he Hollow Tree people couldn't see a thing, but they knew they were
riding faster than ever, for they bounced about a good deal, and held on
to one another and would have laughed at the fun if they hadn't been too
scared. They were pretty anxious for Mr. Man to get the car back into
the barn, so they could scamper home as soon as he went in to breakfast,
for they had had about all the excitement they wanted. But they got some
more in a minute, for all of a sudden, just as Mr. Dog barked to them
that they were in the edge of the Big Deep Woods and would be home soon,
there came a good deal rougher bumping, and then the car ran slow, and
stopped, and they heard Mr. Man say, "A puncture, by gracious! Now I've
got to put in a half hour at that pump!"

Those were awful words. He would be back there in a minute, and then
what. For a second or two everything was silent, except that they heard
Mr. Man getting out of the car, and they got ready to make a wild jump
the moment he lifted the seat cover. But then--right at the instant when
they expected him to do it--they heard Mr. Dog break right out into a
great, big bark, shouting as loud as he could:

"_Come! Come! Come! Mr. Man--it's up a tree!--it's up a tree!--it's up a
tree!_" and they knew by the sound that he had jumped out and was
calling to Mr. Man to come into the woods near the road, and then, a
second later, they heard him call to them, in Hollow Tree words--"Now!
now! jump and run! Jump and run! Now! Now! _Now! Now!_"

And the Hollow Tree people didn't have to be told again. All together,
they gave a great big push at the cover of the back seat, and lifted it,
cushion and all, and scrambled out, and over the side of the car and out
the back, and were diving into the deep woods on the other side of the
road from Mr. Man, who was looking up a tree and scolding Mr. Dog
because he couldn't see anything up there to bark at.

The Hollow Tree people didn't wait to see how it came out, but took out
for home, lickety-split, and didn't stop until they were safe in the
Hollow Tree. That night Mr. Dog came over to see how they had enjoyed
it. He said Mr. Man called him several names because he had not been
able to see anything up in the tree, and then had changed the tire and
pumped it while Mr. Dog was getting calm. Mr. Man, he said, was
surprised to find the back cushion had jumped out of place, but did not
suspicion the truth.

Then they all talked it over several times,