see out and notice how things went spinning by. Then they
heard Mr. Man tell Mr. Dog not to make so much noise, and after that
things were quieter, and they just heard the steady buzz of the engine,
until by and by Mr. Dog barked out that they were at Great Corners and
were stopping in front of the store.

The Hollow Tree people whispered to one another that they had certainly
enjoyed it, but what a terrible thing it would be if something should
happen now, so far away from home, and among so many confusing things.
It seemed an age before Mr. Man came back to the car and got ready to
start again, and when he did they heard him talking to some other Mr.
Man, who asked if he should put the things under the back seat. Then the
Hollow Tree people nearly died, until they heard Mr. Man say, "No, never
mind, I'm in too much of a hurry to get home; just drop them in behind
there, any place," which made them feel a little better, and pretty soon
Mr. Man started the motor again, and they felt the car moving faster and
faster, the same as before.

The 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