CHAPTER XXIV
THE OLD COAT
"Bang!"
That was the soap-box cart hitting against a tree.
"Tunk! Tunk!"
Those were the soft sounds Russ and Laddie made as they were spilled outon the grass near the lumberman's cabin.
"Bow-wow!"
That was Zip barking at the cat.
"Hiss-siss!"
That was the cat making queer noises at Zip.
"Wow-ow-ow-Yelp!"
That was Zip howling because the cat scratched his nose.
For that's just what the cat did. Zip rushed at her so fast that he bangedthe cart against a tree, and turned it over on its side, spilling out Russand Laddie. And Zip, not seeming to care what happened to his littlemasters, kept on after the cat.
But pussy was brave, and she didn't run and climb a tree, as most cats didwhen Zip chased them. She just stood, arching her back, making her tailbig, and sissing queer sounds until the dog came near enough, when shedarted out a paw, and the sharp claws scratched Zip on the nose. Then Ziphowled and sat down to look at the cat. And the cat stayed right therelooking at Zip.
For a moment or two Russ and Laddie didn't know just what had happened.But they scrambled to their feet. Then they saw Zip and the overturnedcart and the cat, and they understood.
"He chased a cat," said Laddie.
"Zip, you're a bad dog!" cried Russ, and he shook his finger at the pet."Didn't Grandma Bell tell you not to chase cats?"
This was true. Grandma Bell had told Zip that, but, like boys and girls,he sometimes forgot. Zip wasn't a bad dog, and he never bit cats. He justliked to chase them once in a while.
"Are you hurt, Laddie?" asked Russ.
"No. Are you?"
"Nope. Say! but didn't Zip run fast, though?"
"Terrible fast. Faster than when he chased the rabbit."
There were a few red spots on Zip's nose where the cat had scratched him.The dog licked them away with his tongue, and looked rather silly. Itwasn't very often a cat stayed to fight him.
Russ and Laddie started for the overturned cart, to set it up on thewheels again, when the door of the log cabin opened and out came ared-haired man, whose clothes were quite old and ragged. He wore a pair ofboots, into the tops of which his trousers were tucked, but he had on nocoat. Russ and Laddie looked particularly to see if he had a coat, but hehad none.
"Hello! What's going on here?" asked the man.
"If you please, our dog chased your cat," said Russ, "but he didn't hurthim--I mean our dog didn't hurt your cat."
"I'm glad of that," said the man with a smile. "That's a good cat of mine.I haven't had her very long, but I wouldn't want a dog to hurt her. Butyour dog seems to be scratched," went on the man, as he looked carefullyand saw some more red spots of blood on Zip's nose.
"Yes, your cat scratched him," returned Russ. "I guess Zip won't chase herany more."
"I guess not," the red-haired man agreed. "So you had an upset, did you?"he went on as he noticed the overturned cart. "Did either of you gethurt?"
"No, thank you," answered Russ. "We fell on the soft grass."
"That's good," returned the man. "I suppose you belong up in the bighouse, though I haven't seen you before, and I didn't know there were anychildren up there."
"No, we don't live in the big house," said Russ, for the man had pointedtoward the residence of Mr. Barker. "We live over at Lake Sagatook--I meanwe're visiting Grandma Bell--and we came to see you. We're two of the sixlittle Bunkers."
"Oh, you're two of the six little Bunkers, are you?" asked the man. "Well,if the other four are as nice as you I'd like to see them. You say youcame to see me?"
"Yes, sir," answered Russ. "You're the lumberman, aren't you?"
"Well, yes, I used to be a lumberman when I could get work at it,"answered the man standing in the cabin door. "I know how to cut down treesand all that sort of thing."
"And you have red hair," added Russ.
"Yes, you're right, I _have_ got red hair," and the lumberman ran hisfingers through it as though to pull out some and make sure it had notchanged color.
"Is your name Mike Gannon?" asked Russ.
"That's my name, little Bunker--I don't know your first name."
"It's Russ, and his is Laddie," and Russ pointed to his brother.
