Six Little Bunkers at Grandma Bell's

by Laura Lee Hope

  CHAPTER VIII

  "WHERE IS MARGY?"

  Led by Russ, Mrs. Bunker and Norah hurried down to the brook that ranthrough the green meadow. It was just like the time they ran when Rosecalled them about Mun's balloon.

  "Did you see anything happen, Russ?" asked his mother.

  "No'm, I didn't," he answered. "I was making a box to take some of mythings to Grandma Bell's, and I heard Vi yell and Laddie asking a riddle."

  "Asking a riddle?"

  "Well, it _sounded_ like a riddle," Russ answered. "He kept saying: 'Whatmade the boat sink? Oh, Vi, what made the boat sink?'"

  "I hope it _was_ only a riddle, and that nothing has happened," said Mrs.Bunker.

  "Maybe it'll be no worse than Mun and his balloon," said Norah. "Anyhow,I can see the two children!" and she pointed across the green meadow tothe brook. "They seem to be all right."

  There, on the grassy bank, was Laddie jumping up and down, and pointing tosomething in the water. And the something was Vi though she appeared to beout in the middle of the brook, in a part where it was deep enough to comeover the knees of Russ.

  "What's the matter, Laddie?" asked his mother. "Has anything happened toVi?"

  "She's in the boat, and it's sunk," was the answer. "Oh, what made theboat sink?"

  "Silly boy! Stop asking riddles at a time like this!" cried Mrs. Bunker."What do you mean, Laddie?"

  "It isn't a riddle at all," he answered. "The boat did sink and Vi is init. What made it?"

  "A boat! Sure there's no boat on the brook, unless the boy made onehimself," said Norah.

  "I did make one--out of a box, and Vi was riding in it, but it sank," saidLaddie. "What made it sink?"

  Then Mrs. Bunker, Norah and Russ came near enough to the shore of thebrook to see what had happened. Out in the middle, standing in a soap box,was Violet. The little girl was crying and holding out her hands toLaddie, who seemed quite worried and excited.

  "She's sunk! She's sunk!" he said over and over again.

  "Be quiet, silly boy!" ordered his mother, who saw that Vi was in nodanger. "We'll get her out. Why didn't you wade out to her yourself, andbring her to shore?"

  "'Cause I thought maybe something was out there," said Laddie.

  "Something out there? What do you mean?" asked his mother.

  "I mean something that made the boat sink--something that pulled it downin the water with Vi. A shark maybe, or a whale!"

  "Nonsense!" laughed Mrs. Bunker. "There are only little baby fishes in thebrook."

  "But something made the boat sink!" insisted Laddie.

  "We'll see about that when we get Vi to shore," said Mrs. Bunker. "Comeon," she called to the little girl. "Wade to shore, Vi. You have yourshoes and stockings off, haven't you?"

  "Oh, yes, Mother."

  "Then wade to shore. You're all right."

  So Vi stepped out of the soap box, which Laddie had called the boat, andstarted for shore. The box floated down the brook, and Russ ran out on alittle point of land to catch hold of it when it should float to him.

  "Now you're all right," said Mrs. Bunker to her little girl, as Vi cameashore. "But what happened?"

  "We were playing sailor," explained Laddie, "and I made the boat out of abox. Then Vi went for a ride, but the boat sank. What made it sink, Vi?"

  "'Cause it's full of cracks and holes--that's why!" answered Russ, who hadcaught the soap box as it floated down to him. "Look! It let in a lot ofwater, and that's what made it sink," he went on, as he held out the playboat.

  The bottom and sides of the box were filled with many holes, from whichthe water now dripped. Laddie told how he had set it afloat in the brook,with Vi as a passenger. He had pushed her out from shore, hoping to giveher a nice ride, but in the middle of the stream the boat went down, andVi was frightened--or maybe just cross because she was not getting theride she expected. She screamed. Laddie couldn't understand why the boatsank, and called out to know. That was when Russ heard them.

  "But you're all right now," said Mrs. Bunker. "And it's so warm to-daythat wading in the brook won't hurt you. Only don't upset and fall in. Idon't believe you can ride in your boat, Laddie. It won't float when itleaks so much."

  "'Course not," said Russ, who knew something about boats. "You got tostuff up all the cracks and holes with putty, Laddie."

  "All right; I'll do that," said the little fellow. "I like a boat. I'llgive you a nice ride, Vi, a real long one, after I stuff up the holes."

