began to
squeeze the water out of her doll's dress.

"I'm glad I didn't bring my best doll," said Sue. "This is only one of
my old ones, and it won't hurt her to get wet. I was going to give her a
bath, anyhow, but I didn't mean to leave her clothes on. Anyhow, she'll
soon dry, I guess."

Sue put the doll down beside her, on the seat, where the hot sun would
dry up the water. Splash put his two paws on the edge of the boat, and
Mr. Brown and Bunker Blue helped him in.

"Now you be quiet, Splash!" called Mr. Brown. "Don't go shaking the
water off yourself, as you always do when you come in from a swim. For
we can't get far enough away from you in the boat, and you'll get us all
wet. Don't shake yourself!"

I don't know whether or not Splash understood what Mr. Brown said. At
any rate, the dog went back to his place in the bow, and did not shake
the water off his dripping fur. Whenever he did that he made a regular
shower.

The boat was soon close to the other shore. Bunker Blue rowed up to a
little dock, and tied fast. Then Mr. Brown helped out Bunny and Sue.
Splash did not need any help. He jumped out himself and ran on ahead,
now giving himself a good shake to get rid of the water drops.

A short walk brought the party to Mr. Trimble's farm. The cross farmer
was not in the house, but his wife said he was out in the barn, and
there Mr. Brown found him.

"Well, what do you want?" asked Mr. Trimble in that cross voice of his.
He seemed never to smile.

"I came to see if you have that boy I'm taking care of--Tom Vine," said
Mr. Brown. "Did you take him away?"

"No, I did not," said Mr. Trimble, crossly.

"Do you know where he is?"

"No, I don't."

"Have you seen him at all?" asked Bunny's father. "Yesterday he went to
the spring for a pail of water, but he did not come back. We are afraid
something has happened to him. Then I thought perhaps you might have
taken him, though you had no right to."

"Well, I didn't take him, though I had a right to," growled the farmer.
"I hired that boy to work for me, and I gave him a suit of clothes,
besides feeding him. He didn't stay with me long enough to pay for what
I gave him. And if I catch him I'll make him work out what he owes me.
But I haven't seen him since he was in your camp. I wish I did have him
now. I'd make him step lively, and do some work!"

So Mr. Brown had his trip for nothing. Tom was not at the Trimble farm,
that was sure.

"I guess he ran away from you the same as he did from me," said Mr.
Trimble as Mr. Brown turned away.

Bunny's father shook his head.

"Tom Vine isn't that kind of boy," he said. "He may have run away from
you because you didn't treat him well, but he would not run away from
us. He liked it at Camp Rest-a-While."

"That's all you know about boys!" laughed the farmer. "I treated him as
well as he needed to be treated. Boys are all lazy. They'd rather play
than work. And you'll find out that Tom Vine has run away from you. He
didn't want to work."

"He didn't work very hard at our camp," said Mr. Brown. "All he had to
do was to wash the dishes and help with little things. He liked it. I'm
sure something has happened to him, and I'm sorry, for I intended doing
something for him."

"Well, I haven't got him, though I wish I had," grumbled Mr. Trimble.
"If I catch him, I'll make him work hard!"

"Then I hope you don't catch him," Mr. Brown said.

He went down to the boat with the children and Bunker Blue, and they
were soon back at camp.

"Did you see anything of him?" asked Mrs. Brown, coming down to the edge
of the lake, as she saw the boat nearing the shore.

"No," answered Mr. Brown. "Mr. Trimble said he isn't at the farm, and I
don't believe he is. You didn't see anything of him while we were gone,
did you?"

Mrs. Brown shook her head.

"Uncle Tad has been looking up around the spring again," she said, "but
he couldn't find him."

"Oh dear!" sighed Bunny. "Poor Tom is lost!"

"He must have been frightened by something at the spring," said Mr.
Brown, "and have run off."

"Well, there's one thing we don't have to worry about," said Mrs. Brown.
"There aren't any wild animals in these woods. None of them could get
Tom."

She said that so Bunny and Sue would not be thinking about it.

Two days and nights passed, and there was no sign of Tom. One afternoon
Mrs. Brown baked some pies in the oven of the oil stove. She was all
alone in camp, for Mr. Brown, the children, and Bunker Blue had gone
fishing. Uncle Tad had gone for a walk in the woods.

Mrs. Brown put the pies on a table in the cooking-tent to cool, while
she went to the spring for a fresh pail of water. When she came back she
looked at the pies. Then she rubbed her eyes and counted them.

"Why!" she cried. "One of the pies is gone! I baked four, and there are
only three here. Who took the pie?"

She looked under the table, in boxes and on chairs, thinking perhaps a
fox or a big muskrat might have come along and tried to drag the pie,
tin and all, away. But the pie was not to be found.

"Who could have taken my pie?" asked Mrs. Brown.

CHAPTER XVII

A NOISE AT NIGHT

When Mr. Brown, Bunny, Sue and Bunker Blue came back from their little
fishing trip, they saw Mother Brown walking about the camp, in and out
among the tents, looking here and there.

"Have you lost something, Mother?" asked Bunny.

"Well, yes, I have--sort of," she said, smiling. "I've lost a pie!"

"Oh, a pie!" cried Sue. "Did you drop it, Mother, and did it fall down a
crack in the board walk, like my penny did once?"

"No!" laughed Mrs. Brown. "It wasn't that way."

Then she told of having made four pies, setting them on the table to
cool while she went to the spring for a pail of water.

"And when I came back, a whole pie was gone!" she said.

"Well, we certainly didn't take it, for we weren't here," said Daddy
Brown. "And you were all alone in camp, Mother?"

"Yes, even Uncle Tad was gone."

"Oh, maybe _he_ came back and took it!" exclaimed Bunny.

"No, he wouldn't do that," said his mother. "Some animal, perhaps a big
muskrat, like the one Splash tried to catch, came up out of the lake and
carried away my pie. I was just looking to see if I could find any marks
of the rat's paws in the soft ground, when you came along. But I
couldn't see any."

"I don't believe it was a rat, or any other animal, that took your pie,"
said Mr. Brown, as he, too, looked carefully on the ground around the
table where the pie had been placed. The three other pies were there,
but the fourth one was gone.

"There isn't a sign of any four-legged animal having been here," Mr.
Brown went on. "I think it was some animal with only two legs who took
the pie."

"Oh, you mean a--a man!" cried Mother Brown.

Daddy Brown nodded his head for yes.

"Do you mean a tramp?" asked Bunker Blue.

"Well, yes, it might have been a tramp, though we haven't seen any
around here since we've been in camp. However, if a pie is all they took
we don't need to worry."

"Perhaps the poor man was hungry," said Mrs. Brown. "I'm sure I hope he
enjoys my pie."

"He couldn't help liking it," said Bunny Brown. "Your pies are always so
good, Mother!"

"I'm glad to hear you say that," exclaimed Mrs. Brown. "Well, we have
enough for the next two days, anyhow, and I'll bake again to-morrow."

"Splash didn't take the pie," said Sue, "'cause he was with us in the
boat."

"Then it must have been the tramp," Mrs. Brown said. "Never mind, we
won't worry any more about it. Did you have a nice time?"

Then they told about their little fishing trip. When Uncle Tad came back
from his walk in the woods, he, too, had to be told of the missing pie.
Uncle Tad shook his head.

"We'll have to lock up everything around our camp if tramps are going to
come in and take our pies, and the other good things Mother Brown
makes," he said with a smile. "Or else one of us will always have to
stay here to keep watch."

"I wish we had Tom Vine back," said Bunny. "I wonder where he is?"

Of course no one knew, and Mr. Brown began to think that, after all, Tom
had done just as Mr. Trimble had said--had run away.

The next day, after breakfast, Sue, who was changing the dress of one of
her dolls, saw brother Bunny walking along the path that led toward the
spring. Bunny carried a small wooden box.

"What are you going to do, Bunny?" she asked him. "Get a box full of
water?"

"Nope. This box won't hold water. It's got holes in."

"But what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to make a trap to catch a fox."

"Oh, Bunny! Can I help you?"

"Yes. Come on. But you must keep awful still, 'cause foxes are easy
scared."

"I will, Bunny. And may I bring my doll with me? I can put her to sleep
on some soft dried leaves when you want me to help you."

"Yes, you may bring one doll," said Bunny. "But don't bring one of the
kind that cries when you punch it in the stomach, or it might make a
noise and scare the fox. I'm going to catch one and train him to do
tricks."

"How are you going to catch him, Bunny?"

"In this box. Come on, I'll show you."

"I guess I won't bring any of my dolls," said Sue, after thinking about
it for a minute. "A fox might bite her."

"Yes, that will be better," said the little boy.

So, carrying the box, and some other things, which Sue helped him with,
Bunny and his sister went a little way into the wood.

"Don't go too far!" their mother called after them.

"We won't!" they promised. Since coming to Camp Rest-a-While Bunny and
Sue had not been lost, and they did not now want to have that trouble if
they could help it.

"Are there any foxes in here?" asked Sue, looking around as she and
Bunny came near the spring.

"Hush! Don't speak so loud," whispered her brother. "You might scare
'em."

"Is they any here?" asked Sue, this time in a very soft whisper.

"I guess so," answered Bunny. "They must come to the spring to get a
drink of water, same as we do. I'm going to put my trap near the
spring."

There was a large flat stone, near the place where the water for the
camp was found. On this stone Bunny put the box, bottom side up. It had
no cover to it. One edge of the box Bunny held up by putting a stick
under it, and to the stick he tied a long string.

"Is that a trap?" asked Sue.

"Yep," Bunny answered. "Now I'm going to put something under the box
that foxes like. They'll crawl under to eat it, and when they're there
I'll pull the string. That will make the stick come out and the box will
fall down, and cover up the fox so it can't get away."

"Oh, that'll be fine!" cried Sue. "But what're you going to give the
foxes to eat, Bunny?"

"I'll show you," said the little fellow. From his pocket he took some
bits of bread, a few crumbs of dried cake, a little piece of pie wrapped
in paper, and half an apple.