By this time the cat, seeing that Zip was not going to chase her any more,had taken the arch out of her back and her tail looked like a smallfrankfurter sausage, and not like a big bologna one.
"Well, Russ and Laddie Bunker, I'm glad to see you," said Mr. Gannon. "Andso you live over at Lake Sagatook, and not here at Green Pond. Why didyou come so far?"
"To see you," answered Russ.
"To see _me_!" exclaimed the red-haired lumberman in surprise. "Well, I'mno great sight to look at, that's sure. But still I'm glad to see you. Areyou sure you wanted me?"
"You're red-haired," said Russ slowly, as though going over certainpoints.
"That's right," said the lumberman.
"And you cut down trees," went on Russ.
"Correct."
"And were you ever a tramp?" Russ asked.
"Well, yes, you could call me that," admitted the red-haired man, speakingslowly. "I'm a sort of tramp lumberman. I never like to stay long in oneplace, and so I'm roving all over. You could call me a tramp."
"That's good," said Russ.
"Well, sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't," said Mr. Gannon. "Itisn't so bad tramping in the summer, but in the winter it isn't so nice.You get cold and hungry."
"I meant it's good 'cause you're the very one we want to see," went onRuss, who felt quite big and grown-up, now that he and Laddie had comethis far alone. "Now where is the ragged coat?"
"The ragged coat?" questioned Mr. Gannon. He did not seem to know whatLaddie meant.
"Didn't you get a ragged cent from my daddy's real estate office about amonth ago?" went on Russ in surprise. "It was in Pineville, where we livewhen we aren't visiting Grandma Bell. Did you get a ragged coat there?"
"Pineville--Pineville?" murmured the red-haired lumberman to himself, asif trying to remember. "Yes, I did tramp through there and--Hold on!" hecried. "I remember now! I did ask at an office if they had an old coatthey could give me. I hadn't one worth wearing. I did get an old coat,and, as you say, it was ragged."
"Our father gave you that," went on Laddie. "Or he told one of his realestate men to do it."
"Yes, that's right--I remember now. I did beg a coat from a real estateoffice," said Mr. Gannon. "And that was your father's place, was it? Well,I'm glad to meet you boys. Your father was kind to me. But Pineville is along way from here. It took me almost a month to walk it, stopping to worknow and then."
"We came in the train," said Laddie, "and I know a riddle about theconductor punching the tickets, but I don't know----"
Russ didn't want his brother to get to talking about riddles at a timelike this. So he interrupted with:
"And have you got that ragged coat now, Mr. Tramp--I mean Mr. Gannon? Haveyou got that coat now?"
"Have I got that ragged coat, you mean?" asked the man.
"Yes. Our daddy wants it back!"
Mr. Gannon looked a bit surprised.
"Not to wear," explained Russ quickly. "He doesn't want it to wear. Youcan keep it, I guess. But when he told the clerk in his office to give thecoat to you there were some papers in one of the pockets and----"
"Real estate papers," broke in Laddie, remembering this part.
"Yes, real estate papers," said Russ. "They were in the pocket of the old,ragged coat, and my daddy would like awful much to get 'em back. Have yougot the coat?"
Mr. Gannon did not speak for a moment or two. He seemed to be trying tothink of something. Then, as Russ and Laddie looked at him, and as Zip satlooking at the cat, the red-haired tramp lumberman said:
"Well, now, it's a funny thing, but I _have_ got that old coat yet. It'stoo ragged for me to wear--it got a lot more ragged after you
r father gaveit to me--but I sort of took a liking to it, and I kept it. I've got ityet."
"Where is it?" asked Russ eagerly.
"Right here in my cabin. Mr. Barker lets me stay here while I'm cuttingdown trees to build his dock. I like to be by myself. I've got the coathere. I'll get it."
He went inside and came out a moment later with a ragged coat in his hand.It was tattered and torn.
"This is the coat your father gave me," said the lumberman, "but I'm sorryto say there are no papers in the pockets. You can look yourself if youlike. There isn't a paper at all!"
