Part 5 (1/2)
CHAPTER III
OFF TO STAR ISLAND
”Oh Ted!” exclaimed Janet, as she drove home in the goat-wagon with her brother and Baby William, ”do you s'pose we can't go camping with grandpa?”
”Why can't we?” demanded Teddy.
”'Cause of what that farmer said.”
”Oh, well, I guess grandpa won't be 'fraid of tramps on the island. It's part his, anyhow, and he can make 'em get off.”
”Yes, he could do that,” agreed Janet, after thinking the matter over.
”But if they were gypsies?”
”Well, gypsies and tramps are the same. Grandpa can make the gypsies get off the island too.”
”They--they might take Trouble,” faltered Jan in a low voice.
”Who?” asked Ted.
”The gypsies.”
”Who take me?” demanded Trouble himself. ”Who take me, Jam?”
Sometimes he called his sister Jam instead of Jan.
”Who take me?” he asked, playfully poking his fingers in his sister's eyes.
”Oh--n.o.body,” she answered quickly, as she took him off her lap and put him behind her in the cart. She did not want to frighten her little brother. ”Let's hurry home and tell grandpa,” Jan said to Ted, and he nodded his curly head to show that he would do that.
On trotted Nicknack, Trouble being now seated in the back of the wagon on a cus.h.i.+on, while Ted and Jan were in front.
”Maybe it was tramps making a campfire that we saw last night,” went on Jan after a pause, during which they came nearer to Cherry Farm.
”A campfire blaze isn't blue,” declared Ted.
”Well, maybe this is a new kind.”
Ted shook his head until his curls waggled.
”I don't b'lieve so,” he said.
”Bang! There, me shoot you!” suddenly cried Trouble, and Ted and Jan heard something fall with a thud on the ground behind them.
”Whoa, there!” cried Ted to Nicknack. ”What are you shootin', Trouble baby?” he asked, turning to look at his little brother.
”Me shoot a bunny rabbit,” was the answer.
”Oh, there _is_ a little bunny!” cried Jan, pointing to a small, brown one that ran along under the bushes, and then came to a stop in front of the goat-wagon, pausing to look at the children.