Part 13 (1/2)
”How?”
”Throw a stick in the water, and he'll chase after it.”
”Fine!” cried Bunny, and he tossed a chip out into the river. With a bark the dog rushed after it. But I think you can guess what happened.
Instead of the dog's pulling the boat, the string broke, and, of course, that was the end of the harness.
”Oh, dear!” exclaimed Sue. ”We'll never get home, Bunny!”
The little boy did not know what to do next. But, all at once, as he and his sister looked at each other, quite worried and anxious, they heard a voice shouting:
”Bunny! Sue! Are you there? Where are you? Bunny! Sue!”
CHAPTER X
A TROLLEY RIDE
”Who--who is that?” asked Sue of her brother in a whisper. ”Oh, it's papa come for us!”
”That isn't papa,” Bunny answered, for well he knew his father's voice.
”Well, it's SOMEBODY, anyhow,” and Sue smiled now, through her tears.
”It's somebody, and I'm so glad!”
”Bunny! Sue!” called the voice again, and the big dog barked. Perhaps he was also glad that ”somebody” had come for him, as glad as were the children. But, though Bunny Brown and his sister Sue looked all about, they could see no one. Then, all of a sudden, Sue thought of something.
”Oh, Bunny!” she cried. ”Do you s'pose it could be him?”
”Be who?”
”Robinson Crusoe's man Friday. Here on the island, you know. Maybe he heard we were here, and came to help us catch fish, or make a fire. Oh, Bunny, if it should be Mr. Friday!”
”Pooh! It couldn't be,” said Bunny. ”Mr. Friday was only make-believe, and we were only pretending, anyhow. It couldn't be!”
”No, I 'spose not,” and Sue sighed. ”Anyhow, it's somebody, and they know us, and I'm glad!”
Bunny was also glad, and a few seconds later, while the dog kept on barking, and running here and there, Bunny and Sue raw, coming around the end of the island, a boat, and in it was Jed Winkler, the old sailor who owned w.a.n.go, the monkey. Only, of course, the old sailor did not have the monkey with him this time.
”Bunny! Sue! Oh, there you are!” called Mr. Winkler as he saw the two children.
”Oh, Mr. Winkler!” cried Bunny. ”We're so glad to see you!”
”Yes, and I guess your folks will be glad to see YOU!” answered the old sailor. ”They've been looking all over for you, and only a little while ago I noticed that your boat was gone. I thought maybe you had gone on a voyage down the river, so I said I'd come down and look, as far as the island, anyhow. And here you are!
”I wonder what you'll do next? But there's no telling, I reckon. What have you been doing, anyhow, and whose dog is that?”
”He's mine,” said Sue quickly. ”He pulled me out of the water.”