THE ANGRY GOBBLER

"Oh, what is it?" asked Sue.

"Where'd you find it?" Tom questioned.

"It's part of my lost railroad," explained Bunny, answering the first question. "And I found it hidden under the hay. I must have stuck myself on one of the sharp corners of the little car as I slid down, and I stopped right away, 'cause I thought it might be an egg."

"An egg!" exclaimed Tom.

"Yes," answered Bunny. "Once I was sliding down hay, just like now, and I slid into a hen's nest. It was partly covered over with hay and I didn't see it. There were thirteen eggs in the nest, and I busted every one! Didn't I Sue?"

"No you didn't, Bunny Brown! That was me!"

"Oh!" Bunny looked very queer for a moment, then he laughed as he remembered what really had happened. "Well, Sue got all messed up with the white and yellow of the eggs. Maybe there weren't just thirteen, but there was a lot anyway. But I'm glad this wasn't a hen's nest. Maybe I'll find the rest of my railroad now. Let's look."

"Somebody must have hid the car here in the hay after they took it,"

said Tom. "Who do you s'pose it was?"

"We thought it might be some of the Indians," said Bunny. "But my father made a search down in their village. He couldn't find anything, though.

Now _we_ have found something."

"You don't s'pose Mr. Bixby would take it, or my Teddy bear with flashing lights for eyes, do you?" asked Sue of the ragged boy.

"I never saw anything like that around his place, and I was there two or three weeks," said Tom.

"We didn't see you when we were there," said Bunny.

"No, I was mostly weeding up in the potato patch on the hill. I'd have my breakfast, take a bit of lunch with me, and then not come home until 'most dark. That's why you didn't see me. But I never took notice of any electrical trains or toy bears around his place. I don't guess he took 'em."

"Nor I," said Bunny. "But I'm going to look in the hay for more."

He did, the others helping, while even Splash pawed about, though I don't suppose he knew for what he was searching. More than likely he thought it was for a bone, for that was about all he ever dug for.

But search as the two Brown children and Tom did, they found no more parts of the toy railroad.

"The one who took it must have thrown the car away because it was too heavy to carry," said Bunny. "It was a pretty heavy toy, and I always carried it in two parts myself. Besides the car wasn't any good to make the train go. The electric locomotive pulled itself and the cars. I guess they just threw this car away.

"But I'm going to keep it, for I might find the tracks and the engine and the other cars, and then I'd be all right again."

"Yes," said Tom, "you would. But it is funny for somebody up in these big woods to take toy trains and Teddy bears. That's what I can't understand."

"And I can't understand that man sticking needles into you--a funny kind of needles he didn't have to pull out and that stopped hurting you so soon," said Bunny.

"It's all queer!" declared Sue. "Come on, we'll have some more fun sliding down the hay."

This they did, and even Splash joined in. But though they slid all over the hay, and kept a sharp lookout for any more parts of Bunny's train, they found nothing.

"I wish I could find part of my Teddy bear," said Sue.

"If you did that your Sallie Malinda wouldn't be much good," said Bunny.

"For you can take an electrical train apart and put it together again, and it isn't hurt. You can't do that way with a Teddy bear. If you pull off one of his legs or his head he's not much good any more."

"That's right," agreed Sue. "I want to find my dear Sallie Malinda all in one piece."

"And with his eyes blazing," added Bunny.

"Oh, of course, with _her_ eyes going," said Sue. "Now for a last slide, and then we'll go out and see if daddy has come."

"And I guess I'd better go back to the poorhouse and get a meal," said Tom. "Mr. Bixby won't give me any dinner 'cause I ran away from him, but if I tell the superintendent back at the poorhouse how it happened I know he'll feed me until I get another place.

"And I can get work easy now. I'm good and strong, and the farmers are beginning to think of getting in their crops. But I'm not going to be stuck full of needles again."

"You come right along with us," said Bunny. "My mamma and papa will be glad to see you when they know you helped us look for our lost toys, even if we didn't find but one car, and I slid over that. But they'll take care of you until you can get some work to do. My mamma does lots of that in the city when tramps come to us----

"Of course you're not a tramp," he said quickly, "'cause you have a home to go to."

"Folks don't ginnerally call it much of a home, but it's better'n nothing," said Tom. "But I'm thankful to you. I'll come, only maybe your maw mightn't be expectin' company--leastwise such as I am," and he looked down at his ragged clothes.

"Never mind that," said Bunny. "You ought to see the picture of my Uncle Tad when he was in the war, captured by the Confederates as a prisoner.

He had only corn husks for shoes and his coat and trousers were so full of holes that he didn't know in which ones to put his legs and arms.

He'll give you some of the clothes he don't want. Now come right along."

"What about meeting daddy to go fishing?" asked Sue. "I guess he isn't going to take us to-day, or he's forgotten about it. Maybe the fish are biting so good out where he is in his boat that he doesn't want to come in."

"Maybe," said Bunny. "Anyhow we'll go on back to the camp. It must be getting near dinner time, for I'm feeling hungry, aren't you?" he asked Tom.

"Yes, but then I'm 'most allers that way. I never remember when I had all I wanted to eat."

On the way along the lake road to Camp Rest-a-While they pa.s.sed a farmyard where many geese, ducks, turkeys and chickens were kept. Just as Sue, who happened to be wearing a red dress, came near the yard, a big turkey gobbler, who seemed to be the king of the barnyard, rushed to the gate, managed to push his way through the crack, and, a moment later, was attacking Sue, biting her legs with his strong beak, now pulling at her red dress, and occasionally flying up from the ground trying to strike his claws into her face.

"Oh dear!" cried the little girl. "Won't somebody please help me? Drive him away, Bunny!"

"I will!" cried her little brother, and, catching up a stick, he bravely rushed at the angry turkey gobbler.

CHAPTER XVII

SUE DECIDES TO MAKE A PIE

"Here. You're too little for such a job as this!" cried Tom, as he stepped in front of Bunny. "That's an old, tough bird and he's a born fighter. Better let me tackle him."

Bunny was a brave little boy, but when he saw how large and fierce the gobbler was his heart failed him a little. The big Thanksgiving bird just then made a furious rush at Sue, and as she jumped back Tom stepped up in her place. The turkey did not seem to mind whom he attacked, as long as it was some one, though probably Sue's red dress had excited him in the first place, though why bulls and turkeys should not like red I can not tell you.

"Look out, Tom!" called Bunny. "He's a bad one!"