"There!" Bunny exclaimed as he put these things under the raised-up box.
"Foxes ought to like all that. Now we'll hide back here in the bushes,
Sue, and I'll have hold of the long string. As soon as we see a fox, or
any other animal, go under the box, I'll pull away the little stick, and
we'll catch him!"

"All right," said Sue. So, the trap having been set, Bunny and Sue hid
themselves in the hushes to wait. But for a long time no fox, or any
other animal, came along. Bunny and Sue grew tired of sitting in the
bushes and keeping quiet. They could only whisper, and this was not much
fun.

"I--I guess I'll go home," said Sue, after a bit.

"Oh, no, stay with me!" Bunny begged. "Maybe I'll catch a fox pretty
soon. Oh, look, Sue!" he cried, this time aloud, he was so excited.
"There's a bird going into the box. I'll catch the bird, to show you how
my trap works."

"You won't hurt the bird; will you, Bunny?" begged Sue.

"No, I won't hurt it a bit," Bunny replied.

A sparrow was hopping along the flat stone, toward the upraised box,
under which were the bread and cake crumbs, and other good things that
birds like. Closer and closer to the box went the bird, and finally it
was all the way under, picking up the crumbs.

"Now watch me catch him!" cried Bunny.

He pulled the string, out came the stick, down came the box, and the
bird was caught.

"I've got him! I've got him!" cried Bunny. "That's the way I'd catch a
fox!"

He and Sue ran to the box trap. Bunny lifted it up and out flew the
bird, not at all hurt, and only a little frightened. Bunny raised the
box up again, and held it there with the stick. Then he and Sue went
back among the bushes to wait; all ready to pull the string again.

But though Bunny's trap would catch a sparrow, there did not seem to be
anything else he could catch. No foxes or other animals came to get a
drink, and later Bunny's father explained to him that nearly all wild
animals wait until after dark to get water, for fear of being caught.

After a while Bunny and Sue grew tired of waiting in the bushes.

"I'll just leave the trap here," said Bunny, "and maybe a fox will go in
and knock the stick down himself. Then he'll be caught."

"But a fox could easy upset the box," said Sue.

"Maybe he could," agreed Bunny. "I'll put a stone on top of it." And he
did.

Bunny and Sue reached camp in time for dinner. In the afternoon they
went with their mother to pick huckleberries, and helped fill two pails.

"I'll make pies of these berries," said Mother Brown.

"And I hope nobody takes any of the pie," said Bunny. "'Cause I like
huckleberry pie myself an awful lot."

That evening Daddy Brown built a campfire, and Bunny and Sue, with
Bunker Blue, sat about it roasting marshmallows.

"I wish Tom Vine was here to help eat them," said Sue.

"So do I," agreed Bunny.

But Tom Vine was not there. Where was he? No one at Camp Rest-a-While
could tell.

Bunny Brown did not sleep well that night. Perhaps he had eaten too many
marshmallow candies. At any rate, he awoke soon after he went to bed. He
was wishing he had a drink of water, and he was thinking whether he
would best get up for it himself, or awaken his father, when the little
fellow heard a noise outside the tent. It was a noise as if someone were
walking around. At first Bunny thought it was Splash, but, looking over
in the corner of the sleeping-tent, Bunny saw his dog there. Splash,
too, had heard the noise, for he was getting up and growling deep in his
throat.

Then, all at once, came a loud bang, as if someone had knocked down five
or six tin pans.

CHAPTER XVIII

SPLASH ACTS QUEERLY

"Daddy! Daddy!" cried Bunny Brown. "Daddy, did you hear that?"

"I couldn't very well help hearing it," said Mr. Brown sitting up on his
cot, which was next to Bunny's. "Who's out there?" Mr. Brown cried, and
with a jump he reached the flaps of the tent, which he opened, so he
could look out.

Splash, who had jumped out, barking, when the noise sounded, rushed out
of the tent. The tins had stopped rattling, and it was very quiet
outside, except for the noise Splash made.

"What is it?" called Mrs. Brown, from her side of the tent.

"I don't know," answered her husband. "Someone--or some animal--seems to
be making a noise. Maybe it is someone after more of your pies,
Mother."

"We'll take a look," said Uncle Tad. He got out of his bed, and went to
stand beside Daddy Brown at the opening of the tent.

"Can you see anything?" Mrs. Brown asked. Bunny could hear his sister
whispering. Sue also, had been awakened, and wanted to know what had
caused the noise in the night.

"No, I can't see anything," said Mr. Brown. "Splash is coming back, so I
guess it wasn't anything."

He and Uncle Tad could see the children's dog walking back to his bed in
the tent. Splash slept on a piece of old carpet. The dog was wagging his
tail.

"What is it Splash? Did you see any tramps?" asked Mr. Brown.

Splash did not answer, of course, but he wagged his tail as he always
did when he was with his friends.

"I guess it couldn't have been anything," Mr. Brown went on. "Maybe a
squirrel or chipmunk was looking for some crumbs in the dining-tent, and
knocked down the pans. I'll just take a look out there to make sure."

Mr. Brown and Uncle Tad went outside the tent. Splash did not go with
them. He seemed to think everything was all right.

"Did you find him, Daddy?" asked Bunny, when his father came back.

"No, son. I don't believe there was anyone. I saw where the pans had
been knocked down, but that was all."

Bunny was given the drink of water he wanted and soon was asleep. The
others, too, became quiet and slept. But in the morning Mrs. Brown, in
getting breakfast, found that a piece of bacon and some eggs had been
taken from the ice box.

"The eggs and bacon were in the refrigerator all right when I washed up
the supper dishes last night," she said. "I counted on having them for
breakfast. Now they're gone!"

"Then there must have been someone in our camp, snooping around last
night," said Daddy Brown. "It was a tramp, after all. And when he helped
himself to something to eat he knocked down the pans. That's how it
happened."

"I suppose so," said Mother Brown. "Well, I'm sure if the poor tramp was
hungry I'm glad he got something to eat. But I wish he had not taken my
bacon and eggs."

However, there was plenty else to eat in Camp Rest-a-While, so no one
went hungry.

"I wonder if it was the same tramp that took the pie," said Bunny as he
finished the last of his glass of milk.

"He must be a hungry tramp to eat a whole pie, and all those eggs, and
the big piece of bacon," said Bunker Blue.

"Oh, I guess the things he took lasted him for several meals," Mr. Brown
said. "The funny part of it is, though, that Splash did not bark. When
he ran out of the tent last night the tramp could not have been far
away. And yet Splash did not bark, as he always does when strangers are
around at night. I think that's queer."

"So do I," put in Uncle Tad. "Maybe Splash knew the tramp."

"Splash doesn't like tramps," said Bunny.

"Well, he must have liked this one, for he didn't bark at him," added
Bunker Blue with a laugh. "Maybe Splash knew this tramp before you
children found your dog, on the island where you were shipwrecked."

For Bunny and Sue had found Splash on an island, as I told you in the
first book of this series. That was when Bunny and Sue were
"shipwrecked," as they called it.

Nothing else had been taken from Camp Rest-a-While except the bacon and
eggs, and as Bunker Blue was going to the village that day he could buy
more meat for Mother Brown. The eggs they could get at the farmhouse
where they bought their milk. So, after all, no harm was done.

"The only thing is," said Daddy Brown, "that I don't like the idea of
tramps prowling about our tents at night. I'd rather they would keep
away."

[Illustration: BUNNY AND SUE OFTEN WENT BATHING IN THE COOL LAKE.
_Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue at Camp Rest-a-While._ _Page_ 181.]

It was so lovely, living out in the woods, near the beautiful lake, as
the Browns were doing, that they soon forgot about the noise in the
night, and the tramps. Bunny and Sue were getting as brown as little
Indian children. For they wore no hats and they went about with only
leather sandals on, and no stockings, their sleeves rolled up to
their elbows, so their arms and legs were brown, too. They often went
bathing in the cool lake, for, not far from the camp, was a little sandy
beach.

Of course, it was not like an ocean beach, or the one at Sandport Bay,
for there were only little waves, and then only when the wind blew. In
the ocean there are big waves all the while, pounding the sandy shore.

One day Mrs. Brown told daddy they needed some things from the village
store--sugar, salt, pepper--groceries that could not be bought at the
farmhouses near by.

"I'll take the children, row over, and get what you want," said Mr.
Brown, for it was easier to row across the lake, and walk through the
woods, than to walk half-way around the lake to the store. With Splash,
Bunny and Sue in the boat Mr. Brown set off.

They landed on the other shore, and started to walk through the woods.
On the way they had to pass along a road that was near to the farm of
Mr. Trimble, the "mean man," as Bunny and Sue called him. Perhaps Mr.
Trimble did not intend to be mean, or cross, but he certainly was. Some
folk just can't help being that way.

"Huh! Are you coming over again to bother me about that runaway boy, Tom
Vine?" asked Mr. Trimble, as he saw Mr. Brown.

"No, I've given Tom up," replied the children's father. "I guess he has
gone back to the city. I'm sorry, for I wanted to help him."

"Boys are no good!" cried Mr. Trimble. "That Tom is no good. But I'll
pay him back for running away from me!"

"Did he come back to you?" asked Mr. Brown, thinking perhaps, after all,
the "ragged boy," as Sue sometimes called him in fun, might have thought
it best to go back to the man who had first hired him.

"You don't see him anywhere around here; do you?" asked Mr. Trimble.

"No, I don't see him," said Mr. Brown, wondering why the farmer answered
in that way.

"Well, he isn't here," said Mr. Trimble, and he went on hoeing his
potatoes, for he was in a field of them, near the road, when he spoke
to Mr. Brown.

As Bunny, Sue and their father walked on, Splash did not come with them.
He hung back, and seemed to want to stay close to a small building, near
Mr. Trimble's barn. Splash walked around this building three or four
times, barking loudly.

"What makes Splash act so funny?" asked Bunny.

"I don't know," answered Mr. Brown. "Here, Splash! Come here!" he cried.
But Splash would not come.

CHAPTER XIX

IN THE SMOKE-HOUSE

"What makes Splash act so queer?" asked Bunny again.

"I'm sure I don't know," said his father. "I guess we'll have to go back
and get him."

