CHAPTER V
MEADOW BROOK
"Oh, how cool the trees are out here!" Flossie exclaimed, as the wagonrumbled along so close to the low trees that Bert could reach out andpick horse-chestnut blossoms.
"My, how sweet it is!" said Dinah, as she sniffed audibly, enjoying thefreshness of the country.
Freddie was on the seat with Uncle Dan and had Snoop's box safe in hisarms. He wanted to let the cat see along the road, but everybodyprotested.
"No more Snoop in this trip," laughed Mr. Bobbsey. "He has had all thefun he needs for to-day." So Freddie had to be content.
"Oh, do let me get out?" pleaded Nan presently. "See that field oforange lilies."
"Not now, dear," Aunt Sarah told her. "Dinner is spoiling for us, andwe can often walk down here to get flowers."
"Oh, the cute little calf! Look!" Bert exclaimed from his seat next toHarry, who had been telling his cousin of all the plans he had made fora jolly vacation.
"Look at the billy-goat!" called Freddie.
"See, see, that big black chicken flying!" Flossie cried out excitedly.
"That's a hawk!" laughed Bert; "maybe it's a chicken hawk."
"A children hawk!" Flossie exclaimed, missing the word. Then everybodylaughed, and Flossie said maybe there were children hawks for bad girlsand boys, anyway.
Aunt Sarah and Mrs. Bobbsey were chatting away like two schoolgirls,while Dinah and the children saw something new and interesting at everyfew paces old Billy, the horse, took.
"Hello there, neighbor," called a voice from the field at the side ofthe road. "My horse has fallen in the ditch, and I'll have to troubleyou to help me."
"Certainly, certainly, Peter," answered Uncle Daniel, promptly jumpingdown, with Mr. Bobbsey, Bert, and Harry following. Aunt Sarah leanedover the seat and took the reins, but when she saw in what ditch theother horse had fallen she pulled Billy into the gutter.
"Poor Peter!" she exclaimed. "That's the second horse that fell in thatditch this week. And it's an awful job to get them out. I'll just waitto see if they need our Billy, and if not, we can drive on home, forMartha will be most crazy waiting with dinner."
Uncle Daniel, Mr. Bobbsey, and the boys hurried to where Peter Burnsstood at the brink of one of those ditches that look like mud and turnout to be water.
"And that horse is a boarder too!" Peter told them. "Last night we saidhe looked awful sad, but we didn't think he would commit suicide."
"Got plenty of blankets?" Uncle Daniel asked, pulling his coat off andpreparing to help his neighbor, as all good people do in the country.
"Four of them, and these planks. But I couldn't get a man around. Luckyyou happened by," Peter Burns answered.
All this time the horse in the ditch moaned as if in pain, but Petersaid it was only because he couldn't get on his feet. Harry, beinglight in weight, slipped a halter over the poor beast's head.
"I could get a strap around him!" Harry suggested, moving outcautiously on the plank.
"All right, my lad, go ahead," Peter told him, passing the big strapover to Bert, who in turn passed it on to Harry.
It was no easy matter to get the strap in place, but with much tuggingand splashing of mud Harry succeeded. Then the ropes were attached andeverybody pulled vigorously.
"Get up, Ginger! Get up, Ginger!" Peter called lustily, but Ginger onlyseemed to flop in deeper, through his efforts to raise himself.
"Guess we'll have to get Billy to pull," Uncle Daniel suggested, andMr. Bobbsey hurried back to the road to unhitch the other horse.
"Don't let Billy fall in!" exclaimed Nan, who was much excited over theaccident.
"Can't I go, papa?" Freddie pleaded. "I'll stay away from the edge!"
"You better stay in the wagon; the horse might cut up when he getsout," the father warned Freddie, who reluctantly gave in.
Soon Billy was hitched to the ropes, and with a few kind words fromUncle Daniel the big white horse strained forward, pulling Ginger tohis feet as he did so.
"Hurrah!" shouted Freddie from the wagon. "Billy is a circus horse,isn't he, Uncle Dan?"
"He's a good boy," the uncle called back patting Billy affectionately,while Mr. Bobbsey and the boys loosened the straps. The other horse layon the blankets, and Peter rubbed him with all his might, to save achill as he told the boys.
Then, after receiving many thanks for the help given, the Bobbseys oncemore started off toward the farm.
"Hot work," Uncle Daniel remarked to the ladies, as he mopped hisforehead.
"I'm so glad you could help Peter," Aunt Sarah told him, "for he doesseem to have SO much trouble."
"All kinds of things happen in the country," Harry remarked, as Billyheaded off for home.
At each house along the way boys would call out to Harry, asking himabout going fishing, or berrying, or some other sport, so that Bertfelt a good time was in store for him, as the boys were about his ownage and seemed so agreeable.
"Nice fellows," Harry remarked by way of introducing Bert.
"They seem so," Bert replied, cordially.
"We've made up a lot of sports," Harry went on, "and we were onlywaiting for you to come to start out. We've planned a picnic forto-morrow."
"Here we are," called Uncle Daniel as Billy turned into the prettydriveway in front of the Bobbseys' country home. On each side of thedrive grew straight lines of boxwood, and back of this hedge werebeautiful flowers, shining out grandly now in the July sun.
"Hello, Martha!" called the visitors, as the faithful old servantappeared on the broad white veranda. She was not black like Dinah, butlooked as if she was just as merry and full of fun as anyone could be.
"Got here at last!" she exclaimed, taking Dinah's lunch basket.
"Glad to see you, Martha," Dinah told her. "You see, I had to comealong. And Snoop too, our kitty. We fetched him."
"The more the merrier," replied the other, "and there's lots of roomfor all."
"Starved to death!" Harry laughed, as the odor of a fine dinner reachedhim.
"We'll wash up a bit and join you in a few minutes, ladies," UncleDaniel said, in his polite way. The horse accident had given plenty ofneed for a washing up.
"Got Snoop dis time," Freddie lisped, knocking the cover off the boxand petting the frightened little black cat. "Hungry, Snoopy?" heasked, pressing his baby cheek to the soft fur.
"Bring the poor kitty out to the kitchen," Martha told him. "I'll gethim a nice saucer of fresh milk." And so it happened, as usual, Snoophad his meal first, just as he had had on the Pullman car. Soon afterthis Martha went outside and rang a big dinner bell that all the menand boys could hear. And then the first vacation dinner was served inthe long old-fashioned dining room.