Away down the road rumbled the big automobile, which was just like a little house on wheels. Bunny Brown and his sister Sue sat, one at each window, on cute little chairs, and looked out.
"Oh, isn't this fun?" cried Sue.
"The best fun we ever had," agreed Bunny. "It was more fun than when we were shipwrecked on the island; 'member?"
"Yes. When we played Robinson Crusoe," went on Sue, "and we couldn't find Mr. Friday because it was Thursday," and she laughed.
"And you fell in," added Bunny.
"And Splash pulled me out!"
"Oh, Father!" suddenly cried Bunny, as Sue mentioned the name of the pet dog, "couldn't we take Splash with us?"
"Well, I don't know," said Mr. Brown slowly. "You know we weren't going to take him down on the farm, because grandpa has a dog. But I guess, if you want Splash very much, we have room for him. What do you say, Mother?" and he looked at Mrs. Brown.
"Oh, let the children have their pet," said Mother Brown.
"Fine!" shouted Bunny.
"We'll stop at Mr. West's and get him," said Mr. Brown.
When the Brown family decided to go away, they had not planned to take Splash with them, and he was left at the home of Sadie West, a little girl with whom Sue played. Sadie said she would take good care of Splash. But now Bunny and Sue wanted him with them.
So the big automobile was steered down toward the West home, and a little later, Splash was barking joyously inside the little room, and trying to kiss, with his red tongue, Bunny, Sue and Mr. and Mrs. Brown, all at the same time.
"Oh, I'm so glad we're going to take you!"cried Sue, hugging her pet. Half of Splash belonged to Sue, and half to Bunny. They made believe to divide the dog down the middle, lengthwise, so each would have part of the tail, which always wagged so joyfully when Splash saw either of the children.
Once again the automobile—a little house on wheels—set off.
"Good-bye!" called Sadie West to Sue, waving her hand.
"Good-bye!" echoed Bunny and his sister.
Down the main street of the village they went, many of Mr. Brown's friends stopping to wave their hands or hats to him. Such an automobile, fitted up inside so a family could live in it, was seldom seen in Bellemere.
"There's Charlie Star!" called Bunny, as he saw a boy on the street.
"Yes, and there's Helen Newton," added Sue. "Oh, I wish they were going with us!"
"We haven't room, my dear," said her mother, for sometimes Sue would invite her friends to stay to dinner or to supper without knowing whether her mother thought it best. "Besides," went on Mrs. Brown, "you willfind many playmates, and enough to do, on grandpa's farm."
"Yes, I guess we will," said Bunny. "I'm going fishing."
"And I'm going to pick flowers," Sue said. "I don't like fishing, 'cause the worms on your hook are so squiggily."
Mr. and Mrs. Brown sat in easy chairs in the little dining room of the automobile. It was also the sitting room, when the table was not set. And it was the kitchen when the cooking was being done on the oil stove, so you see it was three rooms in one.
Beyond the dividing curtains was the bed room, with the four bunks against the wall. There were windows in that room, but the Brown family seemed to like best sitting in the one nearest the back doors of the automobile.
"It's just like being in a railroad train," said Bunny, as he looked out of the window, and waved to Harry Bentley, one of his friends, whom he saw, just then, on the steps in front of Harry's house.
"Yes," said Sue. "It's like a train, 'ceptin' it jiggles you more," for the street was a bitrough, and the car bumped unevenly along, and swayed from side to side.
"It will run more smoothly when we get out on the soft, dirt country road," Mr. Brown said.
A little later they had passed out of the village. On the front seat Bunker Blue steered the machine, and made it go faster or slower, just as he needed to.
Inside Splash walked about, feeling a little strange at first, perhaps. But he saw Bunny and Sue, and Mr. and Mrs. Brown, so of course he knew it was all right, and that he was one of the family.
"Mother, I'm hungry," said Sue. "Could I have something to eat?"
"Maybe a jam tart," added Bunny. "The kind Aunt Lu used to make, with the jam squashing up through the three little holes on top."
"Yes, I have made some of them," Mrs. Brown said. "I'll give you some. You must be hungry, as we had an early breakfast."
Mrs. Brown knew how to make jam tarts just like those Aunt Lu used to bake. A little cupboard was opened, and a plate of the nice tarts set on the table for the children.
"Oh!" murmured Sue.
"Ah!" said Bunny.
"And would you like a glass of cool milk?" asked Mrs. Brown.
"But how can we have cool milk, on a hot day, when we have no ice?" asked Bunny.
"Oh, but we have ice!" said Mrs. Brown, laughing. "See, Daddy had a little ice box put in, and I keep the butter, milk and other things that need to be cool, in there."
And, surely enough, in one corner of the dining-sitting-room and kitchen was a little icebox, out of which Mrs. Brown took a bottle of milk. So Bunny and Sue were having a nice little lunch, which tasted all the better because they were eating it as they rumbled along in the automobile-house-on-wheels.
Splash looked on hungrily, until Mr. Brown tossed him a dog biscuit. Sadie West had bought some for him, thinking she was going to keep the dog, but she had put the biscuits in the automobile when Bunny and Sue came for their pet.
Mile after mile, along the road, rumbled the big automobile van, like a circus wagon. Bunny and Sue sometimes sat near the back doors, looking out, or else they climbed up on boxes near the side windows. Mr. and Mrs. Brown sat and talked, and laughed at the funny things the children said. Out on the front seat Bunker Blue held the steering wheel.
"Could I ride outside, with him?" asked Bunny, after a while. "I want to ride outside, Daddy!"
"No, indeed, little man," answered his father. "You might get bounced off, and hurt. This auto isn't like Mr. Reinberg's, in which you once had a ride. It would not be safe for you or Sue to ride outside."
"But I want to talk to Bunker," persisted the little boy.
"Well, I think I can manage that," Mr. Brown went on. "There is a window in the front part of the auto, right close to the back of Bunker's seat. I'll open that window, and you can talk to him through it. Go into the bed room."