Certainly Splash did not seem to want to keep on to the village with Mr.
Brown and the children. The dog was running around and around the small
house, barking loudly. Mr. Trimble seemed not to hear the dog's barks,
but kept right on hoeing potatoes.

"We'll go back and get Splash!" decided Mr. Brown.

He and the children walked slowly back. Splash kept on barking.

"You seem to have something in that little house which excites our dog,"
said Mr. Brown.

"It doesn't take much to get some dogs excited," answered the farmer.
He did not seem to care much about it, one way or the other.

"What sort of house is that?" asked Mr. Brown. He looked at it closely.
The little house had no windows, and only one door. And there was a
queer smell about it, as though it had once been on fire.

"That's a smoke-house," said Mr. Trimble. "It's where I smoke my hams
and bacon. I hang them up in there, build a fire of corn-cobs and
hickory wood chips, and make a thick smoke. The smoke dries the ham and
bacon so it will keep all winter."

"What a funny house!" said Sue.

"It hasn't any windows," observed Bunny.

"We have to have smoke-houses tight and without windows," explained Mr.
Trimble, "so the smoke won't all get out."

"Are there any hams or bacon in there now?" asked Mr. Brown.

"No, we don't do any smoking until fall, when we kill the pigs."

"Well, there's _something_ in there that bothers our dog," went on the
children's father. For, all this while, Splash was running around the
smoke-house, barking more loudly than before.

Just then Bunny Brown thought of something. He pulled at his father's
coat and whispered to him:

"Oh, Daddy! Maybe Tom Vine is shut up in there--shut up in the
smoke-house!"

Mr. Brown looked first at Bunny and then at the strange little house
which had no windows. The door of it was tightly shut.

"That's so, Bunny," said Mr. Brown. "Perhaps Tom is in there. That would
make Splash bark, for he knows where Tom is." Mr. Brown thought as Bunny
did, that Mr. Trimble might have caught Tom, and locked him up in the
dark smoke-house.

"Oh, Daddy! Do you s'pose Tom's in there?" asked Sue in a whisper, for
she had heard what Bunny had whispered.

Daddy Brown nodded his head. He walked up to Mr. Trimble and said:

"Now look here! There's something in that smoke-house, and I want to see
what it is. Our dog knows there's something there, and I'm pretty sure
of it myself."

"Well, what do you think it is?" asked Mr. Trimble. "If there's anyone
in there I don't know it. But I'll open the door, and let you see. Your
dog certainly is making a lot of noise."

"Have you got that poor boy, Tom Vine, locked up in there?" asked Mr.
Brown.

The farmer laughed.

"Tom Vine locked up in there? Certainly not!" he cried. "I wish I did
have. I'd like to punish him for running away from me. But I haven't
seem him since he was at your camp. No, sir! He isn't in my smoke-house.
I don't believe anything, or anybody, is in there. But I'll open the
door and let you look inside. Why, the door isn't locked," the farmer
went on, "and I guess I couldn't keep a boy like Tom Vine in a
smoke-house without locking the door on him."

Mr. Brown did not know what to think now. As for Bunny and Sue they
thought surely their new friend, Tom, was locked in the queer little
house.

"Oh, now we'll see him!" cried Sue, and she felt very glad.

Mr. Trimble dropped his hoe across a row of potatoes, and walked to
where Splash was still barking away in front of the smoke-house.

"Will your dog bite?" asked the farmer.

"No, he is very gentle," answered Mr. Brown. "But I'll call him away
while you open the door."

"I'll hold him," said Bunny. "I'll hold him by his collar."

By this time Splash seemed to have barked enough, for he grew quiet.
Perhaps he knew the door was going to be opened. He came away when Bunny
called him, and the little boy held tightly to the dog's collar.

"I'll help you hold him," cried Sue, and she, too, took hold.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you," said Mr. Trimble, with a sour sort of
laugh, "but you won't see any boy, or anything else, as far as I know,
in this smoke-house. I did pile in some bean poles last fall, and I
guess they're there yet, but that's all. Now watch close."

He put his shoulder against the door, and pushed. As it swung open, an
animal, something like a little red dog, with a sharp, pointed nose and
a big, bushy tail, sprang out and ran down the little hill, on which the
smoke-house stood.

"Why--why!" cried Mr. Trimble. "There _was_ an animal in there after
all! I didn't know it."

"A fox! It's a fox!" cried Bunny Brown. He had once seen in a book a
picture of a fox, and this animal looked just like the picture.

"Yes, that's a fox sure enough, and I guess it's the one that's been
taking my chickens!" cried Mr. Trimble. "I wish I had my gun! I'd shoot
the critter!"

He picked up a stone, and threw it at the fox, but did not hit the
running animal. Then something queer happened.

Splash, who was being held by Bunny and Sue, gave a sudden bark. Then he
gave a sudden jump. He went so quickly that he pulled Bunny and Sue
after him, and they both fell down in the dirt. But it was soft, so they
were not hurt.

They had to let go of Splash's collar, though, and the dog now began to
run after the fox, barking again and again.

"Splash! Splash!" cried Bunny. "Come back. The fox will bite you!"

"Don't worry," said Daddy Brown. "Splash can never catch that fox. The
fox can run too fast, and he has a good head-start. Splash will soon get
tired of running, and come back."

"The idea! The idea," exclaimed Mr. Trimble, "of a fox being in my
smoke-house! That's what made your dog all excited."

"Yes, that was it," said Daddy Brown. "But I thought you might have Tom
Vine shut up in there. I'm sorry I made the mistake."

"Oh, well, that's all right," said Mr. Trimble. He did not seem so cross
now. He even smiled at Bunny and Sue.

"Maybe I was too quick with that boy," he said. "But I'm a hard working
man, and them as works for me has to work hard, same as I do. But maybe
I was too hard on Tom. I certainly was mad when he ran away and left me,
and I made up my mind I'd punish him, if I could get him back. But I
haven't seen him since he was at your camp. And you thought he was in
the smoke-house?" he asked.

"Yes, I really did," replied Mr. Brown. "But I guess you didn't know a
fox was in there; did you?"

"No, I didn't," answered the farmer. "He must have gone in during the
night, when the door was open. The place sort of smells of meat, you
know. Then the door blew shut, and the fox couldn't get out.

"And Splash smelled him!" cried Bunny, who had gotten up and was
brushing the dust off. Sue was doing the same thing.

"Yes, your dog smelled the fox," said Mr. Trimble. "That was what made
him bark and get all excited."

"I'm going to catch a fox in my trap," said Bunny. "I've got a trap set
over by our spring. Maybe this is the fox I'm going to catch," he went
on.

"I'm afraid not," said Mr. Brown. "This fox is so scared that he'll run
for miles. He'll never come back this way again. Well, we haven't found
Tom Vine yet; have we?" and he looked at Bunny and Sue.

"No, and you never will find him," said Mr. Trimble. "Boys are no good.
Tom ran away from you same as he did from me. But maybe I was a little
too harsh with him. I wouldn't lock him up in a dark smoke-house,
though. That's no place for a boy."

Bunny and Sue were glad to hear the farmer say that.

"Well, we'd better be getting on to the village," said Mr. Brown. "Come
along, children."

"Oh, let's wait for Splash to come back," said Bunny. "I don't want him
to be lost."

CHAPTER XX

IN BUNNY'S TRAP

Pretty soon Splash was seen coming over the hills. He did not run fast,
for he was tired from having chased the fox. The dog was wet and muddy,
too.

"Oh, Daddy! What happened to Splash?" asked Bunny, as the dog came
slowly along, and stretched out in the shade of a tree.

"Did the fox bite him?" Sue wanted to know. "If he did I don't like
foxes, and I don't want Bunny to catch any in his trap."

"No, the fox didn't bite your dog," said Mr. Brown. "I guess he just ran
away from Splash. And Splash tried to catch him, and ran through mud and
water until he got all tired out. You don't like foxes, either, do you,
Splash?"

Splash barked once, and did not even wag his tail. That one bark must
have meant "No." And I guess Splash was too tired to wag his tail, as
he always did when he was happy, or pleased.

"Maybe he'd like a drink of water," said the farmer. "I'll bring him
some from the well. It's good and cold. I'm going to drink some myself,
as it's a hot day. I could give the children a glass of milk," went on
Mr. Trimble to Daddy Brown. "I've got plenty up at the house."

"Oh, I don't want to trouble you," said the children's father.

"It's no trouble!" said the farmer. "My wife will be glad to give them
some. Come on, Splash!" he called. "We'll get you a cold drink after
your run. So the fox got away from you same as that boy Tom Vine ran
away from me."

Mr. Trimble was smiling and laughing now. Somehow or other he did not
seem as mean and cross as he once had. Bunny and Sue were beginning to
like him now. He was quite a different man from the one who had called
at Camp Rest-a-While looking for Tom.

Splash eagerly drank the cool water, and then he rolled in the grass to
get some of the mud off his coat. Mrs. Trimble brought out some milk for
Bunny and Sue, and also a plate of molasses cookies, which they were
very glad to have.

"Sit down under this shady apple tree," said Mrs. Trimble, "and help
yourselves. Maybe you'd like a glass of milk," she said to Mr. Brown.

"Well, I don't care much for milk, except in my tea and coffee," he
said. "Thank you, just the same."

"How about buttermilk?" asked Mr. Trimble. "That's what I like on a hot
day, and she's just churned."

"Yes, I should like the buttermilk," returned Bunny's father, and soon
he was drinking a large glass.

"What funny looking milk!" remarked Sue, as she helped herself to
another molasses cookie from the plate in front of her. "It's got little
yellow lumps in it, Daddy."

"Those are little yellow lumps of butter," said Mr. Brown. "To make
butter, you know, they churn the cream of sour milk. And when the
butter is all taken out in a lump, some sour milk is left, and they call
that buttermilk. Would you like to taste it, Sue?"

Sue, who had drunk the last of her glass of sweet milk, nodded her curly
head. But when Daddy Brown put his glass to her lips, and just let her
sip the buttermilk he had been drinking, Sue made such a funny face that
Bunny laughed aloud.

