Laura Lee Hope

“ Come, you shall look all through our camp and see for yourself that Toby is not here, nor the dog, Splash, either. We do not steal things! Come and look for yourselves. You shall see that Toby is not here!"
"Then where is he?" asked Bunny, whose heart seemed to sink away down in his rubber boots when he heard the gypsy say this.
"I don't know where he is, little man," the gypsy replied. "But he is not here. I wish he was. That is, I wish you had sold him to me, but I would never take your pony from you if you did not want me to have him. Come and see that he is not here." ”

“ Bunny Brown and his Sister Sue hardly knew what to make of the black-bearded man who seemed so angry about something. He jumped from his wagon and went up close to the Shetland pony. The little animal was again harnessed to the basket cart.
"Give him to me!" exclaimed the black-whiskered man.
"No, I will not!" answered Mr. Tallman. "He is not your pony, and you have no right to him."
"Well, if he isn't mine he soon will be!" said the dark man. "You owe me a lot of money, and if you don't pay pretty soon I'll take that pony away from you and sell him. Then I'll get the money in that way." ”

“ Hand in hand Bunny and Sue started off again, Mr. Tallman following. In a little while, so fast did the children go, even with their short legs, all three were at the Brown home.
"Oh, Mother!" cried Bunny, running into the room where Mrs. Brown was sitting, "where's daddy?"
"He's out in the barn, little son," answered Mrs. Brown. "But why are you so excited, and why do you want daddy?"
"'Cause there's a short man to see him!" gasped Bunny.
"No, it's a tall man," added Sue. "I mean his name is Tallman, but he is a little, short man." ”

“ They all knew Bunny Brown and his Sister Sue.
"I know your father does not sell horses for a business," went on the gypsy with the gold rings in his ears; "but perhaps, maybe, he has a horse he drives, and would like to get another for it, or sell it. We gypsies, you know, buy and sell horses as your father buys and sells boats and catches fish." ”

“ At the same time the boy looked to make sure he did not have to run too far to get back to the cart and drive off with Sue. "Go get it, Splash!" cried Bunny, as he threw the stick.
"Bow-wow!" barked the dog, and away he ran as the stick sailed through the air. Then Bunny turned and raced back toward the cart, where Sue was waiting for him.
"We must hurry," said the little girl. "Splash is a terrible fast runner."
"Gidap, Toby!" cried Bunny, as he took the reins, and once more away trotted the little pony. Then Sue looked back, and she cried:
"Oh, Bunny! It's no good! ”

“ Then Sue knew what Bunny's plan was.
"Oh, that's fine!" she cried. "I guess we can make a lot of money. But is there a smooth place where you can drive Toby? It's kinder rough in the woods, if there's a lot of children in the cart."
"There's a smooth path around the place where you eat the picnic lunch," said Bunny. And then Sue remembered. The woods, in which she and her brother were now riding along in the pony cart, were the ones where all the Sunday-school picnics of Bellemere were held. ”

“ At first Bunny and Sue were so surprised at what the grocery store clerk told them that they did not know what to do. Bunny almost dropped the bag of sugar he was carrying.
"What about my pony?" asked the little boy.
"I just happened to look out and noticed your pony walking away," went on the clerk. "I knew he was yours, Bunny Brown, for I saw you and Sue drive up in the little cart. It's a good thing he isn't running away. If you hurry you can catch him."
"Come on!" cried Bunny to his sister. "We've got to get Toby 'fore maybe an automobile runs into him and smashes our cart." ”

“ Once more Bunny shook his head.
"Oh, dear!" sighed Sue.
"But I guess Toby knows," said the little boy. "I'm going to let him take us home. Go on home, Toby!" he called, and let the reins lie loosely on the pony's back.
The Shetland looked around at the children in the cart, which he could easily do, having no "blinders" on the sides of his head. Blinders are almost as bad as check-reins for horses and ponies. Never have them on your pets, for a pony needs to see on the sides of him as well as in front. ”

“ And, having nothing more to look at, Bunny, Sue and Sadie went back to their play-tent with Toby.
That evening, after Daddy Brown had been told about the call of the gypsy, he said to his children:
"Have you two youngsters thought anything about earning any money for the Red Cross?"
"Money for the Red Cross? What do you mean, Daddy?" asked Bunny.
"Well, you know we are going to raise a lot of money here in Bellemere for the Red Cross. It's to help our soldiers, and the men and women in charge want boys and girls, as well as grown-ups, to help. ”

“ The man stood up in the cart and shouted something, but the children could not tell what it was.
"Stop the ark, Bunker!" cried Mr. Brown. "The big auto is frightening the little pony! Stop!"
But it was too late, for, a moment later, the Shetland pony broke loose from the cart, turned around and started to run back up the road.
The man, again shouting something, leaped out of the cart and ran back after the pony.
"Come on, Bunker!" cried Mr. Brown. "This was partly our fault! We must help the man catch the pony!"
"And we'll help!" said Bunny and Sue, as they, too, got out of the ark. ”

“ Through the open dining-room windows they could hear Bunker Blue and Uncle Tad moving the sideboard.
Out to the barn went Bunny Brown and his Sister Sue. In the barn was the ark—the big auto—as large as a moving van. In it the whole Brown family had made a tour the previous summer. It really was like an ark, for it had rooms in it [10] where the children and grown-ups could sleep, and a place to cook and eat meals. ”