As Russ watched, the red-haired man thrust his hands first into onepocket and then into the others. But no papers came out. Russ looked sadand disappointed. So did Laddie.
"This is the coat all right that I got at a real estate office inPineville," said Mr. Gannon. "But every pocket was empty when I got it. Iremember feeling in them. There were no papers at all. If there were everany in the pockets they must have dropped out before I got the coat. Thepockets are full of holes, anyhow. I'm sorry!"
So were Laddie and Russ. They watched while Mr. Gannon went through eachpocket of the ragged coat once more. But it was of no use. No papers wereto be found.
"Come on, Laddie," said Russ in a low voice to his brother. "We'd bettergo back home. Good-bye!" he called over his shoulder to the red-hairedlumberman.
"Good-bye," answered Mr. Gannon. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but Ihaven't your daddy's papers."
CHAPTER XXV
"HURRAY!"
Slowly and sadly Russ and Laddie drove their dog-cart back toward GrandmaBell's house. They went slowly because it was uphill from Green Pond, andZip was tired. He had chased after a rabbit and a cat, and he had pulledRuss and Laddie all the way. No wonder the dog was tired. So the boys didnot try to drive him fast.
And the two boys were sad because, though they had found the rightred-haired tramp lumberman--the same one that had Daddy Bunker's raggedcoat--still the real estate papers were not in it.
"It's too bad," said Russ, as Zip walked along.
"Yes," agreed Laddie.
"I thought surely we'd get the papers," Russ went on.
"And I didn't ask him any riddle," said Laddie.
"Oh, well, never mind that," went on Russ.
"Maybe I can ask him again, though," said Laddie, brightening up. "We canhave daddy take us there, and I can ask him then."
"What would daddy want to take us there for?" asked Russ.
"To see the old coat. Maybe Mr. Gannon has another, and that has thepapers in."
"I don't guess so," answered Russ. "Gid-dap, Zip."
Zip didn't "gid-dap" very fast, but he kept on going. And when he came tothe top of the hill, and began to trot down toward Lake Sagatook, he wentfaster. I think he knew he could have a good rest in the barn, and alsohave some hot supper.
For it was getting near to supper-time. The sun was going down in thewest, and in a little while it would be dark. Already the shadows werelonger, and it was already a little dark when the boys drove throughlittle patches of wood.
But they did not get lost, for Zip knew the way back, and soon thedog-cart was rattling up the gravel drive of Grandma Bell's house.
"There they come!" cried a voice, and there was a general rush to theporch. Daddy and Mother Bunker, with Grandma Bell, Jane the hired girl,and the four little Bunkers looked at the wanderers.
"Where in the world have you two been?" cried Mother Bunker.
"We were worried about you," said her husband.
"And we were just going to get Tom to hitch up the horse and go to lookfor you," added Grandma Bell.
"Were you lost?" Rose asked.
"Did the old ram chase you?" Vi wanted to know.
Margy and Mun Bun toddled down the steps to look at Zip, who had stretchedout on the grass, still hitched to the cart.
"Oh-oo-o-o! His nose is all scratched," said Margy. "Does it hurt you,Zip?" she asked, gently patting him, and the dog wagged his tail.
"Did some other dog bite him?" asked Mun Bun.
"No, a cat scratched him," answered Russ.
"What cat?" the children's mother wanted to know.
"It was the red-haired lumberman's cat," Russ went on. "We went to hiscabin, over at Green Pond, where Mr. Barker lives. His name is MikeGannon--the tramp lumberman, I mean. Mr. Hurd told us about him, and wewent to see him and----"
"I forgot to ask him a riddle!" broke in Laddie.
"Never mind about riddles now, my dear," said Mother Bunker softly. "Letus hear what Russ is saying."
"Did you really find a red-haired tramp lumberman?" asked Mr. Bunker.
"Yes," answered Russ. "And he had your ragged coat, but the papers weren'tin it, Daddy. And he was sorry and so were we and I'm hungry!"
"So'm I!" added Laddie, before the words were fairly out of his brother'smouth. "I'm awful hungry!"