"Oh--oh! It--it's sour--like lemons!" cried Sue.

"Yes, it is sour!" said Mr. Brown. "But that is why I like it."

"I like molasses cookies better," said Sue, as she took a bite from one
to cleanse away the sour taste in her mouth. "You can make just as good
cookies as my mother or my Aunt Lu can," said Sue to Mrs. Trimble.

"Can I? I'm glad to hear that," said the farmer's wife, with a smile.
"Have some to put in your pockets."

"Oh, I'm afraid you've given them too many already," objected Mr. Brown.

"Molasses cookies won't hurt children; nor milk won't either," the
farmer said. "Any time you're over this way stop in. I'm sorry you can't
find that boy Tom. And I'm sorry I was a bit cross with him, or maybe
he'd be here yet. But I haven't seen him."

Splash was rested now, and clean. And he had had a good drink of cold
water, so he was ready to start again. The children, too, felt like
walking, and, after having thanked the farmer and his wife, Mr. Brown
set off once more with Bunny and Sue, Splash following behind.

"Come again!" Mrs. Trimble invited them.

"We will, thank you," answered Daddy Brown.

"She's real nice; isn't she?" asked Bunny, when they were once more in
the road.

"Yes," said Daddy Brown.

"And I like that farmer, too," said Sue. "I didn't like him at first,
when he shook his fist and was so cross, but I like him now."

"Yes, he is different from what he was at first," returned her father.
"But I'm afraid we've seen the last of Tom. He must have run away. Maybe
he was afraid, after all, that Mr. Trimble would stay cross, and would
try to get him back onto the farm. Well, it's too bad, for Tom was a
nice boy, but it can't be helped."

"I'd like Tom back," said Bunny.

"So would I," added Sue.

"What's the matter, Splash?" asked Mr. Brown, for the big dog had run up
the side of a little hill along the road, and was barking at a hole in
the ground.

"Maybe he thinks the fox lives there," said Bunny.

"Maybe," said Daddy. "Come on, Splash. Even if that is the hole of the
fox he isn't there now. You chased him too far away. Come on!"

But Splash did not want to come. He pawed away the dirt at the side of
the hole, and put his sharp nose down inside it.

"There must be _something_ there, Daddy," said Bunny, standing still,
and looking up the hill at the dog. "Let's go and see what it is."

"If it's a fox I'm not going!" cried Sue, holding back.

"I don't believe it's a fox," said Mr. Brown. "But we'll take a look.
I'll carry you, Sue, and then, even if it is some animal in the hole,
you won't be afraid."

Sue didn't mind going closer if her father carried her, and soon the two
children, and Mr. Brown, were looking down into the hole at which Splash
was barking.

All at once a light brown animal, covered with fur, and larger than the
muskrat Splash had barked at in the lake, stuck its head out of the
hole.

"Oh, look!" cried Bunny. "It's a little bear!"

"No, that's a ground-hog, or woodchuck," explained Mr. Brown. "They
won't hurt you. This must be the old father or mother, and there may be
little ones in the hole, or burrow, so the old folks want Splash to go
away."

But Splash did not want to go. He barked louder than ever at the sight
of the woodchuck, and pawed at the dirt with his fore paws. But he could
not reach the brown, furry animal.

"Come away, Splash!" called Mr. Brown.

Still Splash barked.

Then, all at once, the woodchuck thrust out his head quickly, and made
a grab for one of Splash's paws. The dog howled, and ran down the hill.

"There!" exclaimed Mr. Brown. "Now I guess you'll leave the woodchucks
alone, Splash."

"Oh, is Splash hurt?" asked Bunny, for the dog was running along on
three legs, holding the other up off the ground.

"Oh, I guess he isn't hurt much," Mr. Brown said. "Come here, Splash,
until I look at your foot."

Splash limped up. He was not badly bitten. The woodchuck had just
pinched him to drive him away. Splash looked at the hole and barked. But
he did not offer to go near it again. So the old lady, or old gentleman,
ground-hog--whichever it was--with the little ones, was left safe in the
burrow on the side of the hill.

Mr. Brown, Bunny, Sue and Splash went on to the village. They bought the
things Mother Brown wanted and then started for camp again. Nothing much
happened on the way back. Mrs. Brown was told of the visit to Mr.
Trimble's, and how the fox ran out of the smoke-house.

"And now," said Bunny, as his father finished telling what had happened,
"now I'm going up to see if we've caught a fox or a ground-hog in my box
trap. Come on, Sue."

"All right. I'm coming, Bunny, but if it is a fox or a ground-hog, you
won't let him bite me; will you?"

"Course I won't, Sue!" said the little fellow, picking up a stick from
beside the sleeping-tent. "Come on!"

Bunny Brown and his sister Sue were soon at the place where Bunny had
set the box-trap, with the stone on top to hold it down, in case an
animal got beneath.

"Now go easy, Sue!" whispered Bunny, as they crept through the bushes.
"If there's a fox, or anything else, just going in, we don't want to
scare him away."

"No," said Sue. "I won't make any noise."

She walked along quietly behind her brother. Now they were in sight of
the box-trap Bunny had made.

"Is--is anything in it?" Sue asked.

"Yes, I think so," her brother answered. "Don't make a noise. The box is
down, and I guess something is under it. I hope it's a fox."

"I don't," said Sue. "Foxes bite."

"Well, you can sell 'em for a lot of money," argued Bunny. "And maybe I
could train this one. But maybe it's only a ground-hog."

"I don't like them either," said Sue, "'cause one bit Splash."

"Say, what kind of animals _do_ you like?" asked Bunny, turning to look
at his sister. "What would you like me to catch in my trap?"

"A nice kitty cat," said Sue quickly. "Then I could have her to play
with, and she'd like me and my dolls. Couldn't you catch a nice white
kitty cat, Bunny?"

Bunny did not answer. He was looking at his box trap. His eyes opened
widely.

"Oh, look, Sue!" he cried. "Look! My trap is moving! Something big is
under the box!"

CHAPTER XXI

BUNKER GOES ASHORE

"Bunny! Bunny! I--I want to go home!" cried Sue.

"What for?" asked her brother. "It's nice here, and I've got something
in the trap, Sue."

"I know it, Bunny. I can see it move. That's why I want to go back to
camp."

"Are you 'fraid, Sue?"

Sue nodded her head, and clasped closer in her arms the doll she had
brought with her.

"Wait until we see what's in the trap--under the box," said Bunny. "I'll
lift it up and look under. If it's a fox I won't let him out."

Bunny started toward the box that was still moving slowly about on the
big flat rock where Bunny had set his trap.

"Don't you touch it!" cried Sue. "Don't lift up the box, Bunny!"

"Why not?" he asked.

"'Cause the fox might get out and bite us. Let it alone."

Bunny stood still and looked at the box. It had stopped moving for a
while. Then it began again, going about in a sort of circle.

"Why--why!" cried Sue. "It's just like Blind Man's Buff!"

And, really, that is how the box moved about, just like some boy or
girl, with a handkerchief tied over his or her eyes, trying to move
about to catch someone, and yet trying not to bang into a tree or the
fence.

"The fox, woodchuck, or whatever it is under my box," said Bunny Brown,
"can't see which way he's going. That's why the box jiggles around so
funny. But I'm going to see what's under it."

"If you lift it up, I'm going back to camp," declared Sue, turning back.

"But I want to see what it is!" cried Bunny. "I've caught an animal, and
I want to look at it!"

You remember I told you he had fixed up a box, raised at one end by a
little stick. Under the box were some good things to eat, such as
animals and birds like. Bunny had tied a long string to the stick, and
he and Sue had hid in the bushes, ready to pull the string, pull out the
little stick, and let the box trap fall down on whatever was eating the
bait.

But all Bunny caught were some sparrows, which he let go. Then he had
set the trap again, and had gone off. Now there was something under the
box, that was sure.

"How do you think it got caught, Bunny?"

"I guess the fox--or whatever it is--crawled under the box to get the
cake crumbs, and he bumped against the stick, knocked it away, and the
box came down on him," Bunny said. "Sue, I do want to see what I've
caught."

"You--you might get bit," his sister said.

Bunny thought that over for a minute.

"I know how I could do it," he said.

"How?" Sue wanted to know.

"I could get a long stick, and lift the box up with that. Then as soon
as the fox came out, we could run, and we wouldn't be near enough for
him to bite us."

"Oh, Bunny! That would be a good way, I'll stay and watch if you do it
like that."

Bunny found a long pole, like a fishing rod. Holding this out in front
of him, he walked toward the box. He tried to raise it up, but the stone
on top made it too heavy.

"Push off the stone first," said Sue.

Bunny had not thought of that. With two or three shoves of his pole he
knocked the stone off the top of the box. Then, once more, he tried to
raise his trap to see what was under it.

All at once the children heard some one calling:

"Bunny! Sue! Where are you?"

"That's Bunker Blue," said Bunny.

"Here we are!" answered Sue. "Bunny's got something in his trap! Come
and help us get it, Bunker."

There was a noise in the bushes, a dog barked, and along came the
red-haired boy and Splash. The box was moving about more quickly now,
for the heavy stone was not on top.

"Say, you have caught something!" cried Bunker. "There's surely
something under the box, Bunny."

"It's a fox," said Bunny.

"Or maybe a ground-hog," added Sue.

"Maybe, and maybe not," went on Bunker. "We'll have a look. Here, let me
take your pole, Bunny. Splash, you be ready to grab whatever it is!"

With a sudden push Bunker upset the box. Out ran a gray and brown
animal.

"Oh, look!" cried Bunny.

"Is it a fox? Oh, don't let it bite me!" cried Sue, and she ran toward
Bunker, who caught her up in his arms.

Splash, with a bark, sprang toward the little animal that had run out of
Bunny's box trap. But the little animal, instead of running away, just
curled up into a ball and stayed there. And Splash stopped short. He
barked at the animal but did not try to bite it.

"He's afraid of it, and no wonder!" said Bunker. "Best leave that alone,
Splash!"

"What is it?" asked Bunny.