“ So, little ones, you may expect Toby to-morrow. I'll drive over [56] in the basket cart with him, and after that he's yours."
"For ever?" asked Bunny.
"Yes, for ever."
"Won't you ever want him back, even when you're rich again, and catch the burglars that took your things?" asked Sue, wishing to make sure.
"Well, I don't believe I'll ever be rich," said Mr. Tallman with a smile, "even though the police may catch the burglars and get back my papers. But I promise that I'll never take Toby away from you. When your daddy buys the pony he's yours as long as you want to keep him." ”

“ Lots of horses do, they say, even on a dark night, so why shouldn't a pony in the day time? That's what Bunny and Sue thought.
Bunny never touched the reins. He let them rest loosely on Toby's back, and on the pony went. When he came to a hard, level road Toby began to trot. And pretty soon Sue cried:
"Oh, Bunny! Toby has found the way out! We're not lost any more!" ”

“ Brown, who was smiling at him. "Vera is the last name of my grandfather, and I am called after him. Tallman is my own last name, and I had to be called that though I am very short. It is quite a joke with my friends. I say to them I am a short Tallman or a short man who is Vera Tallman."
"Oh, I see!" laughed Mr. Brown. "Well, it's a good thing you can be so jolly about it."
"There is no good in finding fault with what can't be helped," said the man with a kind smile, as he patted the pony. "I can't make myself tall by wishing, even though I have a long name. ”

“ Mr. Brown asked Mr. Tallman.
"Oh, yes, of course," said that gentleman. "There is one nice thing about Toby—he is very gentle and kind and he likes children very much. In fact, he's like a big dog.
"But, Mr. Brown, if Bunny and Sue want a ride so much, why not let me drive them down to your dock? I know where it is, for I was there the other day. Then they can take Bunker Blue in with them and he can teach them how to hold the reins, and other things they need to know about the pony and cart. I'll drive them down."
"Will you?" returned Mr. Brown. "That is kind. Jump in, Bunny and Sue! ”

“ We could take you in the pony cart if you'd like it," he said to Mr. Brown. "Toby can easily pull all four of us, as the road is smooth and down hill."
"No," said Mr. Brown. "I have to stop at two or three places on my way to the dock. Besides, it seems too much for one little pony to pull two men and two children."
"Oh, Toby is strong!" replied Mr. Tallman. "He has often pulled heavier loads than that."
"Well, thank you, I'll not get in," again said Mr. Brown. "Ride along, Bunny and Sue, and wait for me at the dock. Then you and Bunker may have a good time." ”

“ Toby walked along until his front feet were in the water. Then, as he did not have on a cruel check-rein, which hurts horses and ponies, Toby could lean his nose right down into the water and take a drink. When horses have a check-rein on [123] they can't lower their heads to drink or eat until the strap is loosened. So if ever you have a horse or pony, don't put a check-rein on him. Toby's neck was free to bend any way he wanted it to, which is as it should be.
"Oh, Bunny, I know what let's do!" cried Sue, as Toby raised his head, having drunk enough water. ”

“ Jaki Kezar seemed quite surprised. He looked first at Mr. Brown and then at Bunny and Bunker.
"Your pony stolen?" he exclaimed.
"He's gone," Bunny answered. "And I guess he was stolen. For he was locked in the barn, but when I went out to look at him, as I always do, he wasn't there."
"That's too bad!" exclaimed the gypsy. "I am sorry. And let me tell you, Mr. Brown," he went on, "that I did not steal Toby, and nobody in my camp did. I know that some gypsies are not [206] honest, and they may take things that do not belong to them. But we do not. ”

“ Miss Mason said. "But I think I'll call one of the men teachers. It might be better to have a man with us."
Some of the men who taught the Sunday-school classes came up at this moment, wanting to know what was going on, and Miss Mason told them:
"Some of the children saw a dark-complexioned man, with gold rings in his ears, asleep by the spring. We thought perhaps we had better see [168] who it is. Bunny Brown, who has been giving pony rides for the Red Cross, thinks he might know who he is." ”

“ They got into the pony cart, and they let Splash stay in, too, because he had been so smart as to catch Toby, and then the children drove back past the store. Miss Winkler was just coming out. [106]
"Land sakes!" she cried, "what's goin' to happen next? Have you youngsters a pony cart?"
"And he's a trick pony!" exclaimed Bunny. "He can let a monkey ride on his back."
"Maybe some day we could take Wango, your monkey," added Sue.
"Land sakes, child! Don't call him my monkey!" exclaimed Miss Winkler. "I wish I'd never seen the beast! ”

“ Mrs. Brown told me just as I was coming out with the ark. So I came here before going over to East Milford."
"That's what I wanted you to do. I want to ride over with you. I had the men ice the fish, so they'll be all right. Is every one well up at my house—Bunny and Sue?"
"Yes, they're all right," answered Bunker, as Mr. Brown climbed up to the seat of the big auto. "Bunny and Sue wanted to come with me," Bunker went on, "but I didn't know whether you'd want 'em to, so I didn't let 'em come." ”