Laura Lee Hope

“ Aren't you ever going to get up?" asked Uncle Tad, looking into that part of the tent where Bunny and Sue had their cots.
"Where's the fire?" asked Bunny, though, now that he was wide-awake, he knew there was no fire.
"And will you take us to it?" asked Sue, making a grab for her clothes which were on a chair near her cot, and still believing in the fire.
"There isn't any fire," said Uncle Tad, "except the one out in the stove, and that's getting breakfast. Come on! What makes you so slow?" asked Uncle Tad. ”

“ CHAPTER XV HIDDEN IN THE HAY
For two or three seconds the two children and the ragged boy stood in the queer cave looking at one another. Splash had come to a stop near his little master and mistress, and with one fore leg raised from the ground was looking sharply at the boy. It seemed as if the dog were saying:
"Just say the word, Bunny or Sue, and I'll drive this boy away from here. He doesn't look like a proper person for you to be with."
But Bunny and Sue had no such feeling. They did not mind how ragged a person was if he were only clean. Of course a dog is different. ”

“ Nobody minds how dirty your clothes get if you have an adventure in a cave," Bunny said.
"And can we go into this one?" Sue asked.
"I guess so," answered Bunny. "Mother told us not to get in any boats, and we're not. A cave isn't a boat. Come on."
"See, Splash is going in," pointed out Sue. "If he isn't afraid we oughtn't to be."
"Who's afraid?" asked Bunny. "I'm not!" And with that he walked into the cave. As he still held Sue's hand he dragged her along with him, and as Sue did not want to be left alone on the beach of the lake, she followed. Bunny saw Splash running ahead. ”

“ But I will tell you, and Bunny Brown can look it up in his geography when he gets home. The point in the sky when the sun seems to be directly over your head is the zenith. [Pg 116]
"And it's noon and dinner time, too," went on Bunny.
"Can you tell by your stomach?" asked Sue. "I can, for my stomach is hungry. It is always hungry at noon."
"I can tell by my stomach, for it is hungry just like yours," said Sue's brother. "But I can tell by the sun. Daddy told me that it was noon, and time to eat, when the sun was straight over our heads. Now, we'll get out of the woods, Sue." ”

“ The man that gave us milk after the dog drank ours," said Bunny. "Only his cow had only one crooked horn and this cow has two. Hasn't it, Sue?"
"Yes. But it looks like a nice cow."
"Well, we don't want cows in our sleeping tent at night," said Mr. Brown. "I'll start this one down hill, and in the morning some one who comes for it will have to hunt for it. We haven't anything here with which to feed cows."
"What's the matter up there?" called a voice, and the children knew it was that of Uncle Tad, who slept in a little tent by himself, near the one where the cooking was done. ”

“ Brown.
"Why, an Indian, even if he wears shoes like ours, turns his toes in, instead of out, as we do," went on the little girl.
"Ha! Ha! Ho! Ho!" laughed Bunny. "Whoever heard of such a thing?"
"But it's true, isn't it, Daddy?" asked Sue.
"Yes, it is true," said Mr. Brown. "A real Indian has a sort of pigeon-toe, as it is called. That is, instead of pointing his toes out when he walks, he turns them in. At least most Indians do, though there may be some who do not. So if you are looking for Indians' tracks, Bunny, look for the kind that turns in." ”

“ Sue and I are going to help Eagle Feather find his cow."
"Well, you mustn't go very deep into the big woods," said Mrs. Brown. "But then I think the cow can't have wandered far, for there is good feeding near where Uncle Tad tied her."
"You show me where cow broke loose, I find her," said Eagle Feather. "Indian hab heap good medicine to find cow."
"Medicine? You don't need medicine to find a cow," said Mrs. Brown. "You might need medicine if your cow were sick, but she didn't look sick when she poked her nose into the tent." ”

“ Still Bunny did not mind if he could get his locomotive and train of cars.
He could see them just ahead of him, rolling over and over just as he was doing. Of course there was no electricity in the toy locomotive now. The current, as the electricity is called, was all in the rails, going into them from the batteries, and from there it went into the motor or the wheels, gears and other things inside the engine that made it roll along.
"I guess it's rolling faster than I am," thought Bunny. "It will get to the bottom first, and go in the water." ”

“ Bunny and Sue were not afraid of cows, especially when they were kept in a stable, so they were soon rubbing the head of the ragged man's bossy.
"Well, you have made friends, I see," came a voice behind the children, and there stood the ragged man with their pail full of milk. "I am glad you like my cow," he said. "She is a good cow and gives rich milk. Any time you spill your milk again come to me and I'll sell you some." ”