"But what does it all mean?" asked Mrs. Bunker. "Have you two boys reallybeen somewhere?"
"We found the red-haired tramp lumberman, I told you," said Russ, "but hedidn't have those papers."
"Let me hear all about it once again," begged Daddy Bunker. He seemed asmuch excited as Russ and Laddie had been when they first saw Mr. Gannon.
"First let me get them something to eat," said Grandma Bell. "We had oursupper--an early one," she went on, "but I saved some for you boys. Youshall eat first, and then tell us your story."
"I guess Zip wants to eat, too," said Laddie. "He didn't catch the rabbitand the cat scratched him."
"I'll have Jane give Zip a good supper," said Grandma Bell. "And there isstrawberry shortcake for you boys."
"Oh, goody!" cried Russ.
Laddie clapped his hands in joy.
And, taking turns, between bites, as it were, when they were eatingsupper, Russ and Laddie told of having met Mr. Hurd, who had spoken of thered-haired lumberman working at Mr. Barker's place.
"So we went there, and Zip chased his cat," explained Russ. "And we upset,but he was nice and he showed us the ragged coat, only the pockets werefull of holes and there weren't any papers."
"Well, that's too bad!" said Daddy Bunker. "You two little boys were verykind to do as much as you did, though."
"Do you suppose, by any chance, this tramp lumberman might know somethingof your papers, Charles?" asked Grandma Bell.
"I'll go over and see him in the morning," said Mr. Bunker.
"May we go along?" asked Rose. "I'd like to see the cat that scratchedZip."
"He won't scratch him again," Laddie said. "They're good friends now."
"I don't want to see Zip scratched," returned Rose. "I just want to seeGreen Pond and the red-haired man and the cat."
"I'll tell you what we can do," said Grandma Bell. "We can all go on apicnic to Green Pond to-morrow. We'll go in the carry-all and take ourlunch. I know Mr. Barker, and he'll let us eat our lunch in his woods.Then you can ask the red-haired man about the lost papers, Charles."
Mr. Bunker said this would be a good plan, and the next morning, brightand early, after the lunch had been put up, the six little Bunkers, withtheir father and mother and grandmother, started for Green Pond.
In a little while they were traveling along through the woods, down thesame hill on which Zip had chased the rabbit. This time Zip had been leftin the barn with Tom Hardy. Daddy Bunker was driving the horse.
"Here's the gate where the man told us about Mr. Gannon," said Russ,pointing out the driveway. The man on guard knew Grandma Bell, and letthem go on through. They were soon at the log cabin.
Daddy Bunker knocked on the door, but there was no answer.
"I guess he isn't at home," said Grandma Bell.
"Are you looking for the lumberman--the red-haired man who cuts trees?"asked a gardener, coming along just then.
"Yes, we should like to see him," said Daddy Bunker.
"Well, he's over in the woods, chopping. I'll call him for _you_."
They all waited at the cabin, and soon there came
the sound of some onetramping through the bushes along the shore of the pond. Then thered-haired man came into view.
"Oh, ho!" he exclaimed, as he caught sight of Russ and Laddie. "The twolittle Bunkers who came to see me yesterday!"
"All of us are here now--the whole of the six little Bunkers," said Russ."And here is my father, and mother and Grandma Bell, too!"
"Well, I'm sure I'm glad to see you all," said Mr. Gannon, who had an axeover his shoulder.
"We came to see about that ragged coat," explained Daddy Bunker. "I guessmy two boys told you why I wanted it. I remember you now. You are the manmy clerk gave the coat to, back in Pineville, aren't you?"
"Yes, and I want to thank you. That coat seemed to bring me good luck. Igot work right after you gave it to me, and I've been working ever since,though I did tramp a lot."
"Well, I'm glad to hear you had good luck," said Daddy Bunker. "But I'msorry you didn't find the real estate papers I left in the coat pocket.They must have been in when my clerk let you have it, but perhaps theydropped out."
"I guess they must have," said the lumberman. "I never saw any of them,and I wore the coat right after you gave it to me. I'll get it and let yousee for yourself."
