's!" cried all the other boys and girls, who thought it a fine
idea.

Miss Mason smiled at the other teachers, but, as Bunny, Sue and some of
the boys and girls started toward the spring, they were called back by
the superintendent.

"Better not go unless some of us are with you," she said. "You can't
tell what sort of man that might be. Wait a minute, children."

The children turned back, and Bunny said:

"I guess I know who that man is."

"What makes you think so?" asked Miss Mason.

"I can't tell until I see him," went on Toby's little master.

"Well, we'll go and look," Miss Mason said. "But I think I'll call one
of the men teachers. It might be better to have a man with us."

Some of the men who taught the Sunday-school classes came up at this
moment, wanting to know what was going on, and Miss Mason told them:

"Some of the children saw a dark-complexioned man, with gold rings in
his ears, asleep by the spring. We thought perhaps we had better see
who it is. Bunny Brown, who has been giving pony rides for the Red
Cross, thinks he might know who he is."

"Oh, ho!" cried Mr. Baker, a very jolly teacher, "so it's a dark man,
with gold rings in his ears, is it?"

"And a red handkerchief around his neck," said a little boy who had seen
the sleeping person.

"Oh, ho! once again then I say!" cried the jolly teacher. "This man must
be a pirate; don't you think so, Bunny Brown? Pirates always have gold
rings in their ears and red handkerchiefs on their necks, or on their
heads, don't they? Do you think you know this pirate, Bunny?"

"No, sir," answered the little boy, shaking his head. "But I don't guess
he's a pirate, 'cause pirates are always on ships. Anyhow, in all the
pictures I ever saw of them they were always on ships."

"I believe Bunny is right," said another man. "Pirates are only on
ships. And though there may be some land-pirates, they are not regular
ones, and can't be counted. And surely there can't be a ship in these
woods."

"There are boats on the lake," said a little girl.

"Yes, my dear, but they're not regular pirate-boats," went on Mr.
Baker. "No, I don't believe we can count this sleeping man as a regular
pirate. But we'll go and see who it is."

"I wish you would," said Miss Mason. "You men are laughing, I know, but
we don't want the children frightened by a tramp, and probably that's
what this man is."

"Perhaps," said Mr. Baker. "Well, we will go and have a look at him.
Come