“ He wouldn't take them."
"I'm not so sure of that," said Uncle Tad. "Indians like bright and pretty things and that electrical train must have been a great wonder to them; especially to Eagle Feather, who is a smart Indian."
"Then why didn't he take my Teddy bear, Sallie Malinda?" asked Sue. "My bear, with the blinking eyes, helped find the lost cow as well as Bunny's train did."
"Of course it did," agreed Mother Brown. "I don't believe Eagle Feather had a thing to do with it. If the train was stolen by tramps we'd better get another dog, Daddy Brown, to keep them away." ”

“ You look in all Indian houses and see for yourself."
"No. I'll take your word for it," said Mr. Brown. "I believe the Teddy bear is not here. It must have been taken by some one else. I will look farther."
But Eagle Feather insisted on some of the head men's huts being searched, and this was done. But no doll was found.
"Oh, dear! Where can Sallie Malinda be?" half sobbed Sue.
"Never mind," said her father. "If you can't find your bear, and Bunny's cars are still gone, in two weeks I'll get you new ones. But I think they will come back as mysteriously as they went away. Now, we must go home." ”

“ Charlie said.
They were on their way up the attic stairs, Charlie leading the way, as he had often gone up before.
"Don't take all the trunks until we get out of them what we want to play with," begged Rose.
"What's in the trunks?" asked Bunny of his new friend.
"Oh, nothing but a lot of old dresses and things. Rose most always dresses up fancy in 'em and pretends she's a big lady," said Charlie.
"Then that's what Sue'll do," said Bunny. "She likes to dress up. But we'll play soldier."
Mrs. Preston's attic was the nicest one that could be imagined. ”

“ It looks a lot like mince-meat, I know, but it is quite different. The real mince-meat was on the left of the peach jar. Oh, Sue! You've made your pie of chow-chow."
"I was thinking Sue had found out a new kind of pie," said Daddy Brown. "Never mind, there are some cakes and cookies."
"Oh, dear!" cried Sue, and there were tears [Pg 187] in her eyes. "I did so want my mince pie to be nice!"
"It was good," said Tom. "The crust is the best I ever ate, and the pickled insides will go good on the fish." ”

“ Indian come to hunt lost cow."
"Have you lost a cow?" asked Bunny and Sue together.
"Yes. Maybe you see him. He got two horns funny twisted—so"; and Eagle Feather [Pg 68] picked up a crooked branch, like a fork or crotch, both parts of which were gnarled and twisted. "Horns like him?"
"Yes, just like that," said Bunny. "The cow came to our tent in the night and we thought it was an elephant. Was it your cow? We thought it belonged to the white hermit who sold us milk last night."
"No, two-crooked-horn cow belong Eagle Feather. Where you see him?" ”

“ Bunny and Sue had lived in the Big Woods so long now, and had seen the Indians so often, even to learning the names of some of them, that they thought no more of them than of some of the farmers round about.
"All right—we go find cow," said Eagle Feather. "No milk for little papoose if cow no come home." "Papoose" was the word the Indians used for "baby," and in the log cabin where Eagle Feather lived were two or three papooses. ”

“ No hear some one come up soft to Eagle Feather's barn and take out horse. Have to cut rope 'cause Indian tie knot white man find too much hard to make loose."
"So you think a white man took your horse, and that's why you come to us?" asked Mr. Brown.
"Yes. You know much white man. Maybe so like one ask you hide my horse in your tent."
"Indeed not!" cried Mr. Brown. "I haven't any friends who would steal a man's horse."
"Maybe not," went on the Indian. "But night of green corn dance him come to see it and your boy too," and Eagle Feather pointed first at Tom and then at Bunny. ”

“ Brown especially impressed on Bunny. This was:
"Never get frightened when you think you are lost in the woods. If you think you are lost, you may be sure you can either find your way out, or some one will find you in a little while.
"So the best thing to do when you fear you [Pg 113] are lost is to sit quietly down on a log, think which way you believe your camp or home is, think where the sun gets up in the morning and where it goes to bed in the night. And, whatever you do, don't rush about, calling and yelling and forgetting even which way you came. So, when you're lost keep cool." ”