Bunny and Sue walked into the front partof the automobile, through the hanging curtains. And, surely enough, when Mr. Brown opened a window he had had cut in the front of the van, there was Bunker's smiling face looking in. He saw Bunny and Sue, and laughed.
"Oh, Bunker! Isn't this lovely?" asked Sue.
"Well, it's better than rowing a boat full of fish, anyhow, Sue."
"And we had something to eat," went on Bunny. "Are you hungry, Bunker?"
"Well, no, not real hungry. I had some chewing gum a while ago."
"I can give you a sandwich, Bunker, if you'd like it," said Mrs. Brown, looking out of the window, over the heads of Bunny and Sue. "Chewing gum isn't good to eat."
"Oh, I didn't swaller it," said the red-haired young man. "But I'm not hungry. I'll wait until dinner. I couldn't eat and steer this big auto at the same time. I'll wait."
"It will soon be time for dinner," said Mrs. Brown.
On went the car, and at noon it came to a stop in the road, near a shady bit of woods.
"Here's where we'll eat," said Mrs. Brown. "Shall we set the table inside, or out on the grass?"
"Out on the grass!" cried Bunny. "Then, we'll be just like Gypsies at a picnic."
So Mr. Brown lifted the table out of the automobile, and he and Bunny and Sue helped put on the dishes and the knives and forks. Mrs. Brown cooked the dinner on the oil stove. There were meat and potatoes and green peas, besides tomato soup, which Bunny liked very much.
There was milk for the children, and tea for the older folk, and they sat on chairs, under the trees, and ate what Bunny said was the best dinner he had ever had. Sue liked it too, and so did Bunker Blue.
Then, after a little rest, they went on again. Oh, I forgot to say that of course Splash had his dinner, also. He ate the scraps of meat, and the bread and potatoes left over when all the others had finished. He liked his dinner very much.
On rumbled the big automobile over the country roads. Many persons who passed it—some in other cars, and some in carriages—turned to look at the funny house-on-wheels. Perhaps they wished they had one like it.
"And are we going to sleep in it to-night?" asked Sue, when the sun began to go down.
"Yes," answered her mother. "I'll make up your little beds just as I do at home."
"But I can't sleep if it jiggles and squiggles so much, Mother!"
"We'll not travel at night," said Mr. Brown. "We'll find a nice place beside the road, run the auto under the trees, and stay there until morning. Then the auto won't jiggle you, Sue."
"All right, Daddy. That's nice!"
Just before dusk they stopped for supper. This was just as much enjoyed as was the dinner. Mrs. Brown made lemonade, when Bunker found a spring of cold water.
Just as supper was over, and they were sitting about the table, which was out on the ground near the back of the automobile, Mrs. Brown pointed to some smoke that was to be seen coming up through the trees, not far away.
"That looks like some one camping over there," she said to her husband.
"Maybe it is. There are several bands of Gypsies around here," he said. "It may be some of them."
Bunny Brown and his sister Sue looked at one another. They were both thinking of the same thing. Could these be the Gypsies who had taken grandpa's horses?
The smoke rose higher and higher through the trees, as Mr. and Mrs. Brown, with the help of Bunker, began to wash the supper dishes. Bunny and Sue walked a little distance away from the car, toward the smoke.
"Don't go too far!" their mother called to them.
"We won't," answered Bunny.
The two children walked slowly down the road, at the side of which, under some big willow trees, the automobile was drawn up for the night, which would soon come. Mrs. Brown was busy making up the beds. One for Bunker Blue was to be made on the ground, right under the automobile itself. An extra cot had been brought along for him, but it was folded up in the automobile.
Mr. Brown was busy looking over the machinery of the engine, or motor, that made the automobile go. He wanted to be sure it had not broken, so they would be able to go on again in the morning, and finally get to grandpa's farm.
"Where are you going, Bunker?" called Bunny, as he and Sue saw the big, red-haired boy start down the road with a pail on his arm.
"I'm going for water," Bunker replied.
"Why, we have some in the ice box," cried Sue, for she had had a glass a little while before. "You can drink that water, Bunker."
"Oh,Idon't want a drink, Sue. It's the automobile that wants one," Bunker answered.
"How funny!" laughed Sue. "Automobiles can't drink."
"Oh, yes, they can," replied Bunker. "I have to pour water in ours so the engine won't get too hot. It doesn't exactly drink it, but it needs it to cool itself off. That's why I'm going for water now."
"I'll come with you," offered Bunny. And of course where Bunny went, Sue went too. So the brother and sister were soon walking with Bunker down to the spring.
There he filled the pail with water, and, coming back with it, he poured it into what is called the radiator of the automobile—the place where the water itself is kept cool so it will cool the hot engine.
"There!" exclaimed Bunker, when he had finished. "Now the auto has had a good drink, and it can go to sleep when it wants to."
"Oh, do autos go to sleep?" Sue wanted to know.
"Well, they stay nice and quiet all night," her father told her. "At least I hope ours will, and that is almost the same as going to sleep. Now, Mother, have we everything ready for the night?"
"I think so," said Mrs. Brown. "Bunker, if you'll get out your cot, I'll make it for you, and then you can slide it under the automobile."
"Oh, thank you, Mrs. Brown," replied the big boy, "but I can make my own bunk. I'm used to it."
Mrs. Brown looked through the ice box, and in the cupboard. She wanted to see if she had everything she needed for breakfast. And, as soon as she opened the ice box she exclaimed:
"There! The milk! We won't have any for the children. There's only a little bit left. Where can we get any?"
Mr. Brown came back from having looked at the engine, which he found was all right.
"Milk?" he said. "Why, there's a farmhouse a little way over on that road," and he pointed to it. "I guess we could get milk over there."
"Then we'll have to do it. Bunker—no—you're making up your bed; aren't you? You can't go. You and I will go for the milk," she said to her husband.
"And take Bunny and Sue with us?"
