ou. You are Tom Vine; aren't you?"

"Yes, Bunny, I am. Wait a minute and I'll light a lantern, and you can
see me better. Look out, Splash, so I won't step on you."

So that was why Splash had made such good friends with the big boy who
came down the cave chimney hole--Splash knew Tom Vine, of course, even
in the darkness.

Tom walked over to one of the boxes, and brought out a lantern. This he
lighted. Bunny and Sue blinked their eyes at the sudden light, but they
were soon used to it. Then they looked at Tom.

Yes, it was he. But he was even more ragged than when they had first
seen him. He was laughing, though, and did not seem sad.

"And to think when I came home, and slid down the chimney of my cave,
which I sometimes do, when I don't want to go around to the front
door--to think when I did this I should find Bunny Brown and his sister
Sue here!" said Tom. "How in the world did you find me?"

"We weren't looking for you," answered Bunny. "We were in the boat, with
Bunker Blue. He went on an island to fish, and we sailed away with the
umbrella. We landed here and I found this cave, to get out of the rain.
I told Sue it was a make-believe robbers' cave."

"Well, I guess I'm the only robber who ever lived in it," said Tom. "But
what are you children going to do? Tell me all about how you got here."

This Bunny and Sue did, from the time they started out with Bunker Blue,
until Bunny opened his eyes to see Tom sliding down the grapevine rope.

"And now I'll tell you about myself," said Tom.

"Have you been living here in this cave ever since you went away from
our camp?" asked Bunny.

"Yes," answered Tom. "This has been my home. No one knew I was here. I
wanted to keep out of sight of Mr. Trimble, for fear he'd make me go
back to his farm."

"Oh, he won't make you go back," said Bunny. "He's sorry he was so cross
to you. He told daddy so; didn't he, Sue?"

"Yes, he did. I'm glad we found you, Tom," and she put her little hand
in his big one.

"And I'm glad I found you and Bunny, Sue. And I'm glad that Mr. Trimble
isn't looking for me. I was getting tired of hiding out this way. I want
to go back to your camp."

"You can come," said Bunny. "Daddy wants you, I know, for he said he
did. Come on back now."

"Wait a minute," said Tom. "First I'll tell you how I came here. And
then, I guess, we'll have to stay until morning, as it is storming too
bad to leave the cave now."

Tom then told that he had hea