"There! Take that!" cried Bunny squirting the water over the turkey.

"That will make you stop pulling dogs' tails, I guess."

Indeed the water was too much for the gobbler. He let go of Splash's tail, for which the dog was very thankful, and then the big bird ran toward the farmyard, just as the farmer came out to see what all the trouble was about.

"I had to splash your turkey to make him let go of our dog," explained Bunny.

"Oh, that's all right," answered the farmer. "I guess that bird is a leetle better off for being cooled down. Glad you did it. None of you hurt, I hope?"

"My neck's picked a bit," said Tom.

"Well, come in and I'll have my wife put some salve on it."

"No, thank you, we're in a hurry to get home," said Bunny. "My mother has some goose grease."

"Well, that's just as good, I reckon. Next time I'll keep the old gobbler locked up."

Mr. Brown was at home, when Bunny, Sue and the ragged boy reached the tent. The father and mother listened while Bunny and Sue explained what had happened, from going into the cave to the turkey gobbler.

"Well, you had quite a number of adventures," said Mr. Brown. "I stayed out fishing by myself longer than I meant to, and when I came back to get you I find you just coming in. We'll go this afternoon."

"And may Tom come too?"

"I guess so," answered Mr. Brown.

"I know where there's lots of places to fish," said Tom.

Mr. Brown talked it over with his wife after dinner, and they decided to let Tom stay in camp and do a little work, such as cutting the wood and bringing the water.

"But what do you suppose he means by saying that Mr. Bixby sticks needles into him?" asked Mrs. Brown.

"That's what I'll have to look into," said her husband. "The hermit seems to be a queer sort of chap."

"And Bunny finding one of his cars, too!"

"Yes, that was queer. This will certainly have to be looked into."

In a few moments after this conversation Sue came from behind the kitchen tent.

"Come on, Sue, we're going fishing," called Bunny to his sister.

"No; you and Tom can go with father," said the little girl, "I'm not coming."

"Why not? Are you 'fraid?"

"Course not, Bunny Brown! I'm just going to stay in camp and make a pie.

Tom said he hadn't had one for a good while. I'm going to make him one."

"All right. Make me one too, please," said Bunny. "We're going after some fish," and with his pole and line he started down toward the lake with his father and Tom.

CHAPTER XVIII

ROASTING CORN

"Now, Bunny, be careful when getting into the boat," said his father.

Bunny turned and looked at his father. What Bunny thought, but did not say, was:

"Why, Daddy! I've gotten into boats lots of times before, I guess I can get in now." That is what Bunny Brown did not say.

But, in a way, Bunny's father was talking to the ragged boy, Tom, and not to Bunny. For Mr. Brown did not yet know how much Tom might know about boats, and as the boy was a big lad, almost as tall as Uncle Tad himself, Mr. Brown did not want to seem rude and give a lesson to a boy who might not need it. So though he pretended it was Bunny about whom he was anxious, all the while it was about Tom.

"Oh, I'll be careful, Daddy," said Bunny. "And you be careful too, Tom.

You don't want to fall in and get drowned, do you?"

"No indeed I don't, Bunny. Though it would be pretty hard to drown me. I can swim like a muskrat. And I can row a boat, too, Mr. Brown," he went on. "I've worked for Mr. Wilson, the man who owns the pavilion at the other end of the lake. I used to row excursion parties about the lake, and there isn't a cove or a bay I don't know, as well as where the good fishing places are."

"I found one of those myself this morning," said Mr. Brown, with a smile.

"Well, I wish you'd let me row you to some others that hardly any one but myself knows about."

"I shall be glad to have you," said Bunny's father. "And I'm glad you understand a boat. I shan't be worried when Bunny and his sister Sue are out with you."

"I can row myself a little, when you are with me, Daddy," said Bunny.

"Yes, but you'll have a chance to learn more with Tom, as I haven't time to teach you. So I'm going to depend on you, Tom."

"Yes, sir, and I'll take good care of 'em. I've lived near this lake all my life, and when my folks died and I went to the poorhouse in the Winter, and worked out in the Summer, I managed to get to the lake part of the time. I'll look after the children all right."

Mr. Brown did not need to ask anything further what Tom knew of a boat, once the ragged boy took his seat and picked up the oars. He handled them just as well as Mr. Brown could himself.

"Do you want me to row you to any particular place?" asked Tom.

"Well, some place where we can get some fish. I suppose Bunny would like to land a few."

"I want to catch a whole lot of fish, Daddy!" cried Bunny. "So row me to a place where there's lots of 'em!"

"All right, here we go!" and Tom bent his back to the oars, so that the boat was soon skimming swiftly over the water. Mr. Brown liked the way the big boy managed the boat, and he knew he would feel safe when Bunny and Sue were out with Tom.

Meanwhile, on sh.o.r.e, in the shade of the cooking tent, Sue was busy with her pie.

"I want to make a mince one, for daddy likes that kind," said Sue. "And I want to have it ready for them when they come home from fishing.

Though I don't see what he wants of any more fish," she added, as she glanced at a little pool near the edge of the lake where, in a fish-car, the fish Mr. Brown had caught while out alone that morning were swimming. They could not get out of the car, or box, which had netting on the side.

"He is going to take some of them back to the city with him in the morning," said Mrs. Brown. "He wants to give them to his friends. Those he and Bunny and Tom catch this afternoon, will be for our supper, Sue."