Part 18 (1/2)
And it isn't impolite to take it when he offers it to you!”
”No, I guess it's not,” said Bunny. ”Anyhow, we'll take 'em.”
The ragged man appeared with a plate of cookies. The children said they were very good indeed, fully as good as Mother Brown baked, and Tramp, the dog, ate his share, too, sitting up on his hind legs and begging for one when the ragged man told him to. Then the dog would sit up with a cookie balanced on his nose, and he would not snap it off to eat until the man told him to.
”Well, I like to have you stay,” said the hermit, ”but it is getting late, and perhaps I had better take you to the road that leads straight to your camp.”
”Yes, we had better go,” replied Bunny. ”We'll know our way home now.
Thank you for taking care of us and for the cookies.”
”Which we didn't ask for,” said Sue quickly. ”Did we, Mr. Bixby?”
”No, you didn't,” he answered with a laugh, and he seemed to understand what Sue meant without asking any questions.
As Mr. Bixby started away from his cabin, to lead the children down to the road, they met an Indian coming up the path. He was not Eagle Feather, but one of the tribe.
”How!” and the Indian nodded to the ragged man.
”How!” answered Mr. Bixby.
”You got heap big medicine ready for make Indian's pain better?” asked the red man.
”Yes, but not now--pretty soon,” answered Mr. Bixby.
”All right--me wait. You come back soon byemby?” asked the Onondaga.
”Yes, in a minute.”
”You don't need to go any farther with us,” said Bunny presently. ”We can see the road from here and we know our way all right.”
”Are you sure?” asked Mr. Bixby, who seemed anxious to get back to the Indian, who appeared to be ill.
”Of course we can,” said Bunny.
”Of course,” added Sue.
”Then I'll leave you here,” went on the ragged man. ”I doctor some of the Indians, and this is one of them. I'll say good-bye, and the next time you're lost you must send for me.”
”We will,” laughed Bunny and Sue as they went on toward the road. They knew where they were now, as they had come along this road after the milk.
As they reached the highway they heard from the cabin of the ragged man a curious buzzing sound.
”What's that?” asked Sue. ”Is it bees?”
”No, I don't think so,” answered Bunny. ”It sounds more like machinery.”
”Yes, it does,” agreed Sue. ”I wonder what kind it is.”
”Sounds like a little saw mill,” said Bunny.