Part 16 (1/2)

Then with it in his hand he went slowly toward the spring. He leaned over, but longer arms than his were needed to reach the pail down into the bubbling water.

Trouble reached and stretched and reached again, and then----

”Splas.h.!.+”

Baby William had fallen in!

CHAPTER IX

TED FINDS A CAVE

Janet and Ted returned from looking at the pretty scarlet bird just in time to see what happened to Trouble. They saw him fall into the spring.

”Oh!” cried Janet, clasping her hands. ”Oh, look!”

”He'll be drowned!” yelled Ted, and then he ran as fast as he could toward the place where he had last seen his little brother, for Baby William was not in sight now. He was down in the water.

Perhaps Trouble might not have come to any harm, more than to get wet through by the time Ted reached him. Perhaps the little fellow might not have been drowned. At any rate, no harm came to him, even though Jan and her brother did not get there in time to help.

The two Curlytops, their fuzzy hair fluttering in the wind, were half way to the spring when they saw coming from the bushes a ragged man.

”There he is!” cried Janet.

”Who?” asked Ted.

”The man who--talked to me--while I was picking flowers,” and Jan's voice came in gasps, for she was getting out of breath from having run so hard. ”There he is!” and she pointed.

”That's the tramp!” cried Ted. ”They _are_ on the island, only grandpa couldn't find 'em!”

”Do you--do you s'pose he's goin' to take Trouble?” faltered Janet.

Before Ted could answer, the Curlytops saw what the ragged man was going to do. They saw him stoop over the spring, reach down into it and lift something up. The ”something” was Baby William, screaming and crying in fright, and dripping wet.

The ragged man set Trouble down on a rock near the spring, and then, waving his hand to Ted and Jan, he cried:

”He's all right--swallowed hardly any water. Take him home as soon as you can, though. I haven't time to stop--have to go to see the professor!”

With that the man seemed to dive in between some high bushes, and the Curlytops could not see him any more. But Trouble was still sitting on the rock, the water from his clothes making a little puddle all around him, and he was crying hard, his tears running down his cheeks.

”Oh, Trouble!” gasped Jan, putting her arms around him, all wet as he was.

”Are you hurt?” asked Ted, looking carefully at his little brother.

”I--I--I fal--falled in an'--an' I's all--all wetted!” wailed Trouble, his breath coming in gasps because of his crying, which he had partly stopped on seeing his brother and sister. ”I falled in de spwing, I did!”

”What made you?” asked Ted, while Jan tried to wring some of the water out of the little fellow's waist and rompers.

”I wanted to get de pail full for mamma.”