il. Hurry and tell your mother--Oh, here she
comes now!" exclaimed Bunker Blue, as Mrs. Brown came to the door. Sue
and Sadie West stood behind her.

"Did you want to see me, Bunker?" asked Mrs. Brown.

"Yes'm," answered the boy. "Mr. Brown sent me up to get the ark. He
wants me to drive it over to Simpson's garage, in East Milford, to have
it looked over and fixed. I thought if I went into the barn and took the
machine out without telling you, maybe you'd think some gypsies ran away
with it."

"Why! are there any gypsies around now, Bunker?" asked Mrs. Brown.

"Yes, I heard the other day that a band of them was camping up along the
creek. But I guess they won't come bothering around here."

"If they do I'll sic Splash, my dog, on 'em," said Bunny.

"Yes, I guess Splash will scare off the gypsies," agreed Bunker Blue
with a laugh. Then he added: "So, now I've told you what I'm going to
do, Mrs. Brown, I'll go and get the ark and drive it over."

"All right, Bunker," said Mrs. Brown. "Is my husband very busy?"

"Yes'm. A big boatload of fish just came in, and he's seeing to having
'em iced."

"Oh, then he can't come up. I was just going to telephone that I want
the sideboard moved to the other end of the room, and it's too heavy for
Uncle Tad to manage alone. I thought Mr. Brown might run up and help,
but if he's so busy with the fish----"

"I'll help," offered Bunker. "I'm not in such a hurry as all that. I'll
help Uncle Tad move the sideboard, and then I'll get the auto."

"Can't we go with you?" begged Sue. "Can't we have a ride in the ark,
Mother?"

"Oh, my, no!" exclaimed Mrs. Brown. "Bunker can't be bothered with you
children."

"I wouldn't mind taking them, ma'am," said the fish boy. "In fact, I'd
like to, but their father didn't say anything about it. Besides, I'll
have to walk back from East Milford after I leave the ark there to be
fixed. It'd be too far for them to walk back."

"Of course it would. Run along now, Bunny and Sue, and have some fun by
yourselves. Don't bother Bunker."

Bunny Brown and his Sister Sue stood on the side porch looking at one
another as Bunker went in the house to help Uncle Tad move the
sideboard. Uncle Tad was an old soldier who lived with the Brown family.
He was Mr. Brown's uncle, but Bunny and Sue thought they owned just as
much of the dear old man as did their father. Sadie West, who had
crawled in under the fence instead of going around by the gate, ran home