  "No, I guess I don't want to ride in the boat any more," said the littlegirl, who was wading in the shallow water near shore, "This is more fun."

  "Well, I'll go in the boat myself," said Laddie, taking the box from hisbrother. "Got any putty?" he asked.

  "No. But maybe Jerry Simms has," answered Russ. "He was putting a newwindow glass in the barn yesterday, and he had putty then."

  Laddie ran off to beg some putty from the good-natured Jerry, and Vi,after paddling about a little longer in the brook, went back to the housewith her mother and Norah.

  "I guess I'll make me a boat, too," decided Russ. "I can fix the box formy things to-morrow."

  He went to the barn with Laddie, and soon the two boys were building"boats" out of soap boxes, stuffing the cracks and holes with putty whichJerry gave them.

  Then they went down to the brook and floated the boxes. They did not sinkso quickly as had the one with Vi in it, and Russ and Laddie had lots offun until supper time.

  "I'm so tired I don't know what to do!" said Mrs. Bunker after supper."I've packed two trunks, and I've helped rescue Mun Bun from a balloon andVi from a sinking boat that wasn't a riddle after all." And the wholefamily, including the six little Bunkers, laughed as they thought of thequeer things that had happened that day.

  "I'll tell you what we can do," said Daddy Bunker. "It's early, and thereis a nice moving picture show in town. We'll all go down and see it. Thatwill rest you, Mother."

  "Oh, yes! Let's go!" cried Rose.

  And so they did.

  The show was very nice, and there were some funny pictures. But Mun andMargy fell asleep before the show was over, and might have had to becarried home, only Jerry Simms came along in the automobile, which he hadtaken down to the shop to be repaired, and they rode to the house in that.

  "Are we going to take our automobile with us to Grandma Bell's?" askedRuss.

  "No, it's too far," his father answered. "But we can hire one there if weneed one. Grandma hasn't one, I believe."

  "She doesn't like to ride in them," said Mrs. Bunker. "Mother isold-fashioned. She has a carriage and a big carry-all."

  "But we'll have fun there, anyhow, won't we?" asked Russ.

  "I'm sure I hope so," his father answered.

  The next few days were busy ones. More trunks were packed, Russ finishedmaking his box for his things, and Laddie started to make one also. But hecouldn't drive nails very straight, and his box fell apart almost as fastas he made it.

  "I don't guess I'll take one," he said. "I'll put my things in your box,Russ."

  "No, you can't," said the older boy. "There won't be room. But I'll makeyou a box for your own self," and this he did, much to Laddie's delight.

  The other children brought from the playroom so many toys they wantedtaken along that Mrs. Bunker said there would be no room in the trunks foranything else if she took all the youngsters piled up for her. So shepicked out a few for each boy and girl, and put their best toys in.

  At last the day came when they were to take the train for Grandma Bell's.Daddy Bunker had left one of his men in charge of the real estate officefor the time he was to be away.

  "And will that man find the red-haired lumber tramp that took your papersin the old coat?" asked Rose.

  "I hope so," answered her father.

  But it was not to happen that way, as you shall see.

  The journey to Grandma Bell's was a long one. To get to Lake Sagatook, inMaine, the Bunkers would have to travel all of one afternoon, all nightand part of
the next day. They would sleep in the queer little beds on thetrain.

  "And that'll be a lot of fun!" said Russ to Rose.

  "Oh, yes, lots!" she agreed.

  At the last minute it was found that many things which needed to be takencould not be put in any of the trunks.

  "Make a big bundle of them," said Daddy Bunker. "Wrap up all the extrathings in a bundle and roll 'em in a blanket. We can express that as wecould a trunk."

  So this was done.

  At last everything was ready. The trunks and the big bundle were set outon the front porch for the expressman, and when he came the six littleBunkers, and their father and mother, watched the things being put on theauto truck.

  "And now we'll start ourselves," said Mr. Bunker, when the expressman hadstarted toward the depot. "Jerry will take us all down in the auto."

  With final good-byes to Norah and some of the neighbors who gathered tosee the party off, Mrs. Bunker started for the car, at the steering wheelof which sat Jerry Simms.

  "Are we all here?" asked Daddy Bunker. "Wait until I count noses. Let mesee: Russ, Rose, Vi, Laddie, Mun Bun and----"

  Just then Mrs. Bunker uttered a cry.

  "Why, where is Margy?"

  And where was Margy? She was not with the other little Bunkers!