"No, I think not. They seem to be having a good time and they'll be all right here with Bunker until we come back. There might be cross dogs at the farmhouse, and it may be too far for them to walk. You stay here, Bunny and Sue," she went on, "while daddy and I go for some fresh milk. Don't go far away now."
"No'm," promised Bunny again.
He and Sue saw many things to look at near the place where the automobile had stopped for the night. There were some flowers and ferns growing in the grass and Sue made a nice bouquet. Then Bunny found a place where he could break off long, willow branches from a tree, and he had fun playing he was the ring-master in a circus, crackingthe willow whip, and making the make-believe horses jump over "pretend" elephants.
Sue looked up from her flower gathering, and said to her brother:
"Oh, Bunny! Look what a lot of smoke!"
She pointed to where the smoke had been seen before, curling up through the trees of the woods.
"It is a lot of smoke," said Bunny. "Maybe the trees are on fire! Let's go and look!"
Bunny did not stop to think that if the woods were on fire it was not a very good place for him and his sister to go. But the trouble was with Bunny Brown, that he did what he wanted to do first, and thought about it afterward.
"If I had my fire engine here I could put out the fire," said Bunny. But his fire engine was only a toy, and though it did squirt water when he turned the handle, it only sprayed out a little—about a tin cup full. So I guess it could not have put out a very big fire.
"We'll go to see what it is," decided Sue. She was always willing to go where Bunny led her.
Bunny looked back toward the automobile. Bunker Blue was not to be seen. He was under the big van fixing up his cot for the night, that would soon be turning everything dark. Down a side road Bunny could see his father and mother, going to the farmhouse for the milk.
"We'll just walk a little way and look at the fire," said Bunny. "Mother or father won't care about that. And maybe we'll have to tell 'em there is a fire, so they can telephone for the engines."
"There aren't any telephones here in the woods," said Sue.
"Well, then they can holler for the engines," Bunny remarked. He did not care much about that part—he wanted to see the fire. "Come on!" he called to his sister.
And so the two tots started toward the place where they could see the smoke curling up over the trees. If Bunker Blue had seen the children, he would have called to them to come back. So would their father and mother.
But Mr. and Mrs. Brown were hurrying toward the farmhouse, and Bunker was underthe automobile. And just then he had struck his head on a piece of wood, and his head hurt so that Bunker had to rub it. And tears came into his eyes, though he did not exactly cry; but the tears did not let him see very good. That is why he did not see the children set out toward the fire.
So Bunny and Sue walked on toward the woods. The woods were darker than the road, and reaching the edge of the trees, Sue hung back.
"I don't want to go in," she whispered. "I'se afraid."
"Oh, don't be afraid," answered Bunny. "I won't let anything hurt you. Where's Splash? He won't let any one hurt you, either."
But the big dog was, just then, racing over the fields after a bird he thought he could catch. So no one saw Bunny Brown and his sister Sue, as they went into the woods. They could see the smoke of the fire much more plainly now.
And then, all of a sudden, they came to a place in the woods where there was a camp. There were white tents, and a number ofwagons, with looking glass on the sides, were standing near some horses which were eating grass. And, in and about the tents and wagons, in the woodland camp, were a number of dark-colored men, women and children. They looked like Indians, but Sue knew who they were as soon as she saw the gay wagons.
"Oh, Bunny!" Sue whispered. "They're Gypsies! Maybe they have grandpa's horses. This is a Gypsy camp, Bunny!"
Perhaps if Sue had not spoken of grandpa's lost horses Bunny might not have wanted to keep on toward the Gypsy camp. But when his sister spoke the little boy seemed to become brave, all at once.
"That's so, Sue!" he whispered to her, as he took hold of her hand, so she would not be frightened. "Maybe grandpa's horses are here. These folks are Gypsies, sure enough."
"Just like the pictures in the books," added Sue, also whispering.
She and Bunny could see where several Gypsy women and children were standing about the fire, over which were pots, from which steam came. The Gypsies were cooking their supper.
The men Gypsies stood near the horses andWagons, talking. Some of the men were smoking, and they all seemed to be having an easy time.
"Shall we go up and ask 'em if they have grandpa's horses?" Bunny inquired of Sue.
"Yes," she said. "But you won't let the Gypsies take me, will you?"
"Nope," said Bunny.
He and Sue had often heard their little playmates talk about Gypsies taking children away, but I do not believe this ever happens. The Gypsies have children of their own—children who like to live and travel in the queer wagons—and why should the Gypsies take other children who might be a trouble to them, and cry to come home?
Still Bunny and Sue thought the Gypsies might take them away in one of the wagons, with the shining looking glasses on the sides, or that they might be kept in one of the tents. But the two children wanted to find out about grandpa's horses, so they kept on.
By this time some of the Gypsy women had seen the two tots. One woman, who wore a bright handkerchief on her head, came up to Bunny and Sue and asked:
"Where are you going? Where do you live? Aren't you lost?"
"No'm," said Bunny, while Sue sort of slid around behind him. "We're not lost. Our automobile is over there," and Bunny pointed to the road. "We just came to see if you had our grandpa's horses."
The Gypsy woman seemed surprised, and called to one of the men, who came up, smoking a pipe.
"We are Gypsies, too," said Sue bravely. Perhaps she thought if she said that she would not be taken away. Or maybe she thought that would be the best way of finding the lost horses.
"You are Gypsies!" exclaimed the woman, smiling. Bunny thought it was queer she could speak just as he did. But most Gypsies, in this country, can talk our talk.
"We're going to grandpa's in a big automobile," said Bunny, to explain what Sue meant, "and it's got beds in, and a table and a stove, just like your wagons," and he waved his hand toward the queer carts in which the Gypsies traveled from camp to camp.
"You are funny little Gypsies," laughed the woman. "But what is this about grandpa's horses?"
"Maybe their grandfather has horses to sell—or trade," suggested the Gypsy man. "Where does he live, little chap?"