“ Come back!" cried Sue. "Don't go near him, Bunny!"
"Why not?" her brother asked in some surprise.
"'Cause he might bite you."
"Huh! I'm not afraid of him!" declared [Pg 26] Bunny. "He doesn't look as savage as our Splash, and he never bites anybody, though he barks a lot at tramps."
So Bunny ran on toward the shaggy dog. The animal stood looking at the little boy for a moment and then, with a sort of "wuff!" as if to say, "Well, I've taken all the milk, what are you going to do about it?" away he trotted down the road. Bunny ran on and picked up the milk pail. ”

“ Down!" called the hermit, and the dog sank to the moss-covered ground, beating his tail up and down on the dried leaves.
"He wouldn't hurt you for the world," said the old, ragged man. "He loves children, but he's so fond of them that he jumps up on them, and tries to kiss them. Sometimes he tries to love them so hard that he knocks them down. So I have to tell him to be careful." [Pg 120]
"We're not afraid of good dogs," said Bunny.
"And we've got a dog of our own," added Sue. "His name is Splash, 'cause he splashes through the muddy puddles so much that he gets us all wet when he's with us. ”

“ Brown came out.
"It's of no use to look that way, children," he said. "If Sue's bear is missing some one took it away—it never walked, for it couldn't."
"That's what I said!" cried Sue.
"But how did it get away?" asked Bunny.
"Somebody must have taken it. The same one who took your train of cars. We must look farther off than just around the tent." [Pg 99]
"Say, Daddy, do you s'pose some of the Indians could have done it?" asked Sue in a whisper.
"I hardly think so," answered Mr. Brown. "Still, they are not all as honest as Eagle Feather. We'll have a look around their camp." ”

“ First Bunny's train of cars, then Sue's electric-eyed Teddy bear. Now Eagle Feather's horse was missing and he had come to Camp Rest-a-While to look for it, though why the children could not understand. Tom was kept busy roasting the ears of corn, and passing them around. Eagle Feather ate three without saying anything more, and would probably have taken another, which Tom had ready for him, when Mr. Brown asked:
"Well, Eagle Feather, what is your trouble? Is your horse really gone? And if it is, why do you think it is here? We don't have any horses here. All our machines go by gasolene." ”

“ Medicine heap good. Indian like!"
"You'd better get yourself a toy train," said Bunny.
"No got money," returned Eagle Feather. "Like 'em very much for boy papoose when he grow big so like you." [Pg 80]
"Maybe I'll be tired of mine by that time and give it to him," said Bunny.
"Too nice. You no get tired long while," said the Indian. "Heap big medicine. Come, Sue, we wait for you."
As the Indian and Bunny waited they heard, off in the distance, the lowing of a cow.
"Hark!" cried Bunny.
"That my cow," said Eagle Feather. "I tell you boy and gal medicine heap good—find cow soon. Over this way! ”

“ Bunny. "I'm all better, and I can eat. Then we'll see what mother has."
Never did an ill person get well so quickly as did Bunny Brown just then. He sat up, threw to one side a blanket Sue had spread over him, and called:
"Where's the pie and cake?"
"Here they are," Sue answered, as she took them from a little box under the bushes.
"And where's the milk?" asked Bunny. "Fevers always make folks thirsty, you know. I'm awful thirsty!" ”

“ He hasn't gotten up for several months, unless, as happened the other night when the cow poked her head in the tent, he woke up and cried out."
"But no cow came into the tent last night, Mother," said Bunny. "Anyhow a cow wouldn't like to eat a train of cars."
"A cow eat a train of cars!" cried Daddy Brown, coming into the tent just in time to hear what Bunny said. ”

“ Sue showed the Indian how to make the eyes gleam by pressing the button in the toy bear's back, and Eagle Feather did this several times. He seemed to think the toy bear was a more wonderful toy than the train he had saved from the lake. He gave this back to Bunny and kept the bear, flashing the eyes again and again.
"You mustn't do it too much or you'll wear out the batteries inside the bear," said Bunny. "The same kind of electric batteries make the eyes of the bear bright as run my train."
"Huh! Indian no want to make little girl's toy bad," said the Indian handing it back. ”

“ Some day make bow and arrows for boy, and moccasins for feet of little girl with bear that makes fire eyes at night. Indian glad!"
"Oh, we were only too glad to help you," said Bunny. "Now we must be going back to camp."
"Me come—cow come too," said Eagle Feather, and he led the cow by the broken rope. They were soon back at the tents, telling Mrs. Brown how they had found the lost cow. Eagle Feather spoke much about the toy train and the Teddy bear "medicine," but Mrs. Brown laughed. ”