CHAPTER XVIII
SPLASH ACTS QUEERLY
"Daddy! Daddy!" cried Bunny Brown. "Daddy, did you hear that?"
"I couldn't very well help hearing it," said Mr. Brown sitting up on hiscot, which was next to Bunny's. "Who's out there?" Mr. Brown cried, andwith a jump he reached the flaps of the tent, which he opened, so hecould look out.
Splash, who had jumped out, barking, when the noise sounded, rushed outof the tent. The tins had stopped rattling, and it was very quietoutside, except for the noise Splash made.
"What is it?" called Mrs. Brown, from her side of the tent.
"I don't know," answered her husband. "Someone--or some animal--seems tobe making a noise. Maybe it is someone after more of your pies,Mother."
"We'll take a look," said Uncle Tad. He got out of his bed, and went tostand beside Daddy Brown at the opening of the tent.
"Can you see anything?" Mrs. Brown asked. Bunny could hear his sisterwhispering. Sue also, had been awakened, and wanted to know what hadcaused the noise in the night.
"No, I can't see anything," said Mr. Brown. "Splash is coming back, so Iguess it wasn't anything."
He and Uncle Tad could see the children's dog walking back to his bed inthe tent. Splash slept on a piece of old carpet. The dog was wagging histail.
"What is it Splash? Did you see any tramps?" asked Mr. Brown.
Splash did not answer, of course, but he wagged his tail as he alwaysdid when he was with his friends.
"I guess it couldn't have been anything," Mr. Brown went on. "Maybe asquirrel or chipmunk was looking for some crumbs in the dining-tent, andknocked down the pans. I'll just take a look out there to make sure."
Mr. Brown and Uncle Tad went outside the tent. Splash did not go withthem. He seemed to think everything was all right.
"Did you find him, Daddy?" asked Bunny, when his father came back.
"No, son. I don't believe there was anyone. I saw where the pans hadbeen knocked down, but that was all."
Bunny was given the drink of water he wanted and soon was asleep. Theothers, too, became quiet and slept. But in the morning Mrs. Brown, ingetting breakfast, found that a piece of bacon and some eggs had beentaken from the ice box.
"The eggs and bacon were in the refrigerator all right when I washed upthe supper dishes last night," she said. "I counted on having them forbreakfast. Now they're gone!"
"Then there must have been someone in our camp, snooping around lastnight," said Daddy Brown. "It was a tramp, after all. And when he helpedhimself to something to eat he knocked down the pans. That's how ithappened."
"I suppose so," said Mother Brown. "Well, I'm sure if the poor tramp washungry I'm glad he got something to eat. But I wish he had not taken mybacon and eggs."
However, there was plenty else to eat in Camp Rest-a-While, so no onewent hungry.
"I wonder if it was the same tramp that took the pie," said Bunny as hefinished the last of his glass of milk.
"He must be a hungry tramp to eat a whole pie, and all those eggs, andthe big piece of bacon," said Bunker Blue.
"Oh, I guess the things he took lasted him for several meals," Mr. Brownsaid. "The funny part of it is, though, that Splash did not bark. Whenhe ran out of the tent last night the tramp could not have been faraway. And yet Splash did not bark, as he always does when strangers arearound at night. I think that's queer."
"So do I," put in Uncle Tad. "Maybe Splash knew the tramp."
"Splash doesn't like tramps," said Bunny.
"Well, he must have liked this one, for he didn't bark at him," addedBunker Blue with a laugh. "Maybe Splash knew this tramp before youchildren found your dog, on the island where you were shipwrecked."
For Bunny and Sue had found Splash on an island, as I told you in thefirst book of this series. That was when Bunny and Sue were"shipwrecked," as they called it.
Nothing else had been taken from Camp Rest-a-While except the bacon andeggs, and as Bunker Blue was going to the village that day he could buymore meat for Mother Brown. The eggs they could get at the farmhousewhere they bought their milk. So, after all, no harm was done.
"The only thing is," said Daddy Brown, "that I don't like the idea oftramps prowling about our tents at night. I'd rather they would keepaway."
BUNNY AND SUE OFTEN WENT BATHING IN THE COOL LAKE._Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue at Camp Rest-a-While._ _Page_ 181.]
It was so lovely, living out in the woods, near the beautiful lake, asthe Browns were doing, that they soon forgot about the noise in thenight, and the tramps. Bunny and Sue were getting as brown as littleIndian children. For they wore no hats and they went about with onlyleather sandals on, and no stockings, their sleeves rolled up totheir elbows, so their arms and legs were brown, too. They often wentbathing in the cool lake, for, not far from the camp, was a little sandybeach.
Of course, it was not like an ocean beach, or the one at Sandport Bay,for there were only little waves, and then only when the wind blew. Inthe ocean there are big waves all the while, pounding the sandy shore.
One day Mrs. Brown told daddy they needed some things from the villagestore--sugar, salt, pepper--groceries that could not be bought at thefarmhouses near by.
"I'll take the children, row over, and get what you want," said Mr.Brown, for it was easier to row across the lake, and walk through thewoods, than to walk half-way around the lake to the store. With Splash,Bunny and Sue in the boat Mr. Brown set off.
They landed on the other shore, and started to walk through the woods.On the way they had to pass along a road that was near to the farm ofMr. Trimble, the "mean man," as Bunny and Sue called him. Perhaps Mr.Trimble did not intend to be mean, or cross, but he certainly was. Somefolk just can't help being that way.
"Huh! Are you coming over again to bother me about that runaway boy, TomVine?" asked Mr. Trimble, as he saw Mr. Brown.
"No, I've given Tom up," replied the children's father. "I guess he hasgone back to the city. I'm sorry, for I wanted to help him."
"Boys are no good!" cried Mr. Trimble. "That Tom is no good. But I'llpay him back for running away from me!"
"Did he come back to you?" asked Mr. Brown, thinking perhaps, after all,the "ragged boy," as Sue sometimes called him in fun, might have thoughtit best to go back to the man who had first hired him.
"You don't see him anywhere around here; do you?" asked Mr. Trimble.
"No, I don't see him," said Mr. Brown, wondering why the farmer answeredin that way.
"Well, he isn't here," said Mr. Trimble, and he went on hoeing hispotatoes, for he was in a field of them, near the road, when he spoketo Mr. Brown.
As Bunny, Sue and their father walked on, Splash did not come with them.He hung back, and seemed to want to stay close to a small building, nearMr. Trimble's barn. Splash walked around this building three or fourtimes, barking loudly.
"What makes Splash act so funny?" asked Bunny.
"I don't know," answered Mr. Brown. "Here, Splash! Come here!" he cried.But Splash would not come.