"Oh, a good way off," answered Bunny, hardly at all afraid now. "But he hasn't any horses, 'cause he let some Gypsies take his horses to pull their wagons, and they didn't bring 'em back. So my grandpa has no horses, but I thought maybe you had 'em."
Some other Gypsies, who had gathered around to hear what was being said, laughed at this. Then the man spoke.
"We have some horses," he said, "but they are not your grandfather's, little chap. But I think you had better run home, or run back to where ever your automobile is. Your mother may be looking for you."
Bunny and Sue had not thought of that.
"I—I guess we had better go home," said Sue.
"Yes," agreed Bunny. "If grandpa's horses aren't here we had better go back."
"Do you know the way?" asked the Gypsy woman. "If you are afraid I will go with you, if you tell me where your automobile is."
"I—I guess we can find it—thank you," said Bunny. He was not sure that he could, for it was almost dark now, and the Gypsy fire looked bright and cheerful. But Bunny did not want to walk along through the woods with the Gypsy woman. She might, after all, take him and his sister.
"Come on, Sue," said Bunny to the little girl, and they turned back on the path by which they had come.
"Good-bye!" called the Gypsy woman after them. "Come again and see us, and I will tell your fortunes."
"All right," answered Bunny, waving his hand.
"What's a fortune?" asked Sue, when they had walked on a little way.
"It means what's going to happen to you."
"Well, lots happened to us, Bunny. I slid down the clay-bank hill and so did you; and once I sat in a hen's nest and broke the eggs."
"That isn't a fortune," said Bunny. "That'sjust bad luck! But let's run, Sue. It's getting awful dark, and maybe we can't find the automobile. Let's run!"
Bunny set off, fairly dragging Sue after him. But she called out:
"Oh, Bunny! I can't run! My legs is too tired! Let's go back, and get the Gypsy woman to take us."
"No," said Bunny. "I can find our auto all right."
He kept on. He went more slowly, though, so Sue would not get tired. At first Bunny managed to keep to the path through the woods—the path that led from the main road, on which their automobile was standing. But, in a little while, Bunny found himself walking into a patch of bushes.
"Oh! oh!" cried Sue, as the bushes scratched her face. "Where are you going, Bunny?"
Bunny did not answer, for he did not know himself. He was off the path.
"Oh, dear!" cried Sue. "Let's go back to the Gypsy camp, Bunny!"
"No, I'll find the way," he said. "I'll find our automobile."
Just then there was a rustling in the bushes, and in the dried leaves under them, and Sue, somewhat frightened, exclaimed:
"Oh, Bunny! What was that?"
Once again Bunny did not answer for a moment for he did not know what the noise was. But he did not have to speak, for, a second later, there came a loud bark.
"Oh, it's a dog!" cried Sue. "Maybe it's one of the Gypsy dogs come after us!"
A dog did rush up to Bunny and Sue, but it was a good, friendly dog, and seemed very glad to see them. It jumped about Bunny, and, no sooner had the little boy put his hands on the shaggy back of the frisking animal, than Bunny cried out:
"Why it's Splash! It's our dog Splash!"
"Oh, how glad I am!" laughed Sue. "Now we're all right. Oh, you dear old Splash!"
She put her arms about the neck of Splash, and he seemed as glad to meet Bunny and Sue as they were to see him. Then a voice called from the darkness:
"Bunny! Sue! Where are you?"
"Oh, it's daddy!" Bunny cried.
"Oh you children!" another voice said.
"It's mother!" shouted Bunny. "Here we are!" he added. "We went to the Gypsy camp to look for grandpa's horses, but we're coming back now. We didn't find the horses, but Splash found us."
The next minute Mr. and Mrs. Brown were beside Bunny and Sue, while Splash frisked about and barked, as though he had done it all.
"Oh, Bunny and Sue!" said Mrs. Brown. "You shouldn't have gone away. You should have stayed with Bunker. He was quite frightened about you, and so were we."
"But you're not scared now; are you Mother?" asked Bunny. "'Cause we're not lost any more."
"But I'm tired and sleepy," said Sue. "I want to go to bed."
"Yes, I guess bed is the best place for all of us," said Mr. Brown. "Now, Bunny—Sue—you must not go away like this again. You might have been lost in the woods all night."
"The Gypsies would have brought us home," observed Bunny. "One Gypsy ladywanted to, but I thought I could get home myself. And I almost did," he added.
"Tell me about the Gypsies," said Mrs. Brown, as she looked off through the woods, where a faint glow of the camp fire could be seen.
Bunny and Sue told of their little adventure. They were sorry they did not find grandpa's horses for him.
"I guess the Gypsies who have them are far away from here," remarked Mr. Brown. A light was seen flickering through the trees, along the path, and a voice called:
"Where are you?"
"It's Bunker Blue," said Mother Brown. "I told him to come after us with a lantern."
Soon Bunker came up.
"Did you find 'em?" he asked eagerly.
"Yes," Mr. Brown answered. "They're all right."
And, a little later, they were all safely at the big automobile. Bunny and Sue had some bread, with the milk their father and mother had bought at the farmhouse. Then they were undressed and tucked in the little bunks.Bunker went to sleep in his cot, under the van, and Splash curled up on the grass near him. And, after seeing that everything was snug for the night, Mr. and Mrs. Brown went to bed also. Their first day's travel was over.
Every one had been sleeping soundly for some time, and Bunny was dreaming that he had found grandpa's horses, and was riding down a slippery hill on one of them, when, all of a sudden, in the middle of the night there came a loud yell:
"Let me alone! Get away from here!"
"That's Bunker Blue!" Bunny heard his father say. Bunny sat up, hardly awake. Sue also sat up in her bunk.
Then Splash began barking under the automobile, where Bunker was sleeping. Only Bunker was not sleeping now, for he was wide awake, and he called out again:
"Quit, I say! Oh, Mr. Brown! Mr. Brown! Somebody's trying to upset the auto!"
"Oh Mamma!" wailed Sue.
Bunny did not know what to do.