"It's a hedgehog, or a prickly porcupine," said Bunker. "That animal is
all covered with sharp quills, like a lot of toothpicks. They aren't
very tightly fastened to him, and if a dog, or some other animal, tries
to bite, he gets his mouth full of sharp, slivery quills from the
hedgehog. That makes the dog's mouth very sore, and he can't bite
anything again for a long time. That's why the hedgehog curls himself up
into a little ball. In that way he is all covered with quills that stick
out in every way. No dog or any other animal, can bite without getting
badly hurt. I guess you'd better let the porcupine go, Bunny."

"I will," said the little fellow. "I don't want Splash hurt. Come away,
Splash!"

Splash did not care very much about biting or worrying the hedgehog. The
dog barked once or twice, and then came away. Then the porcupine
uncurled himself, and ran off into the wood.

"Well, I caught _something_ in my trap, anyhow," said Bunny.

"That's what you did," said Bunker Blue. "And the hedgehog, walking
around under the box, kept pushing it along with his head. He was trying
to find a way out. Come on back to camp now. Supper is ready and your
mother sent me to find you."

The next two days it rained, and Bunny and Sue did not have much fun at
Camp Rest-a-While. They had to stay in the tents. But the third day it
cleared off, and the wind blew away the storm clouds.

That afternoon Bunker took Bunny and Sue out in the boat, fishing. They
took with them some lunch to eat, and a bottle of milk to drink if they
got thirsty. Sue also took an old umbrella to keep the sun off herself
and her doll.

Bunker rowed the boat half way across the lake, and tied it to one of
the trees that grew on a little island. There he and Bunny fished, but
they did not catch anything.

"Maybe if we went on the island we would catch something," said Bunny.
"May we, Bunker?"

"Well, I don't know. We might," said the red-haired boy. "I'll tell you
what I'll do. I'll go ashore on the island, and try fishing a bit. If I
have any luck I'll come back and get you two. You and Sue stay in the
boat, Bunny, until I come back." Then the big boy got out and went
ashore, leaving Bunny and Sue in the boat.

CHAPTER XXII

IN THE WOODS

Bunker Blue seemed to be gone a long time. Five, ten--fifteen minutes
went past and he did not come back. Bunny and Sue began to get tired.

"He must be catching a lot of fish," said Bunny, after a bit, while he
dangled his own hook in the water. Bunny wasn't catching anything--he
didn't have even a nibble, though he was using the right kind of hook
and line, and he had a real "squiggily" worm on his hook--Bunker had put
it there for him.

"Maybe Bunker caught a big fish," said Sue, "and it pulled him into the
water, eh, Bunny?"

Bunny shook his head.

"No," he said. "That didn't happen."

"Maybe it might," went on Sue. "There might be big fish in this lake. Or
maybe it was a muskrat, like the one Splash barked at."

Splash, asleep up in the front of the boat, hearing his name spoken,
looked up and wagged his tail.

"I didn't call you," said Sue. "But, oh, Bunny! maybe Bunker _did_ fall
in!"

Bunny shook his head again.

"No, he didn't fall in," said the little fellow. "If he had we'd have
heard him holler, and he hasn't hollered."

Sue thought that over. It seemed all right. She knew she would "holler,"
as Bunny called it, if she fell into the water, and of course if a big
fish or a muskrat had pulled in Bunker, he, too, would cry out. And it
had been very still and quiet since the red-haired boy had gone ashore
on the island.

"I know what we can do," said Bunny, after a bit.

"What?" asked Sue.

"We can untie the boat, and row around to the other side of the island
where Bunker went," suggested Bunny. "He told us not to get out of the
boat until he came back, and we won't, 'cause mother told us to mind
Bunker. But he didn't tell us not to row the boat around where he is."

"That's right," agreed Sue. "We can do that."

Bunny and Sue knew something about boats, and they could each row a
little. So while Bunny loosed the rope by which the boat was tied, Sue
took up one oar. Then Bunny took the other. He shoved the boat out a
little way. It began to move, first slowly, and then faster. All at once
Sue cried:

"Oh, Bunny! My umbrella!"

It was open, and a gust of wind almost blew it out of the boat. Bunny
caught the umbrella just in time. To do this he had to let go of his
oar, and it slid overboard, into the water. But Bunny was not thinking
about the oar just then. He had a new idea.

As he held the open umbrella he felt the wind blowing strongly against
it. The wind was almost strong enough to blow the umbrella out of his
hands. But he held on tightly.

"Oh, Bunny, your oar is gone!" cried Sue, as she saw it float away.

"I--I can't help it," answered her brother. "I can't reach it, Sue. You
get it."

"I can't. It's too far away."

"Well, let it go!" cried Bunny. "I know something else we can do, Sue.
Oh, this will be fun! It's better than fishing!"

Sue was pulling, as best she could, on her one oar. But boats are not
meant to be rowed with one oar, though you can scull, or paddle, with
one. If you row with one oar your boat swings around in a circle,
instead of going straight ahead.

"I can't row this way, Bunny!" called Sue. She knew enough about boats
for that. "You'll have to get your oar, Bunny."

"We won't need it, Sue," called her brother. "Take in your oar. We won't
need that either. We're going to sail. Look! the umbrella is just like a
sail."

And so it was. The wind, blowing on the open umbrella Bunny held, was
sending the rowboat along just as if a sail had been hoisted. The boat
was moving quite fast now. Bunny and Sue were so pleased that they did
not think about the lost oar, which had fallen overboard and had
floated away. As Bunny had said, they did not need oars now.

"Isn't this fun!" cried Bunny.

"Yes," said Sue. "I like it. My dolly likes it, too! Do you like it,
Splash?"

Splash did not answer. He hardly ever did answer, except with a bark or
a whine, when Bunny or Sue spoke to him, and the children did not
understand dog language. Anyhow, Splash seemed to like the umbrella
sail, for he stretched out in the bottom of the boat and went to sleep.

Bunny held the open umbrella, and Sue held her doll. Of course, the doll
had nothing to do with the sailing of the boat, but Sue kept her in her
arms.

"You aren't going to sail very far; are you, Bunny?" asked Sue as the
boat kept on going faster and faster.

"Not very far," Bunny answered. "We'll just sail around the end of the
island where Bunker went fishing."

Now this would have been all right if the children had sailed around the
end of the island where Bunker Blue happened to be. But they did not.
It was not their fault, either. For Bunker had gone to the other end of
the island, and he was sitting on a log, waiting for a fish to bite.

You see, this is the way it was. Bunker Blue told about it afterward. He
went off the island, leaving Bunny and Sue in the boat. Bunker walked to
the lower end of the island. Bunny and Sue saw him going. He was going
to try for fish there.

But when the red-haired boy got to that end of the island he saw that
the water was so shallow that no large fish could be caught in it.

"I'll just go to the other end," thought Bunker.

So, without calling to Bunny and Sue, Bunker walked along the other
shore of the island, to the upper end. And Bunny and Sue, being behind a
lot of trees and bushes, did not know that Bunker was not in the place
where he had said he was going.

Bunker found the water deep enough at the upper end of the island, and
there he sat down to fish.

"I'll just see if they're biting good here," he said to himself, "and,
if they are, I'll go back and get the children."

Bunker had to wait quite a while for his first bite, and by that time
Bunny and Sue had decided to start off themselves in the boat. And so
they did, with the umbrella for a sail, as I have told you.

Faster and faster they went, around the lower end of the island. They
expected to see Bunker there, but they did not, because he was at the
upper end.

"Why--why--Bunker isn't here," said Sue, in surprise.

"Then we'd better go back," announced Bunny, still holding to the
umbrella. "Stick your oar in the water, Sue, and steer back to where we
were."

You can steer a boat with one oar, if you can't row it with one, and Sue
knew a little bit about steering. But the oar was too heavy for Sue's
little hands, and it soon slipped over into the lake. She tried to grab
it, but was too late. The second oar was lost overboard.

"Oh, dear!" Sue cried. "It's gone."

"Never mind," said Bunny. "We don't need oars with the umbrella for a
sail. Only we can't sail back where we were unless the wind blows the
other way. And I don't see where Bunker is."

"Maybe he's gone home and left us," said Sue.

"He couldn't--not without a boat," objected Bunny. "We'll have to sail
over to camp and get daddy or Uncle Tad to row back for him."

"Yes, let's sail to our camp," agreed Sue. "Won't they be s'prised to
see us come up this way with an umbrella?"

"I guess they will," said Bunny.

The wind blew stronger. It was all Bunny could do to hold to the
umbrella now. The wind almost blew it from his hands. Even with Sue to
help him it was hard work.

"If you could only tie it fast," suggested Sue.

"Maybe I can," said Bunny. "Here's a rope."

The rope by which the boat had been tied to a tree on the island lay in
the bottom of the boat. The umbrella had a crooked handle, and the
tying of one end of the rope around this, helped Bunny to hold the queer
sail.

The boat now went on faster and faster.

"Why, there's our camp, away over there!" cried Sue, pointing. "Why
don't you sail to it, Bunny?"

Bunny looked. Indeed, the white tents of Camp Rest-a-While were on the
other side of the lake--far away. And the wind was blowing the boat
farther and farther off. Bunny and Sue could not get back to camp, for
now they had nothing with which to steer their boat. Of course, if the
wind had been blowing toward the tents, instead of away from it, they
could have gotten there without steering. But now they could not.

"Oh, dear!" cried Sue. "Where are we going, Bunny?"

"We are going to the woods, I guess," he said. They were sailing toward
the wooded shores of the lake, away on the other side from their camp,
and a long way down from the island where they had left Bunker Blue.

Harder blew the wind on the umbrella sail. Faster went the boat. Finally
it ran up on shore, right where the woods came down to the edge of the
lake.

Splash jumped out with a bark, and began stretching himself. He did not
like to stay too long in a boat. He wanted to run about on shore.

"Bunny, where are we?" asked Sue.

"I don't know," answered her brother. "But we are on land somewhere, I
guess. It's nice woods, anyhow."

The trees and bushes grew thick all about.

"Let's get out," Bunny went on. He shut down the umbrella sail, and took
off the rope. Then he tied the boat to a tree. He got out, and helped
Sue.

