CHAPTER IIIWONDERFUL NEWS
Bunny Brown and his sister Sue made a rush for the hall to meet their father. In fact, they always ran to meet him as soon as they heard him enter the house. But this time, because he called out that he had great news for them, there was an extra reason for hurrying.
“Don’t make too much noise, my dears,” said Mrs. Brown, motioning to the injured sailor.
“He doesn’t hear them,” said Uncle Tad, who was sitting beside Mr. Pott. “He’s off in a stupor now. I’m afraid he’s going to be a very sick man.”
“Too bad,” murmured Mrs. Brown. “If we could only find his son and get word to him about his father.”
“Likely the son will never be found,” replied Uncle Tad in a low voice.
“Well, we’ll take care of this poor man until Dr. Rudd sees him again,” went on Mrs. Brown. “By that time he may be better.”
Bunny and Sue found their father out in the hall. Generally they rushed at him with merry peals of laughter and jolly shouts. But now they had heard what their mother said about disturbing Mr. Pott, so they were a little quieter.
“What’s the great news, Daddy?” asked Bunny.
“Are we going away somewhere?” Sue wanted to know. To travel was the delight of the two children, and nothing pleased them so much as to be on the move—it did not much matter where, as long as they were seeing something new. But probably most children are like that.
“Yes, I think perhaps we are going away—on the rolling ocean,” said Mr. Brown. “I’ll tell you more about it in a little while. But what is going on here? Some one told me there had been an accident here, though I see it isn’t either of you two who is hurt. And itcan’t be mother, for I hear her talking to Uncle Tad.”
“It’s Mr. Pott,” explained Bunny. “He’s a sailor and he lost his son Harry and the treasure and he was on a horse.”
“But he fell off the horse,” quickly added Sue. “And, Daddy, he ’most fell on us when we played store!”
“My! I should say that was a lot to have happen to one,” said Mr. Brown. “Now don’t make too much noise if we have a sick man in the house.”
He went into the room where his wife and Uncle Tad were keeping watch over Mr. Pott, and from Mrs. Brown soon learned all there was to know about the matter.
“Too bad,” said Mr. Brown. “Well, perhaps things may turn out all right after all, but it’s pretty hard for the old man to lose his son and a treasure at the same time.”
Making the sailor as comfortable as possible, and leaving Uncle Tad to watch over him, Mr. and Mrs. Brown and the children went to another room where they could talk together.
“What’s this about some news the children say you have?” asked Mrs. Brown.
“It is news, yes, in a way,” answered her husband. “How would you like to take a trip?”
“It depends on where the trip is,” his wife said, with a smile. “If I had my choice I would like to go down south where it is lovely and warm and where there are so many flowers and birds.”
“You must have guessed what I was going to say,” laughed Mr. Brown, “for down south is where I was thinking of going.”
“Is it down to the sunny south where we were once before?” asked Bunny. The Brown children had once taken a trip to the southland.
“Not exactly the same place,” Mr. Brown replied. “Of course, the south is always sunny, but this time I have in mind an ocean voyage. I have to go to the West Indies on business, and I have a chance to go on a steamer which one of the big fish companies is sending. They have given me the use of two staterooms, so there will be room for all ofus. If you want to go and take the children, my dear,” he said to his wife, “I think it would be a pleasant trip for us all.”
“I don’t see how we could very well leave them at home,” remarked Mrs. Brown, looking at Bunny and Sue.
“Leave us at home? I guess not!” cried Bunny. “I wouldn’t stay!”
“And if Bunny doesn’t stay at home I’m not going to stay!” announced Sue, almost ready to cry.
“There, now, don’t get excited,” laughed Mr. Brown. “No one is going to be left at home.”
“And are we really going on the ocean?” asked Bunny.
“To get to the West Indies down near Cuba we must go on the ocean,” answered Mr. Brown. “But though the ocean may roll a bit, it will not be very rough, if that’s what you’re thinking of.”
“Tell me more about it,” begged Mrs. Brown, while the children listened.
“Well, it isn’t all settled yet,” Mr. Brown replied. “But, as you know, I sell some ofmy fish to the Empire Sea Food Company of Philadelphia. One of their men was in to see me the other day and told of an especial trip one of their steamers was going to make to the West Indies. They are to look up new places from which they may have southern fish shipped to them. This man said there would be plenty of room on theBeacon, which is the name of the steamer. She isn’t going to carry regular passengers, just the crew, some members of the fish company, and some of the wives of the officers of the company.
“So, as he offered me the use of two staterooms, which will be just enough for us, I thought perhaps you and the children might like to go. I can leave my head clerk and Bunker Blue in charge of my business here, and Uncle Tad can look after the house. So there is no reason why we can’t all go on the rolling ocean.”
“I think I should love it,” said Mrs. Brown.
“Are we going to-morrow?” Sue wanted to know. “’Cause if we are, I’ve got to put a new dress on my doll.”
“Oh, no, we won’t go to-morrow!” laughedher father. “Perhaps not for a week yet. You’ll have plenty of time to dress Sallie Ann, if that’s the name of your doll.”
“No,” said Sue, thinking the matter over, “I haven’t any doll named Sallie Ann. But,” she added quickly, “if you would get me a new doll I could name her Sallie Ann.”
“Oh, ho, you little tyke! So that’s what you’re thinking of, are you?” exclaimed Mr. Brown, catching Sue up in his arms. “Well, we’ll see about the new doll later on. But if you think it is settled about making the trip, I’ll send word to Captain Ward of theBeaconso our staterooms will be made ready.”
“Yes, I think we’ll take the trip,” said Mrs. Brown.
Just then Sue called:
“Oh, look at Bunny! What’s he doing?”
Well might she ask that, for Bunny was moving about the room, reeling from side to side, heaving and rolling his shoulders and head as though trying to turn himself inside out.
“Bunny! What’s the matter?” called his mother. “Are you ill?”
“No, I’m not sick!” replied Bunny, straightening up. “I’m just making believe I’m on a ship on the rolling ocean. The ocean rolls, daddy said, and I’m rolling. I’m on the rolling ocean! The rolling ocean!” With a laugh, Bunny again made his shoulders move in that funny way, imitating the heaving and swaying of a ship in the swell of the sea.
“You’ll get plenty of that before we reach the West Indies,” said Mr. Brown. “The ocean will roll for you all you want it to.”
“I like the ocean,” announced the little boy. “I’m going to fish in it when we get on the steamer.”
“And maybe you’ll catch a crab and it will pinch you,” said Sue.
“I like crabs,” declared Bunny.
“I don’t,” stated Sue. “I don’t like ’em alive! Once I got pinched by a crab.” This was true. The children had gone out fishing in Sandport Bay with Bunker Blue once upon a time. A crab had been caught and before Sue could get out of the way of the queer, sidewise-moving creature, it had nipped her on the leg.
“Well, since it is all settled that we are to go on the rolling ocean,” announced Mr. Brown, “I’ll send word to Captain Ward. He asked me to let him know, and—”
“Hark!” suddenly exclaimed Mrs. Brown, holding up her hand for silence.
A noise sounded in the other room where Mr. Pott had been put. The voice of the sailor could be heard murmuring, and Uncle Tad was answering him.
“I must see what’s the matter,” said Mrs. Brown.