"Wait a minute! I'm coming!" called Mr. Brown, as he jumped out of bed.
"What is it?" cried Bunny Brown. "What's the matter?"
"Is it a Gypsy after Bunker Blue?" asked his sister Sue.
Mrs. Brown pulled aside the light curtains that hung in front of the children's bunks.
"Don't be frightened," she said. "It isn't anything. Perhaps Bunker is dreaming, and talking in his sleep. Daddy will make it all right."
"Is Splash barking in his sleep?" Sue wanted to know.
Mother Brown laughed, and Bunny and Sue felt better after that.
Once more Bunker Blue called out:
"Hey! Quit, will you? Stop it! Ouch! I'm being tickled! Oh!"
Bunny Brown and his sister Sue laughedagain. They could not help it, for it seemed so funny—Bunker Blue being tickled in his sleep.
By this time Mr. Brown had lighted a lantern, slipped on a bath robe, put some slippers on his feet and was going down the back, outside steps of the van. These steps, you remember, folded up, out of the way, when the automobile was traveling.
"What is it, Bunker? What's the matter?" Bunny and Sue heard their father ask.
"Why—why, I don't know what it is," answered the red-haired lad who steered the automobile. "But it's some big animal after me. He poked his head right into my cot, and he struck me with something sharp. Maybe he tried to bite me."
Mr. Brown flashed his lantern under the automobile where Bunker was sleeping. Only, of course, as I told you, Bunker was not asleep now. Nor was Splash, for the dog was running about and barking.
"Why, this is funny," said Mr. Brown. "I don't see anything, Bunker. Are you sure you didn't dream it all?"
"Dream it? No, sir! I felt it!"
Just then there came a loud "Moo! Moo! Moo!"
Bunny Brown and his sister Sue knew right away what that was.
"A cow!" they both cried. "It's only a cow!"
Their father, outside, looking under the automobile where Bunker Blue had his cot, heard them.
"Yes, it is a cow," he said, and his lantern flashed on a big, brown cow. There she stood, a little way back from the automobile, looking at Mr. Brown and Splash, and blinking her eyes at the lantern. She could not see Bunker under the automobile.
"Yes, it was the cow that scared you, Bunker," said Mr. Brown. "She must have been tied to a stake, in some pasture, but she pulled herself loose, and came over to see you."
"Well I didn't want to see her!" exclaimed Bunker, poking his head out from beneath the van. "She can just go right back where she came from."
"And I guess she wanted to get some of the long, sweet grass that grows under your cot," went on Mr. Brown. "That's why she came."
And that was what had happened. The cow had pulled up the stake to which she was fastened, and had wandered from her pasture, down the road, to where Bunker was asleep under the automobile. The cow had not meant to wake him up, but as she reached for the grass her horns must have poked Bunker as he slept on his cot. That was what made him cry out.
Mr. Brown took hold of the cow's rope, and led her far enough off to keep her from bothering Bunker again that night. Then Mr. Brown tied the rope to a fence, and came back to tell Bunny, Sue and their mother all about it.
"Well, I'm glad it wasn't Gypsies," said Sue, as she curled up in her bunk again, to go to sleep.
"Pooh!" cried Bunny. "Gypsies don't have horns like cows!"
They were soon quiet again, though Splash did growl once in a while, as he heard thecow moving about, a little way off. But at last even Splash went to sleep, and so did Bunker. Nothing more bothered them, and it was broad daylight, and the sun was shining, when Bunny Brown and the others opened their eyes again.
"Breakfast! Breakfast!" cried Mother Brown. "Bunny! Sue! Wash for breakfast!"
There was a wash basin and stand in one corner of the automobile bed-room, and though it was quite different from the big bath room at home, Bunny and Sue washed their faces and hands very nicely, and thought what fun it was.
While they were doing this, Mother Brown was cooking the breakfast on the oil stove, and Daddy Brown, and Bunker Blue were setting the table out under the trees. Splash was not doing anything except looking hungry.
"Where's the cow?" asked Bunny, as he came down the automobile steps.
"Did she give us any milk for our breakfast?" Sue wanted to know.
"No," answered her father. "The farmerwho owned her came to get her a little while ago. He said she often strayed away from her field in the night. He might have given us some milk, if he had had a pail, but we have plenty in our ice box. Now then—breakfast!"
And what a fine breakfast it was! eaten at the table, out of doors, under the willow tree. There were oranges, oatmeal and big glasses of cool milk, with soft-boiled eggs. Daddy and Mother Brown bought the eggs at the farmhouse the night before, when they went for the milk.
Splash, too, had his breakfast, and then he went roaming off over the fields, perhaps looking for another dog with which to have a game of tag—or whatever game it is that dogs play.
"Are you going to see the Gypsies this morning?" asked Bunny. He seemed very much interested in the strange folk who went about the country, living in their gay wagons.
"No, I think we'll travel on to grandpa's farm," his father answered. "We won't go to see the Gypsies. They aren't the ones who took grandpa's horses."
A little later the automobile started, Bunker Blue sitting on the front seat to steer. Mr. Brown sat with him, to tell him the right road to take, so they would not be lost.
Mrs. Brown, with Bunny and Sue, sat inside the automobile, near the windows, which were opened to let in the breeze, as the day was quite hot. It was lovely traveling this way.
They did not go as fast as they might, for Mr. Brown wanted Bunker to go carefully. Then, too, there was no hurry. It was such fun, traveling in this new way, that Bunny and Sue would not have minded if they could have kept it up all Summer.
They stopped, that noon, near a little brook to eat their dinner. It was not far from a small town, and Bunker walked in and came back with some ice cream.
After dinner they went on again, and, as it looked as though it might rain that night, Mr. Brown said they would stop near the next village, so, in case the storm was a bad one, they could go to a hotel to sleep.
"But the rain won't come in the auto," said Bunny.
"No, but it might wet Bunker if he sleeps outside, under it," his mother said.