"Where's our camp?" the little girl wanted to know.

Bunny looked across the lake. He could not see the white tents. Neither
could Sue.

"Bunny--Bunny," said the little girl slowly. "I--I guess--we're losted
again."

"I--I guess so, too," agreed Bunny Brown.

CHAPTER XXIII

IN THE CAVE

Splash, the big, shaggy dog, ran up and down the shore of the lake,
poking his nose in among the bushes here and there, barking loudly all
the while.

"What's the matter with Splash?" asked Sue of her brother. "Is there a
wild animal here, Bunny?"

"No, I don't guess so," the little boy answered. "Splash is wagging his
tail, and he wouldn't do that if there were wild animals around. He
doesn't like a wild animal. I guess Splash is just glad 'cause he is out
of a boat. Splash doesn't like a boat."

"I do," said Sue. "But we didn't ought to have come away in the boat all
alone, Bunny. Mother told us not to, you know."

"I know she did, Sue, but we couldn't help it. We were just going to
look for Bunker Blue and the wind blowed us away from the island. We
couldn't help it."

"No, I don't guess we could, Bunny. But what are we going to do now?"

"I guess we'll have to walk back to Camp Rest-a-While," answered Bunny.
"We can leave the boat here, and Bunker can come and get it."

"Can't we sail back in our boat, with the umbrella, same as we sailed
down here?" Sue wanted to know.

"We could if the wind would blow right, but it isn't," said Bunny. He
had been among his father's boatmen often enough to know that you have
to go with the wind, and not against it, when you're sailing a boat.
"We'll have to walk, Sue."

"Let's holler and yell," said the little girl, as she straightened out
the dress of her doll.

"What for?"

"So daddy or mother can hear us," Sue went on. "If we holler real loud
they may hear us, and come and get us in another boat. If we hadn't lost
the oars, Bunny, we could row back."

"Yes, but the oars are lost. I guess we'll just have to stay here, Sue.
We're losted again. But I'm not afraid. It's nice here, and if we get
hungry I can catch a fish. I have my pole, and there's a worm on my hook
yet."

"Is he a squiggily worm?" Sue wanted to know.

"He _was_ kind of squiggily," answered Bunny, "but I guess he's all done
squiggling now. He's deaded."

"Then I wouldn't be afraid of him," Sue said. "I could fish with him,
too. I don't like squiggily worms. They tickle you so."

Bunny walked back to the boat, which the wind had blown partly up on
shore. He looked for his fishing pole and line, and, after he had taken
it out, he saw the little basket of lunch his mother had put up. It had
not yet been opened.

"Oh, Sue!" Bunny cried. "Look! We've got our lunch! And there's a bottle
of milk, too! Now we can have a picnic!"

"And you won't have to catch any fish!" cried Sue, clapping her hands.
"I'm hungry Bunny. Let's have the picnic now!"

Bunny was willing, for he was hungry too, and the children, taking the
basket of lunch, sat down in a shady place on the shore to eat. As Sue
was taking off the napkins, in which the sandwiches and cakes were
wrapped, she happened to think of something.

"Oh, Bunny!" Sue said. "Part of this lunch was for Bunker Blue."

Bunny thought for a second or two.

"Well, Bunker isn't here now," he said, "and he can't get here, less'n
he swims. I don't guess he'll want any lunch, Sue."

"And anyhow, he can catch a fish," said Sue. "Bunker is good at fishing,
and he likes to eat 'em."

"I wonder where Bunker is now," pondered Bunny.

He looked back up the lake. He could not see the island where they had
left Bunker. It was out of sight around a bend in the lake shore.

"Do you think he'll swim down here and want some lunch?" asked Sue.

"No," answered Bunny. "We can eat all this. Bunker won't come."

And so the children began on their lunch, sharing some of it with
Splash, who, after a bath in the lake, lay down in the sun to dry
himself.

By this time Bunker Blue, back on the far end of the island, had caught
three fine, big fish. He was so excited and glad about getting them
that, for a while, he forgot all about Bunny Brown and his sister Sue.
Then he happened to remember them.

"I'll go back to the boat and get the children," said Bunker Blue to
himself. "They can catch fish here, and that will tickle Bunny. He never
yet caught real big fish like these."

But when Bunker went to the place where he had left Bunny and Sue in the
boat, the children were not there, nor was there any sight of the boat.
Bunker had been fishing by himself longer than he thought, and by this
time Bunny and Sue were out of sight around a bend in the shore.

Bunker rubbed his eyes. Then he looked again. There was no doubt of
it--the boat was gone, and so were the children.

"Where can they be?" asked Bunker, aloud. But there was no one on the
little island to answer him.

Then the red-haired boy happened to think that perhaps Bunny might have
taken the boat around to the other end of the island. Bunker quickly ran
there, but no boat was to be seen.

"They've either drifted away," said Bunker, "or else they've rowed
themselves away. It's too bad; but they know how to behave in a boat,
that's one good thing. They won't try to stand up, and so fall
overboard. I wonder if I could call to them?"

Bunker shouted, but Bunny and Sue were too far away to hear him. Bunker
then sat down on a stone. He did not know what to do. He looked over to
the main shore, where he could just see the white tents of Camp
Rest-a-While.

"Well, if we don't come back pretty soon, Mr. Brown will know something
is wrong, and he'll get another boat and come over here," thought
Bunker. "Then I can tell him what has happened, and we can go and look
for the children. I guess they'll be all right. All I can do is to
wait."

All this while Bunny and Sue were eating their lunch. They were not
frightened now, and they very much enjoyed their little umbrella-sail
excursion in the boat and the picnic they were having.

But, pretty soon, it began to grow cloudy, and then it began to rain.

"I don't like this," said Sue. "I want to go home, Bunny."

Bunny, himself, would have been glad to be in camp with his father and
mother, but he thought, being a boy, he must be brave, and look after
his little sister, so he said:

"Oh, I guess this rain won't be very bad, Sue. We'll go back into the
woods, under the trees. Then we can keep dry. And we'll take the lunch,
too. There'll be enough for supper."

"Will we have to stay here for supper?" asked Sue.

"Maybe," answered Bunny. "But if we do it will be fun. Come on!"

It was now raining hard. Bunny carried the lunch basket, with the
bottle of milk--now half emptied--in one hand. The other hand clasped
Sue's. They went back in the wood a little way, and, all at once, Bunny
saw something that made him call:

"Oh, Sue! Here's a good place to get in out of the rain!"

"What is it?" Sue asked.

"A cave!" cried Bunny. "It's a regular cave, like robbers live in! Come
on, Sue! Now we're all right! Oh, this is fun!" and Bunny ran forward
into the dark hole in the side of the hill--right into the cave he ran.

CHAPTER XXIV

"WHO IS THERE?"

Sue did not run into the cave after her brother Bunny. She stood,
hugging her doll close to her, under a big, evergreen tree, so that only
a few drops of rain splashed on her.

Bunny Brown, standing in the "front door" of the cave, as he called it,
looked at his sister.

"Come on in, Sue!" he called. "It's nice here, and you can't get wet at
all."

"I--I don't want to," Sue answered.

"Why not?" Bunny wanted to know.

"'Cause," and that was all Sue would say. Then it began to rain harder,
and the drops even splashed down through the thick branches of the
evergreen tree.

"Oh, come on!" cried Bunny. "It's nice here, and dry, Sue. Why won't you
come?"

"'Cause I don't like those robbers!" answered Sue at last. "I'd rather
stay out in the rain than go in with those robbers."

"What robbers?" asked Bunny, his eyes opening wide.

"You said that was a robbers' cave," declared Sue, "and I don't like
'em."

Bunny laughed.

"There's no robbers here, Sue," he said. "I only meant that this _looks_
just like the pictures of a robbers' cave. There isn't any robbers here.
Come on in. It's nice and dry here."

"Are you sure there's no robbers?" Sue wanted to know.

"Sure," said Bunny. "Listen!" He went back a little farther in the cave
and cried:

"Robbers! Robbers! Go on away! That will drive 'em off, Sue," he said.
"Now come on in."

The little girl waited a half minute, to make sure no robbers came out
after Bunny's call. Then she, too, ran into the cave.

"Isn't it nice here?" Bunny asked.

"Ye--yes, I--I guess so," and Sue spoke slowly. She was not quite sure
about it. "But it--it's dark," she went on.

"All caves are dark," Bunny Brown answered. "They have to be dark or
they wouldn't be caves. Nobody ever saw a light cave."

"Well, I like a light cave best," said Sue. "How long has we got to stay
here, Bunny?"

"Till Daddy comes for us, I guess," he said. "We can't walk back to camp
all alone. I don't know the way. We'd get losted worse than we are now."

"Has we got to stay here all night?" Sue wanted to know.

"Well, maybe," said Bunny slowly. "But we could easy sleep here. There's
some nice dried leaves we could make into a bed, and we've some of our
lunch left. We can eat that for supper, and save a little for
breakfast."

"What will we give Splash?" asked Sue. She had looked over Bunny's
shoulder as he now opened the lunch basket. There did not seem very much
left for two hungry children and a dog. Splash was now nosing about in
the cave. He did not bark, and Bunny and Sue knew there could be no one
in the hole but themselves--no wild animals or anything.

"There isn't enough to give Splash much," said Bunny slowly. "But maybe
he can dig himself up a bone in the woods. We can leave the crusts for
him. Splash likes crusts."

"I don't," Sue said. "He can have all of mine."

Bunny Brown and his sister Sue had not yet learned to like the crusts of
their bread. But Splash was not so particular.

The wind was now blowing harder, and the rain was flowing in the front
of the cave. It blew in the faces of the children.

"Come on farther back," said Bunny, as he saw Sue wrapping her dress
around her doll to keep off the rain.

"It--it's too dark," Sue answered.

Bunny walked back a little way. Then he cried:

"Oh, Sue. Come on back here. It's real light here. There's a chimbly
here and the light comes down it fine!"

"You come and get me--I can't see--it's so dark," Sue answered.

Bunny had left her standing near the front part of the cave, where it
was still light, and he had run back into the dark part. There, half
way back, he had found a place where there was a hole in the roof--a
"chimbly," as Bunny called it.