He set down his axe outside the log cabin and went in. Pretty soon he cameout again with, the ragged coat--the same one he had showed to Laddie andRuss.
"Here it is," said the red-haired tramp lumberman, as he handed thegarment to Mr. Bunker, "It's just as I got it from you. I don't wear itmuch now, as I have another. But you'll find no papers in the pockets."
"Yes, that's the old coat I used to wear around the office," said Mr.Bunker, as he took it from. Mr. Gannon. "And I'm sure I put those papersin the inside pocket, and then I forgot all about them."
As he spoke he reached his hand down in the pocket of the old coat. Thepocket must have been pretty deep, for Daddy Bunker's hand went awaydown. Then a funny look came over the face of the father of the six littleBunkers.
He pulled out his thumb, and his whole hand, and, instead of pulling out aplum, as Little Jack Horner did, Mr. Bunker pulled out--the missingpapers!
"Look what I found!" he cried. "Hurray! The very papers I want!"
"Were they in the coat?" asked the red-haired lumberman in amazement.
"They were," said Daddy Bunker. "Away down inside the lining. They slippedthrough a hole in the pocket. And there they have been all this while--inthe lining of the old coat."
"And I never knew it," said Mr. Gannon. "Are you sure they are the papersyou want?"
"The very ones," answered Mr. Bunker, glancing at them. "And they areworth a lot of money, too. I am very glad I found them."
"So am I," said the lumberman. "I would hate to think I lost the papersout of the old coat, even though I didn't know they were in the lining.Well, I'm glad you have them back."
"Oh, but this is good luck!" said Grandma Bell.
"And Russ and Laddie brought it to us, for they found out where the coatwas," said Mother Bunker.
"But we wouldn't have known if Mr. Hurd hadn't told us," said Russ.
"And maybe we wouldn't have come, only Zip chased the rabbit," addedLaddie.
"Well, it was good luck all around, and I have my papers back," said DaddyBunker. "And now we'll go on with the picnic."
Daddy Bunker gave the lumberman some money, as his share in the good luck,and told him when he was through working for Mr. Barker to come toPineville.
"I'll give you work there," said the children's father.
"All right, I'll come," promised Mr. Gannon. "And the next time any onegives me an old coat I'll look in the torn lining, as well as in thepockets, and if I find any valuable papers I can give them back rightaway."
Then he told of having tramped from place to place after leavingPineville, wearing the old coat, until he reached Green Pond.
"It's just like a story in a book," said Rose.
"Yes, it surely is," agreed Daddy Bunker, as he put the valuable papersinto his coat pocket, that had no hole in it.
Then the six little Bunkers and the others went on to a lovely spot on theshore of Green Pond and ate their picnic lunch.
"Oh, it's just lovely here," said Rose, as she gave Mun Bun another smallpiece of cake.
"I wish we could stay forever," added Laddie. "I like it! I can think upawful good riddles here."
"It's fun to sail boats," said Russ, as he whistled a merry tune.
"And there are so many things to see and do at Grandma Bell's house,"added Vi.
"I won't throw any more dollies down the well," promised Margy, whoremembered her little trick.
"That's good!" laughed Mother Bunker. "But, nice as it is, we can't staymuch longer. We are going somewhere else."
"Where?" asked Russ eagerly.
"Well, we have an invitation from your aunt to spend the last of July andpart of August in Boston," said his mother. "Would you like to go?"
"We love Grandma Bell, but we would like to go to Boston," answered Rose.
And what the children saw and did there you may learn by reading the nextbook in this series, to be called: "Six Little Bunkers at Aunt Jo's."
"We did have such a lovely time!" said Rose on their homeward way. "Didn'twe, Russ?"
"Yes. And I'm glad daddy got his papers. Oh, look! There goes a bunny!"and he pointed. "Margy--Mun Bun! Look! There's a bunny like the one Zipchased," and Russ turned to the two small children.
But Mun Bun and Margy were fast asleep on the seat between Mother Bunkerand Grandma Bell.
THE END
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