"Let Bunker sleep in the dining room," suggested Bunny.
"Well, we can do that, if it rains too hard for him to sleep out of doors," Mrs. Brown agreed, with a laugh.
The automobile was stopped in a grove of trees, not far from the town, and, when Mrs. Brown was getting supper, Bunny and Sue, with their dog, Splash, walked down the road.
"Don't go too far," their mother called after them. "It might rain any time."
"We'll be back soon," answered the little boy.
He and Sue walked on, not thinking they were going far. The clouds did not seem so dark now, and the children thought that perhaps, after all, it might not rain.
All at once Sue, who had gone on a little ahead of Bunny, called out:
"Oh, look! A horse! It's a horse, Bunny, and nobody's with him! Maybe it's one of grandpa's!"
"Maybe it is!" Bunny agreed. "It's lost,anyhow. I'll catch him, and we'll keep him. We'll take him to our auto, and fetch him to grandpa. He'll be real glad."
Bunny was not afraid of horses, especially one as kind and gentle as this one looked to be. Bunny had often fed grass to the grocer's horse, when it stopped in front of their house, and once the grocer's boy had held Bunny on the back of the horse, and had given him a ride.
So now, as Bunny walked up to this horse, which was coming slowly along the road, the little fellow was not in the least afraid.
"Whoa, horsie!" he called, and the horse stood still.
"Oh, I know it's grandpa's horse!" cried Sue, clapping her hands "Grandpa's horses always stand still when you say 'whoa!' and that's what this one did. Oh, Bunny! Aren't you glad?"
Bunny Brown walked right up to the horse. Around the animal's neck was a long rope, that dangled to the ground. Bunny took hold of this rope, and called:
"Gid-dap! Come on!"
That was what he had heard the grocery boy call to his horse, and it was what Bunny said to his dog Splash, when he wanted Splash to run with the express wagon, to which he was sometimes harnessed. Splash, who had run on ahead of Bunny and Sue, now came trotting back. He did not seem surprised to see Bunny with a horse. To Splash, everything Bunny did was all right.
The dog barked at the horse once or twice, but that was only his way of speaking, I suppose, and the horse lowered his head, and put his nose close to the dog.
"Oh, now they're friends!" cried Sue, clapping her hands. "But don't let him bite you, Bunny."
"Let who bite me?"
"That horse."
"Horses don't bite," said Bunny. "They just eat hay and grass and oats. Anyhow his head's too high up. He can't reach me to bite me."
Bunny now started back down the road towards the automobile, leading the horse by the rope. Sue followed, but she did not like to go so near the horse as her brother went. Sue was just a little bit afraid.
"Isn't it good we found one of grandpa's horses," Sue cried. "I wish I could find the other one, Bunny."
"Maybe you will, to-morrow. We'll take this one to the auto, and then we can look for the second one."
"How'd you s'pose he came to be on the road?"
"I don't know," Bunny answered. "Maybe he got away from the Gypsies."
"Oh, I hope grandpa's other horse getsaway," Sue cried. "And I hope I find it. But I'll let you lead it for me, Bunny. 'Cause it might step on me."
"I'll lead it. I'm not afraid," said the little boy.
This horse did not seem to mind in the least being led along by Bunny. It walked slowly, and Splash followed behind. Perhaps the dog thought he, too, was helping drive the horse along, and, for all I know, he may have been. Dogs drive sheep, and I should think they could drive horses too; shouldn't you?
Pretty soon Bunny and Sue, with the horse they had found, came within sight of the big automobile, around a turn of the road. They saw their mother and father looking down the highway.
"We thought you had run away again," called Mrs. Brown.
"Oh, no!" answered Bunny, as if he and Sue never did such a thing as that. And really, they never, at any time, exactly intended to run away. It was always an accident!
"Well, come along to supper!" Mr. Brown said. "We're glad you're home."
Then Mrs. Brown happened to notice the horse that Bunny was leading.
"Oh my goodness me!" she cried. "That horse! Is it chasing you, Bunny—Sue!"
"No'm!" answered Bunny, quite proudly. "I'm leading it. We found it. It's a lost horse. It's one of grandpa's! We'll take it home to him!"
For a moment Mr. Brown did not speak. Mrs. Brown did not know what to say, either. She just stood there, looking at Bunny and Sue. Then Mr. Brown began to laugh.
"Well, what will you youngsters do next?" he cried. "Why, you're as bad as the Gypsies, taking horses that don't belong to you!"
"But we found this one, Daddy!" said Bunny. "He was all alone on the road, and when I told him to whoa he whoaed."
"Just like grandpa's horses," explained Sue.
"So I took him," went on Bunny. "He's one of grandpa's horses, and to-morrow Sue and I are going to find the other one."
Mr. Brown laughed harder than ever.
"Oh, do take that horse away from Bunny!" begged Mrs. Brown. "He may run away, orbite the children, or do something! Take him away!"
"Why, he's an awful nice horse," Bunny said. "He didn't step on us, or run away, or do anything. And Splash likes him, and so do I and Sue. We're going to take him to grandpa."
"Bunny is lucky," said Sue. "He found Aunt Lu's diamond ring, and now he has found one of grandpa's horses; haven't you, Bunny?"
"Yep. But I guess the horse is hungry, Daddy. Shall I tie him to the automobile where he can get some grass?"
"No indeed!" cried Mr. Brown. "If we tie the horse to our auto he may run off with it. I'll just tie him to the fence, as I did the cow, and when the man who owns him comes along he can take him away."
"Take him away!" cried Bunny. "Why, it's grandpa's horse!"
"Oh, no, son!" said Mr. Brown kindly. "I don't like to make you feel bad, but this isn't grandpa's horse. It belongs to some one around here, and it probably strayed away,just as the cow did last night. Some one will be along after it soon, so I'll tie it to the fence."
"Oh, dear!" sighed Sue, as her father fastened the horse. "I thought it was grandpa's, and he'd be so glad; didn't you, Bunny?"