Through this hole, or chimney, light came down, but between that place,
and the entrance, was a dark spot. And it was this dark patch that Sue
did not want to cross alone.

"I'll come and get you," Bunny called, and, a minute later, he and Sue
were standing together under the hole in the cave roof. Some few drops
of rain came down this chimney, but by standing back a little way the
children could keep nice and dry, and, at the same time, they were not
in the dark.

"Isn't this nice, Sue?" asked Bunny.

"Yes," she said. "I like it better here."

It was a good place for the children to be in out of the storm. They
were far enough back in the cave now so that the wind could not blow on
them, and no rain could reach them. Splash had come this far back into
the cave with them, and was sniffing about.

Bunny walked around the light place, and found some boxes and old bags.
In one of the boxes were some pieces of dried bread, and an end of
bacon. There was also a tin pail and a frying pan. And, off to one side,
were some ashes. Bunny also saw where a pile of bags had been made into
a sort of bed.

"Look, Sue," said the little boy. "I guess real people used to live in
this cave. Here is where they made their fire, and cooked, and they
slept on the pile of bags. We can sleep there to-night, if daddy doesn't
come after us."

"But I hope he comes!" exclaimed Sue.

Bunny hoped so, too, but he thought he wouldn't say so. He wanted to be
brave, and make believe he liked it in the cave.

"I--I'm thirsty," said Sue, after a bit. "I want a drink, Bunny."

"I'll give you some of the milk, Sue. There's half a bottle of it left."

"I'd rather have water, Bunny."

"I don't guess there's any water here, Sue," answered Bunny.

Then he listened to a sound. It was Splash, lapping up water from
somewhere in the cave. It did not sound very far off.

"There's water!" Bunny cried. "Splash has found a spring. Now I can get
you a drink, Sue. Splash, where is that water?"

Splash barked, and came running to his little master. Bunny walked to
the place from which Splash had come, and there he found a spring of
water coming out of the rocky side of the cave. It fell into a little
puddle, and it was from this puddle that Splash had taken his drink.
Bunny held a cup under the little stream of water and got some for Sue.
Then he took a drink himself.

"Say, this cave is fine!" he cried. "It's got water in it and a place
for a fire. All the smoke would go up that hole. We'll get Bunker and
daddy and mother and Uncle Tad and come here and have a picnic some day.
Don't you like it, Sue?"

"I--I'd rather be back at Camp Rest-a-While," said the little girl.
"Can't we go?"

"I'll go and see how hard it's raining," said the little boy.

He went to the front door of the cave, and looked out. It was storming
very hard now. The wind was blowing the limbs of the trees about, and
dashing the rain all over.

"We can't walk home in this storm," said Bunny to Sue. "We'll have to
stay in this cave until they come for us."

"All right," Sue said. "Then let's eat."

The children ate some more of the lunch they had brought with them.

"Now let's make the bed," said Sue. "We'll sleep on a pile of the bags,
Bunny, and pull some of 'em over us for covers. Splash won't need any
covers. He never sleeps in a bed."

Bunny and Sue had often "played house," and they knew how to make the
old blankets, and pieces of carpet they found in the cave, into a sort
of bed. It was not so light now, for it was coming on toward night, and
the sky was covered with clouds.

"If we shut our eyes and go to sleep we won't mind the dark," said
Bunny.

"All right--let's," agreed Sue.

They cuddled up on the bags, their arms around one another, with Sue's
doll held close in her hand, while Splash lay down not far from them.

Bunny was not sure he had been asleep. Anyhow he suddenly opened his
eyes, and looked toward the chimney hole in the roof of the cave. A
little light still came down it. But something else was also coming
down. Bunny saw a big boy--or a small man--sliding down a grapevine rope
into the cave. First Bunny saw his feet--then his legs--then his body.
Bunny wondered who was coming into the cave. He made up his mind to find
out.

"Who is there?" he suddenly called. "Who are you? What do you want in
our cave?"

The figure sliding down the piece of grapevine into the cave, through
the chimney hole, suddenly fell in a heap on the floor, close to where
Bunny and Sue were lying on the pile of bags. Splash jumped up and began
to bark loudly.

CHAPTER XXV

BACK IN CAMP

Bunny Brown tried to be brave, but when he saw someone come into the
cave in the darkness, in such a queer way, the little boy did not know
what to do. He thought of Sue, and felt that he must not let her get
hurt, no matter what else happened.

"Oh, Bunny!" cried Sue. "Is that one of the robbers? Is it, Bunny? If it
is I don't want to stay here! You said there weren't any but picture
book robbers in this cave, Bunny Brown!"

Bunny did not answer right away. He did not know what to tell Sue.

But the big boy who had dropped down through the chimney hole
straightened up suddenly. Bunny could see him patting Splash on the
head.

And that was rather strange, for Splash did not easily make friends
with strangers. He would not bite them, but he would bark at them, until
some of his friends had said it was all right, and that he need bark no
more.

But, after his bark of surprise this time, Splash seemed to have
suddenly made friends with the big boy who had come sliding down the
chimney hole of the cave.

"Who--who are you?" asked Bunny again.

Instead of answering the big boy laughed. Then he asked:

"Are you Bunny Brown and his sister Sue?"

"Ye--yes--yes, we are," Bunny said. "But how did you know?"

"Oh, I can tell, all right."

Splash seemed very glad to meet the strange boy. There was still light
enough coming down the chimney hole for Bunny to see the dog's wagging
tail. And Splash did not wag his tail for persons he did not like. This
must be a friend.

"Is--is you a robber?" asked Sue. She had hidden her face in the pile of
bags, and was holding closely to her doll.

Again the big boy laughed.

"No, I'm not a robber," he said, "though I did take a piece of your
mother's bacon. But I'll pay her back for it. How in the world did you
find my cave, and where is your father, or Bunker Blue? And what are you
doing out alone in this storm? Are you----"

But Bunny Brown broke in on the questions.

"Oh, I know who you are! I know who you are!" Bunny cried. "You're Tom
Vine who ran away from us! Why did you run away? Daddy has been looking
for you. You are Tom Vine; aren't you?"

"Yes, Bunny, I am. Wait a minute and I'll light a lantern, and you can
see me better. Look out, Splash, so I won't step on you."

So that was why Splash had made such good friends with the big boy who
came down the cave chimney hole--Splash knew Tom Vine, of course, even
in the darkness.

Tom walked over to one of the boxes, and brought out a lantern. This he
lighted. Bunny and Sue blinked their eyes at the sudden light, but they
were soon used to it. Then they looked at Tom.

Yes, it was he. But he was even more ragged than when they had first
seen him. He was laughing, though, and did not seem sad.

"And to think when I came home, and slid down the chimney of my cave,
which I sometimes do, when I don't want to go around to the front
door--to think when I did this I should find Bunny Brown and his sister
Sue here!" said Tom. "How in the world did you find me?"

"We weren't looking for you," answered Bunny. "We were in the boat, with
Bunker Blue. He went on an island to fish, and we sailed away with the
umbrella. We landed here and I found this cave, to get out of the rain.
I told Sue it was a make-believe robbers' cave."

"Well, I guess I'm the only robber who ever lived in it," said Tom. "But
what are you children going to do? Tell me all about how you got here."

This Bunny and Sue did, from the time they started out with Bunker Blue,
until Bunny opened his eyes to see Tom sliding down the grapevine rope.

"And now I'll tell you about myself," said Tom.

"Have you been living here in this cave ever since you went away from
our camp?" asked Bunny.

"Yes," answered Tom. "This has been my home. No one knew I was here. I
wanted to keep out of sight of Mr. Trimble, for fear he'd make me go
back to his farm."

"Oh, he won't make you go back," said Bunny. "He's sorry he was so cross
to you. He told daddy so; didn't he, Sue?"

"Yes, he did. I'm glad we found you, Tom," and she put her little hand
in his big one.

"And I'm glad I found you and Bunny, Sue. And I'm glad that Mr. Trimble
isn't looking for me. I was getting tired of hiding out this way. I want
to go back to your camp."

"You can come," said Bunny. "Daddy wants you, I know, for he said he
did. Come on back now."

"Wait a minute," said Tom. "First I'll tell you how I came here. And
then, I guess, we'll have to stay until morning, as it is storming too
bad to leave the cave now."

Tom then told that he had heard Mr. Trimble was looking for him, to make
him go back to the farm.

"And, as I was afraid he'd catch me, I ran away from your camp that day
when I went for the pail of water," said Tom. "As I was at the spring I
saw Mr. Trimble going past behind some bushes. He didn't see me, because
I stooped down. And when he got past I ran away. I didn't want him to
get me.

"I found this cave, and I've lived in it. I took some old boxes and bags
from a barn. They were thrown away, so no one wanted them, I knew. Then
I found this lantern and I brought that here."

"How did you get anything to eat?" asked Bunny.

"Well, I took that," said Tom. "In the night I went back to your camp,
and took some things. I didn't think your folks would care very much."

"They didn't," said Bunny. "Did you take the pie and the bacon and
eggs?"

"Yes," said Tom, "I did. I have earned some money, though, and I'll pay
for them."

"And did you knock down the pile of tins?" Bunny asked, "and make the
noise in the night?"

"Yes," laughed Tom. "I thought sure your folks would catch me then, but
I got safely away. And ever since then I've stayed in this cave. I found
it by accident. It made a nice dry place. During the day I would go off
to different farms and work enough to earn a little money to buy things
to eat. All the while I was afraid Mr. Trimble would find me. He was
such a mean man."

"But he's turned good now," declared Bunny, "and he's sorry he was bad
to you. He wouldn't even shut you up in a smoke-house," and Bunny told
of finding the fox in the little house.

"So then I can go back to your camp, and Mr. Trimble won't try to get
me; will he?" asked Tom.

"Nope, he won't hurt you at all," said Bunny. "And please can't we go
back to our camp now? Daddy and mother will be so worried about us."

"Why, yes, I guess I can take you," said Tom. "It isn't very far, and
there's a good road. I see you have an umbrella. That will keep Sue dry.
You and I won't mind getting wet, Bunny; will we?"

