than ever.

"Oh, dear!" cried the little girl. "I've just got to sit down, Bunny. My
legs is so tired!"

"Mine is too," Bunny said, too weary to speak more properly. "We'll both
rest, Sue, and then we'll holler some more."

"And what will we do if nobody comes to get us?"

"We'll go back and take the other path, Sue. Maybe we came on the wrong
one."

"Maybe we did." Sue was glad to have the other path to think about.
Perhaps that might be the one that would lead them home. She and Bunny
sat on a log to rest, and then, once more, Bunny gave a loud shout.

"Hello! Hello!" he cried. "We're lost! Somebody come and find us!"

Sue joined in, crying in her shrill little voice. But, for a while, no
one answered.

"Well, we'll go back and take the other path," said Bunny. He was
getting very hungry, and he wished he would come to another place where
strawberries or raspberries grew.

Before starting back, however, Bunny gave one more shout.

"Hello! Hello!" he cried.

To the surprise of himself and Sue there was an answer.

"Hello! Hello!"

Bunny and Sue looked at one another.

"Did--did you hear that?" asked Bunny in a whisper.

"Yes," answered Sue. "It was the echo!"

But, as they waited the call came again.

"Hello! Hello! Who are you? Where are you? What do you want?"

"That wasn't any echo," said Bunny, "'cause we didn't speak. It's
somebody after us, Sue."

"Oh, I'm so glad!"

"So'm I!"

There was a crackling of the bushes, and through the trees came walking
an old man, with long, white hair and a beard. He had a kind face, and
Bunny and Sue liked him at once.

"Oh, did you come for us?" asked Bunny.

"Well, no, not exactly," the man answered with a smile. "I heard you
calling, though. What is the matter?"

"We're lost," replied Sue. "Will you please take us home?"

"I would if I knew where your home was, little girl."

"Do you live in the woods?" Bunny asked. The man looked as though his
home might be in some hollow tree, or woodland cave.

"Yes, boy, I live here."

"All alone?" asked Sue, looking around.

"All alone, yes, little girl. I'm a sort of hermit, I suppose. At least
folks call me that, and hermits always live alone, you know." The man
smiled very kindly at the children.

"Well, Mr. Hermit," said Sue, "please take us home, and give me and
Bunny something to eat. We're awful hungry."

CHAPTER XVI

LOOKING FOR THE HORSES

Once again the hermit smiled at the chil