"Yes, but never mind. Maybe we can find another horse, to-morrow, thatwillbe grandpa's. Anyhow I'm hungry now."
It did not take much to make Bunny think of something new.
"I'm hungry, too," said Sue. "We'll look for another horse to-morrow."
The one they had found straying down the road was now eating grass near the fence. He did not seem to mind where he was. Splash lay down near him, as though to watch, so he would not stray off again.
"Shall we eat outside?" asked Mr. Brown of his wife, "or do you think it will rain?"
"I think not. We'll have an early supper. And unless it rains too hard we won't go to the village hotel. We'll stay here."
"And let Bunker put his cot in the dining room," added Mr. Brown, "if it's too wet under the auto."
"Oh, I don't mind the rain," said Bunker, who was washing the potatoes for supper.
The little table was set out under a tree, and there supper was eaten. It was almost over when a man came along the road.
"Good evening!" he called, and he looked surprised to see the big automobile, and the little supper party. "Good evening. Have you folks seen a stray horse? One of mine ran away——"
Then he saw the one Bunny had found, which Mr. Brown had tied to the fence.
"Why, there's my horse now!" the man cried. "How'd it get here?"
"I found it," said Bunny. "I thought it was my grandpa's, but it isn't, daddy says. Is it yours?"
"Why, yes, little man, it is. And I'm glad you found him. He might have gone off a good way if you hadn't stopped him."
Then Bunny told how he had led the horse along the road, and Mr. Brown explained why it was he and his family were traveling in the big automobile to grandpa's farm.
"If you'll send over to my place," promisedthe farmer, as he led his horse away, "I'll give you some peaches and pears."
"Thank you," answered Mr. Brown. "We'll be glad to get them."
And, after supper, Bunker Blue went over, coming back with a nice basket of fruit.
"So it's a good thing, Bunny, that you found the horse after all," said his mother, "even if it wasn't grandpa's."
Bunny thought so too, as he looked at the nice peaches and pears which the farmer had sent over.
It did rain that night, but not very hard, and Bunker, instead of coming into the automobile to sleep, hung some canvas curtains around his cot under the car, and slept there. He said he liked to be out in the rain, and he had often been on one of Mr. Brown's boats, all night, out on the bay in a storm.
It was bright and clear in the morning, and, after a good breakfast, they started off again. Bunny and Sue, looking from the windows of the automobile, hoped to see some other horses, which might really be grandpa's missing ones, but they were disappointed.
Nothing much happened for the rest of the trip, which lasted another day. If Mr. Brown had wished to hurry he could have gone to grandpa's in two days, but he took his time.
On the afternoon of the third day Bunker Blue steered the big machine down a little hill. At the foot was a big white house, with a red barn back of it.
"There's grandpa's!" called Mr. Brown.
"Yes, and there is grandpa himself standing at the gate to meet us!" Mrs. Brown said. "Wave your hands to him, Bunny and Sue!"
The children did, from the windows of the automobile. Then Bunker steered it up the driveway. Bunny and Sue jumped out.
"Hello, Grandpa!" cried Bunny.
"Hello, Grandma!" laughed Sue.
And, a second later, they were being hugged by the dear old couple, while Mr. and Mrs. Brown got out of the automobile more slowly.
"Oh, Grandpa, did you find your horses the Gypsies took?" Bunny asked.
"No," answered Grandpa Brown. "I guess I'll never see 'em again! And it was my best team, too!" and he shook his head sadly.
Bunny Brown and his sister Sue walked up the path to the house with Grandpa Brown. Sue had hold of one of grandpa's hands, and Bunny the other. Behind them came father and mother, with Grandma Brown.
"Are you glad to see us, Grandpa?" asked Sue.
"Glad to see you? Well I should say I am!" cried grandpa. "I thought you would never get here. And what a fine big auto you came in!"
"It's a moving van," Bunny explained. "You put pianos and chairs and tables in it, and you take them to the new house, when you move. Only we didn't move our things—we moved just ourselves."
"We had lots of fun!" cried Sue.
"It certainly is a nice way to travel," saidGrandpa Brown. "Better than with a horse and wagon, or even the steam cars."
"Yes," agreed Bunny. "We're awful sorry about your horses, Grandpa. We saw some Gypsies, and we asked them if they had your team, but they said they hadn't."
"No. I guess the Gypsies that took my horses, to use for a little while, but forgetting to bring them back, are far enough away from here now," said Grandpa Brown. "I'd like to get my team back, though. They cost a lot of money."
"We almost had a horse; didn't we, Sue?" asked Bunny, as he told of the one they had found walking along the road.
"Yes, we almost had a horse; and we did have a cow, Bunny."
Grandpa Brown laughed when they told him how the cow had put her head under the automobile, where Bunker Blue was sleeping, and had tickled him in the ribs.
"Well, well!" laughed Grandpa Brown. "That was funny! But now you're here, and I guess you're hungry; aren't you? Mother, these children are hungry!" cried GrandpaBrown to his wife, though Bunny and Sue had not said so. But probably Grandpa Brown knew that boys and girls are almost always hungry.
"Well, come right in," was Grandma Brown's invitation, "and I'll get you all something to eat."
Bunker Blue had run the automobile up to the big red barn. The doors were open, and in the automobile went on the barn floor. The barn was large enough to take in a load of hay, and the automobile was not quite so high as that.
Soon Bunny and Sue, with their father and mother, were seated at the table, eating a little lunch, and Mr. and Mrs. Brown talked about the trip, and Grandpa Brown told more about his lost horses.
"You see it was this way," said Grandpa Brown. "The Gypsies were camped not far from here. They had been around here some time, and they had done no harm, as far as I could see. Then, one day, a Gypsy man came over and wanted to buy horses from me.
"But I needed my teams, and so I wouldn'tsell him any horses. Then he wanted to borrow my two horses to pull some of their wagons, for they were going to a new camp. He said two of his horses had died.
