CHAPTER XXI
BUNKER GOES ASHORE
"Bunny! Bunny! I--I want to go home!" cried Sue.
"What for?" asked her brother. "It's nice here, and I've got somethingin the trap, Sue."
"I know it, Bunny. I can see it move. That's why I want to go back tocamp."
"Are you 'fraid, Sue?"
Sue nodded her head, and clasped closer in her arms the doll she hadbrought with her.
"Wait until we see what's in the trap--under the box," said Bunny. "I'lllift it up and look under. If it's a fox I won't let him out."
Bunny started toward the box that was still moving slowly about on thebig flat rock where Bunny had set his trap.
"Don't you touch it!" cried Sue. "Don't lift up the box, Bunny!"
"Why not?" he asked.
"'Cause the fox might get out and bite us. Let it alone."
Bunny stood still and looked at the box. It had stopped moving for awhile. Then it began again, going about in a sort of circle.
"Why--why!" cried Sue. "It's just like Blind Man's Buff!"
And, really, that is how the box moved about, just like some boy orgirl, with a handkerchief tied over his or her eyes, trying to moveabout to catch someone, and yet trying not to bang into a tree or thefence.
"The fox, woodchuck, or whatever it is under my box," said Bunny Brown,"can't see which way he's going. That's why the box jiggles around sofunny. But I'm going to see what's under it."
"If you lift it up, I'm going back to camp," declared Sue, turning back.
"But I want to see what it is!" cried Bunny. "I've caught an animal, andI want to look at it!"
You remember I told you he had fixed up a box, raised at one end by alittle stick. Under the box were some good things to eat, such asanimals and birds like. Bunny had tied a long string to the stick, andhe and Sue had hid in the bushes, ready to pull the string, pull out thelittle stick, and let the box trap fall down on whatever was eating thebait.
But all Bunny caught were some sparrows, which he let go. Then he hadset the trap again, and had gone off. Now there was something under thebox, that was sure.
"How do you think it got caught, Bunny?"
"I guess the fox--or whatever it is--crawled under the box to get thecake crumbs, and he bumped against the stick, knocked it away, and thebox came down on him," Bunny said. "Sue, I do want to see what I'vecaught."
"You--you might get bit," his sister said.
Bunny thought that over for a minute.
"I know how I could do it," he said.
"How?" Sue wanted to know.
"I could get a long stick, and lift the box up with that. Then as soonas the fox came out, we could run, and we wouldn't be near enough forhim to bite us."
"Oh, Bunny! That would be a good way, I'll stay and watch if you do itlike that."
Bunny found a long pole, like a fishing rod. Holding this out in frontof him, he walked toward the box. He tried to raise it up, but the stoneon top made it too heavy.
"Push off the stone first," said Sue.
Bunny had not thought of that. With two or three shoves of his pole heknocked the stone off the top of the box. Then, once more, he tried toraise his trap to see what was under it.
All at once the children heard some one calling:
"Bunny! Sue! Where are you?"
"That's Bunker Blue," said Bunny.
"Here we are!" answered Sue. "Bunny's got something in his trap! Comeand help us get it, Bunker."
There was a noise in the bushes, a dog barked, and along came thered-haired boy and Splash. The box was moving about more quickly now,for the heavy stone was not on top.
"Say, you have caught something!" cried Bunker. "There's surelysomething under the box, Bunny."
"It's a fox," said Bunny.
"Or maybe a ground-hog," added Sue.
"Maybe, and maybe not," went on Bunker. "We'll have a look. Here, let metake your pole, Bunny. Splash, you be ready to grab whatever it is!"
With a sudden push Bunker upset the box. Out ran a gray and brownanimal.
"Oh, look!" cried Bunny.
"Is it a fox? Oh, don't let it bite me!" cried Sue, and she ran towardBunker, who caught her up in his arms.
Splash, with a bark, sprang toward the little animal that had run out ofBunny's box trap. But the little animal, instead of running away, justcurled up into a ball and stayed there. And Splash stopped short. Hebarked at the animal but did not try to bite it.
"He's afraid of it, and no wonder!" said Bunker. "Best leave that alone,Splash!"
"What is it?" asked Bunny.
"It's a hedgehog, or a prickly porcupine," said Bunker. "That animal isall covered with sharp quills, like a lot of toothpicks. They aren'tvery tightly fastened to him, and if a dog, or some other animal, triesto bite, he gets his mouth full of sharp, slivery quills from thehedgehog. That makes the dog's mouth very sore, and he can't biteanything again for a long time. That's why the hedgehog curls himself upinto a little ball. In that way he is all covered with quills that stickout in every way. No dog or any other animal, can bite without gettingbadly hurt. I guess you'd better let the porcupine go, Bunny."
"I will," said the little fellow. "I don't want Splash hurt. Come away,Splash!"
Splash did not care very much about biting or worrying the hedgehog. Thedog barked once or twice, and then came away. Then the porcupineuncurled himself, and ran off into the wood.
"Well, I caught _something_ in my trap, anyhow," said Bunny.
"That's what you did," said Bunker Blue. "And the hedgehog, walkingaround under the box, kept pushing it along with his head. He was tryingto find a way out. Come on back to camp now. Supper is ready and yourmother sent me to find you."
The next two days it rained, and Bunny and Sue did not have much fun atCamp Rest-a-While. They had to stay in the tents. But the third day itcleared off, and the wind blew away the storm clouds.
That afternoon Bunker took Bunny and Sue out in the boat, fishing. Theytook with them some lunch to eat, and a bottle of milk to drink if theygot thirsty. Sue also took an old umbrella to keep the sun off herselfand her doll.
Bunker rowed the boat half way across the lake, and tied it to one ofthe trees that grew on a little island. There he and Bunny fished, butthey did not catch anything.
"Maybe if we went on the island we would catch something," said Bunny."May we, Bunker?"
"Well, I don't know. We might," said the red-haired boy. "I'll tell youwhat I'll do. I'll go ashore on the island, and try fishing a bit. If Ihave any luck I'll come back and get you two. You and Sue stay in theboat, Bunny, until I come back." Then the big boy got out and wentashore, leaving Bunny and Sue in the boat.