Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue in the Big Woods Part 19

"Oh, maybe he's lost!" cried Sue.

"We can go to look for him," said Bunny.

"No you don't!" exclaimed Mrs. Brown. "Two of you getting lost is enough in one day. Uncle Tad knows his way back to camp from any part of the big woods. But who was the ragged man?"

"Oh, he's the man that gave us the milk the time the dog drank it up when we chased the squirrel," explained Sue. "He's awful nice, and he gave me a piggy-back ride, and took us to his cabin, and gave us cookies without us really asking."

"What do you mean by not really asking?" inquired Mrs. Brown.

"Oh, Sue means she sort of _hinted_ or spoke of 'em easy like," Bunny explained. "I pinched her leg without Mr. Bixby--he's the ragged man--seeing me, and then Sue stopped asking him if he had anything to eat at his house. He offered the cookies all by his own self."

"Well, I'm glad of that," said Mrs. Brown with a smile. "But after this don't go into strange houses and even _hint_ for something to eat. That isn't polite."

"Oh, but this isn't a _real_ house," said Bunny quickly. "It's a log cabin."

"But it's home for the ragged man, as you call Mr. Bixby."

"It's a funny home," said Bunny. "He's got a buzzing machine in it and the Indian that came while we were there asked for heap big medicine.

That's the way Eagle Feather spoke of my toy train."

"That's how we got lost in the woods, looking for my Teddy bear and Bunny's 'lectric train," explained Sue. "We went on and on until we didn't know where we were."

"Well, you mustn't do it again," said her mother. "Don't go far into the woods unless your father, Uncle Tad or I am with you. Then you won't get lost."

"Wouldn't Splash do?" asked Bunny.

"Yes, Splash is all right--he'd know the way home," said Mrs. Brown.

"Now come in, wash and get ready for lunch."

"We don't want very much," said Bunny. "The ragged man gave us so many cookies."

"I hope they weren't too rich for you," said Mrs. Brown.

"Oh, no, Mother, they couldn't be!" exclaimed Bunny. "'Cause he's an awful poor, ragged man."

"Oh, _rich_ cookies means they have too much shortening--b.u.t.ter or lard or something in 'em," said Sue. "I know, for I've taken a cooking lesson; haven't I, Momsie?"

"Yes, Sue, and you must take some more, for you are getting older."

"And some day I'll get up a real dinner for you and Bunny and daddy and Uncle Tad and the ragged man and Eagle Feather," said the little girl.

"You wouldn't know how to cook for Indians," said Bunny. "They eat bear meat and deer meat, and roots and the bark of trees and maybe berries."

"Well, I could give Eagle Feather berries in a pie," declared Sue, "and I could make slippery elm tea, and roast some acorns for him."

"That would be quite an Indian feast," laughed Mrs. Brown. "But come now and get what you want, and don't go so far off into the woods again."

The children promised that they would not, though both said they wanted to hunt farther for their lost toys, or taken-away toys, which was probably what had happened to them.

When lunch was over, the children played about the tents, using some of the games and toys they had had before Mr. Brown brought the wonderful electric train and the Teddy bear with the shining electric eyes.

"We can have lots of fun," said Sue.

"Yes. But anyway I want my train back," declared Bunny.

"And I want Sallie Malinda!" exclaimed Sue with a sigh. "She was just like a real baby bear to me."

"Why don't you call a Teddy bear he?" asked Bunny.

"'Cause she's a _girl_. Can't you tell by the name _Sallie Malinda_?"

asked Sue.

Bunny was about to continue talking to the effect that the _Teddy_ bear ought to have a boy's name, when there came the sound of wheels outside the tent, and a cheery voice called:

"h.e.l.lo, everybody!"

"Oh, it's daddy!" cried Bunny and Sue together. "Daddy has come home!"

"They rushed out of the tent to meet him, to hug and kiss him, and for a while he pretended to be smothered by the two little children who hung about his neck.

"We went hunting for our toys which are lost," said Bunny.

"And we got lost ourselves," added Sue.

"But we got found again----"

"By a dog----"

"And a man----"

"And we had cookies----"

"And an Indian came to get heap big medicine----"

"And I'm going to cook a dinner----"

Thus the children called, one after the other, and I leave you to guess who said what, for I can't do it myself as they talked too fast.

But at last they quieted down, and Mrs. Brown had a chance to talk to her husband and tell him the news. Uncle Tad had, in the meanwhile, come back, not being able to find the lost ones, and he was very glad to see them safe in the camp.

Mr. Brown had come home early that day, but before long it was time for supper. Bunny and Sue ate nearly as much as though they had had no lunch and had eaten no cookies at the ragged man's cabin.

"And so you heard a queer buzzing noise in the hermit's cabin as you were coming away?" asked Mr. Brown.

"Yes," said Bunny, "we did."

"I think I'll take a look up around there myself," said Mr. Brown, with a nod at his wife across the table.

"Oh, is something going to happen?" asked Sue.