"I wanted to help the Gypsies, for some of them are good, so I let the man take my best team of horses. He said he would bring them back the next day. But he never did. I hunted all over, and I had the police look, too, but we never could find the Gypsies, or my horses. It's too bad!" and once more Grandpa Brown shook his head.
"I found Aunt Lu's diamond ring," said Bunny, "and maybe I'll find your horses, Grandpa."
"Well, I wish you would, little man, but I'm afraid you can't. They're gone!"
"Haven't you any horses left?" asked Sue. "'Cause if you haven't I'll give you all the money in my bank, and you can buy some new ones."
"Bless her little heart!" cried grandma, giving Sue a hug.
"Oh, I have some horses left," Grandpa Brown said, "and I'll take you out to the barnand show them to you. But my best ones are with the Gypsies."
"Well, maybe we'll find 'em!" said Bunny. But even Sue, who nearly always thought what Bunny said was just right, shook her little head.
The two children, when they had finished the meal, started out of doors.
"Where are you going?" asked Mother Brown.
"Out to the barn, to see the horses," Bunny answered.
"Better get on your old clothes," their mother advised. "You and Sue might want to slide down the hay, and sit in a hen's nest again, and old clothes are best for that."
"Yes, I guess so," laughed Sue, as she thought of what had once happened to her.
A little later, wearing their play clothes, which would not be harmed, even if they rolled in the dirt, Bunny and Sue set out for the barn to see what they could find. Bunny knew his way about grandpa's farm, for he was older than Sue, and he remembered having been there once before.
"Oh, here's a horse, Sue!" he cried, as he went into the barn.
Looking over the edge of the manger, or box where his hay and oats were put, was a brown horse. He sniffed at the children, and whinnied, as if glad to see them. When a horse whinnies it is just as if he laughs.
"Hullo!" said Bunny, and, liking horses, and not being afraid, he went up and patted this one on the nose. "Come on, Sue, rub him."
"No, Bunny, I'm afraid!"
"Oh, he won't hurt you."
"Well, I—I can't reach!"
"I'll get you a box to stand on, Sue."
Bunny looked around, and found a box. He was putting it in front of the stall of the brown horse, stooping over to get it just right, when he felt some one pulling on his coat.
"Don't do that, Sue!" cried Bunny.
"I'm not doing anything," she answered.
"Yes you are, too! You're pulling my coat, and I can't fix the box."
"Oh, Bunny Brown! I am not!" And Sue stood right in front of her brother so he couldsee that she was not touching him. And, just then, Bunny's coat was pulled again. Certainly, this time it was not Sue.
"Why—why—what is it?" asked Bunny.
"Oh, Bunny! It's a goat! A goat is pulling your coat!" Sue cried.
"A goat!"
"Yes, look! He has hold of you now!"
Bunny turned around quickly as he felt his coat being pulled again.
"Ho! That's a sheep—not a goat!" he cried. And indeed it was an old sheep, or, rather, a ram, with queer, curling horns. And the ram had reached over a low door of the stall, next to the brown horse, and was pulling Bunny's coat.
"I thought it was a goat," said Sue.
"And I thought you were pulling my coat," laughed Bunny, "so we're even. Hello, sheep!" he called. "What do you want?"
"Ba-a-a-a-a-a!" bleated the ram.
"Maybe he's hungry," said Sue.
"Then we'll go and pull some grass for him, and we'll pull some for the horse, too," cried Bunny.
Out into the field, back of the barn, went Bunny Brown and his sister Sue. They pulled up big handfuls of the sweet, green grass. At least it was sweet to horses, sheep and cows, though it would not taste sweet to you boys and girls.
Then back into the barn went the children. And the horse and ram seemed very glad to get the grass. Three times Bunny and Sue ran out and got more grass. And every time Bunny would feed the horse any grass, the ram would reach over and pull on his coat.
"I guess the sheep wants you to love him instead of the horsie," said Sue. "I'll pat the sheep, Bunny. I'm not afraid of him."
So Sue rubbed the ram's black nose. He seemed glad to see her, and put out his red tongue to lick her hands.
"Oh, it feels so funny!" laughed Sue. "It tickles me and feels almost as squiggily as when you pick up a worm. Come on out and play, Bunny."
They went out in the garden, and there they saw one of Grandpa Brown's hired men stooping down between the rows of onions.
"Are you picking them?" asked Bunny. "Are you picking the onions?"
"No, little man. I'm pulling up the weeds."
"I'll help you," offered Bunny, and, stooping over, he began to pull up some tall, round green stalks.
"Don't! Oh, don't do that!" cried the man.
"Why?" asked Bunny, and Sue, who had started to do as her brother was doing, looked up, wondering what was wrong.
"Why, you're pulling up the onions!" said the man. "We wantthemto grow."
"Oh!" said Bunny. He looked, but he could not tell which were the weeds and which the onions.
"Is this a weed?" asked Sue, and she pulled up something green. "It smells like a weed! Oh, I don't like the smell!" and she made a funny face, as she brought her hands near her nose.
"That's an onion," the hired man said. "I guess you had better run in from the garden, and let me do the weeding. When you get older you can tell which are weeds and which are onions."
"I'm never going to eat onions, anyhow!" Sue said, making another funny face, with her nose all wrinkled.
"I don't like onions, either," Bunny said. "They have an awful funny smell; haven't they, mister?"
"Well, some folks think so," and the hired man went on with his weeding while the children ran away.
But they did not go to the house. Instead they walked farther on through the garden, until they came to some rows of boxes.
"Oh, look at the cute play-houses!" cried Sue. "Let's look at them, Bunny."
"All right," answered her brother.
They went up to one of the houses. A queer sort of buzzing sound came from it.
"Let's look inside," said Bunny.
"All right," agreed Sue. "There's a lot of flies in front, Bunny," and she pointed to them.
As Bunny was about to lift off the top of one of the boxes, he heard the hired man, from the onion patch, calling:
"Get away! Run away from there or you'll be stung! Run! Run!"