"Nope," said the little fellow.

When they went to the entrance of the cave they found that the rain had
stopped, and the moon was shining. It was quite light in the woods.
Leading Bunny and Sue by the hands, with Splash following after, Tom
started for Camp Rest-a-While. He stopped for a moment on top of the
cave, to show the children the chimney hole, and how he had slid down it
by holding on to a long grapevine, that twined around a tree growing
near the hole. The grapevine was like a long rope.

Through the woods went Bunny, Sue and Tom. As they came near the camp
they saw lanterns flashing, and voices called:

"Bunny! Bunny Brown! Sue! Sue! Where are you?"

"Here we are, Daddy! Here we are!" cried Bunny and Sue together. "And
Tom Vine is with us!" added Bunny.

Those carrying the lantern rushed forward, and soon Bunny and Sue were
clasped in their father's and mother's arms, while Uncle Tad and Bunker
were shaking hands with Tom, and listening to his story of how he had
found the children in the cave where he made his home.

"And to think you two went off in a boat with an umbrella for a sail!"
cried Mother Brown to the children. "Don't you ever do it again!"

"We won't!" promised Bunny. "But what happened to you, Bunker?"

"Well, after you left me on the island," said the red-haired boy, "I
waited until I saw your father coming after me in a boat. He took me to
camp, and I told him I thought you and Sue had drifted down the lake. So
we set out to find you, but you got here all right."

"And I don't want to sleep in any more caves," said Sue.

"I like it," Bunny said. "It was nice!"

The children were soon asleep in their cots in the camp tent, and after
Tom had told his story to Mr. and Mrs. Brown, he, too, was given his
old bed. He had nothing more to fear from Mr. Trimble, and he need not
have run away, only he was afraid of the farmer. And for that reason he
did not go back to camp, or send any word to Mr. Brown.

But everything came out all right, and Mr. Trimble came over and told
Tom how sorry he was for having been so unpleasant as to make him run
away.

Bunny Brown and his sister Sue stayed at Camp Rest-a-While all that
summer and they had much fun, and many more adventures, but I have no
room to tell you about them in this book. Perhaps I may write another
volume about them later. As for Tom Vine, he was taken to live in
Bellemere, where he worked at Mr. Brown's boat business with Bunker
Blue. He did not have to live in a cave any more, and had a good home.

And now, having told all there is to tell, I will let you say good-bye
to Bunny Brown and his sister Sue.

THE END

This Isn't All!

          Would you like to know what became of the good
          friends you have made in this book?

          Would you like to read other stories continuing
          their adventures and experiences, or other books
          quite as entertaining by the same author?

          On the _reverse side_ of the wrapper which comes
          with this book, you will find a wonderful list of
          stories which you can buy at the same store where
          you got this book.

=Don't throw away the Wrapper=

          _Use it as a handy catalog of the books you want
          some day to have. But in case you do mislay it,
          write to the Publishers for a complete catalog._

THE BUNNY BROWN SERIES

By LAURA LEE HOPE

Author of the Popular "Bobbsey Twins" Books, Etc.

=Durably Bound. Illustrated. Uniform Style of Binding. Each Volume
Complete in Itself.=

          These stories are eagerly welcomed by the little
          folks from about five to ten years of age. Their
          eyes fairly dance with delight at the lively
          doings of inquisitive little Bunny Brown and his
          cunning, trustful sister Sue.

          BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE
          BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE ON GRANDPA'S FARM
          BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE PLAYING CIRCUS
          BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE AT CAMP-REST-A-WHILE
          BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE AT AUNT LU'S CITY HOME
          BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE IN THE BIG WOODS
          BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE ON AN AUTO TOUR
          BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE AND THEIR SHETLAND PONY
          BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE GIVING A SHOW
          BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE AT CHRISTMAS TREE COVE
          BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE IN THE SUNNY SOUTH
          BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE KEEPING STORE
          BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE AND THEIR TRICK DOG
          BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE AT A SUGAR CAMP
          BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE ON THE ROLLING OCEAN
          BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE ON JACK FROST ISLAND
          BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE AT SHORE ACRES
          BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE AT BERRY HILL

=GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK=

THE BOBBSEY TWINS BOOKS

For Little Men and Women

By LAURA LEE HOPE

Author of "The Bunny Brown Series," Etc.

=Durably Bound. Illustrated. Uniform Style of Binding. Every Volume
Complete in Itself.=

          These books for boys and girls between the ages of
          three and ten stand among children and their
          parents of this generation where the books of
          Louisa May Alcott stood in former days. The haps
          and mishaps of this inimitable pair of twins,
          their many adventures and experiences are a source
          of keen delight to imaginative children.

          THE BOBBSEY TWINS
          THE BOBBSEY TWINS IN THE COUNTRY
          THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT THE SEASHORE
          THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT SCHOOL
          THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT SNOW LODGE
          THE BOBBSEY TWINS ON A HOUSEBOAT
          THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT MEADOW BROOK
          THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT HOME
          THE BOBBSEY TWINS IN A GREAT CITY
          THE BOBBSEY TWINS ON BLUEBERRY ISLAND
          THE BOBBSEY TWINS ON THE DEEP BLUE SEA
          THE BOBBSEY TWINS IN THE GREAT WEST
          THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT CEDAR CAMP
          THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT THE COUNTY FAIR
          THE BOBBSEY TWINS CAMPING OUT
          THE BOBBSEY TWINS AND BABY MAY
          THE BOBBSEY TWINS KEEPING HOUSE
          THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT CLOVERBANK
          THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT CHERRY CORNERS
          THE BOBBSEY TWINS AND THEIR SCHOOLMATES
          THE BOBBSEY TWINS TREASURE HUNTING

=GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK=

SIX LITTLE BUNKERS SERIES

By LAURA LEE HOPE

Author of The Bobbsey Twins Books, The Bunny Brown Series, The Blythe
Girls Books, Etc.

=Durably Bound. Illustrated. Uniform Style of Binding. Every Volume
Complete in Itself.=

          Delightful stories for little boys and girls which
          sprung into immediate popularity. To know the six
          little Bunkers is to take them at once to your
          heart, they are so intensely human, so full of fun
          and cute sayings. Each story has a little plot of
          its own--one that can be easily followed--and all
          are written in Miss Hope's most entertaining
          manner. Clean, wholesome volumes which ought to be
          on the bookshelf of every child in the land.

          SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT GRANDMA BELL'S
          SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT AUNT JO'S
          SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT COUSIN TOM'S
          SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT GRANDPA FORD'S
          SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT UNCLE FRED'S
          SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT CAPTAIN BEN'S
          SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT COWBOY JACK'S
          SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT MAMMY JUNE'S
          SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT FARMER JOEL'S
          SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT MILLER NED'S
          SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT INDIAN JOHN'S
          SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT HAPPY JIM'S
          SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT SKIPPER BOB'S

=GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK=

THE HONEY BUNCH BOOKS

By HELEN LOUISE THORNDYKE

=Individual Colored Wrappers and Text Illustrations Drawn by

WALTER S. ROGERS=

          Honey Bunch is a dainty, thoughtful little girl,
          and to know her is to take her to your heart at
          once.

          Little girls everywhere will want to discover what
          interesting experiences she is having wherever she
          goes.

          HONEY BUNCH: JUST A LITTLE GIRL
          HONEY BUNCH: HER FIRST VISIT TO THE CITY
          HONEY BUNCH: HER FIRST DAYS ON THE FARM
          HONEY BUNCH: HER FIRST VISIT TO THE SEASHORE
          HONEY BUNCH: HER FIRST LITTLE GARDEN
          HONEY BUNCH: HER FIRST DAYS IN CAMP
          HONEY BUNCH: HER FIRST AUTO TOUR
          HONEY BUNCH: HER FIRST TRIP ON THE OCEAN
          HONEY BUNCH: HER FIRST TRIP WEST
          HONEY BUNCH: HER FIRST SUMMER ON AN ISLAND

=GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK=

THE BLYTHE GIRLS BOOKS

By LAURA LEE HOPE

Individual Colored Wrappers and Text Illustrations by

THELMA GOOCH

Every Volume Complete in Itself

          The Blythe girls, three in number, were left alone
          in New York City. Helen, who went in for art and
          music, kept the little flat uptown, while Margy,
          just out of a business school, obtained a position
          as a private secretary and Rose, plain-spoken and
          businesslike, took what she called a "job" in a
          department store.

THE BLYTHE GIRLS: HELEN, MARGY AND ROSE
  A fascinating tale of real happenings in the great metropolis.

THE BLYTHE GIRLS: MARGY'S QUEER INHERITANCE
  The Girls had a peculiar old aunt and when she died she left an
unusual inheritance.

THE BLYTHE GIRLS: ROSE'S GREAT PROBLEM
  Rose, still at work in the big department store, is one day faced with
the greatest problem of her life.

THE BLYTHE GIRLS: HELEN'S STRANGE BOARDER
  Helen goes to the assistance of a strange girl, whose real identity is
a puzzle. Who the girl really was comes as a tremendous surprise.

THE BLYTHE GIRLS: THREE ON A VACATION
  The girls go to the country for two weeks--and fall in with all sorts
of curious and exciting happenings.

THE BLYTHE GIRLS: MARGY'S SECRET MISSION
  Of course we cannot divulge the big secret, but nevertheless the girls
as usual have many exciting experiences.

THE BLYTHE GIRLS: ROSE'S ODD DISCOVERY
  A very interesting story, telling how Rose aided an old man in the
almost hopeless search for his daughter.

THE BLYTHE GIRLS: THE DISAPPEARANCE OF HELEN
  Helen calls on the art dealer on business and finds the old fellow has
made a wonderful discovery.

THE BLYTHE GIRLS: SNOWBOUND IN CAMP
  An absorbing tale of winter happenings, full of excitement.

=GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK=

Transcriber's notes:

Punctuation normalized.

Page 51, "exlaimed" changed to "exclaimed."

Page 147, "Said Tom Vine" changed to "said Tom Vine."

Page 148, "forgotton" changed to "forgotten."