n the neighboring farms by this time. "He's as cross as can be, but
he took three prizes at the last Fair."

Twaddles ate the first dozen berries he picked and then he picked
another dozen for Dot's pail. He decided that larger and better
berries grew on the other side of the fence. He crawled under and his
shout of delight brought the others.

"You never saw such big ones!" cried Twaddles gleefully. "Meg, look!"

"They are big," agreed Meg. "Come on, Bobby, let's go on the other
side. Mr. Simmonds won't care."

Dot was already under the fence, and Meg and Bobby stooped down and
crawled under after her.

The four little figures in blue overalls began to pick industriously.
The berries were thick and juicy, and the bottoms of the tin pails
were covered in a few minutes. Meg had just stopped to pull a briar
from her thumb when she heard a bellow behind her.

There stood the bull, in the middle of the field, his head down
between his knees, his feet pawing the ground, and his angry eyes
glaring at the berry pickers.

"Oh, Bobby! The bull!" gasped Meg. "Run, Dot and Twaddles!"

CHAPTER XI

THE HOME LAUNDRY

Dot and Twaddles took one frightened look at the bellowing bull, and
then dropped flat on the ground and began to squirm under the fence.

"Hurry, Meg," urged Bobby. "Don't stand there like that! Run!"

"I'm waiting for you," quavered Meg.

"All right, hurry," repeated Bobby.

He and Meg crawled under the fence and stood beside Twaddles and Dot.
Then they looked over at the bull. He was not charging directly toward
them, but at something else his angry red eyes had seen even before
the children noticed it. Further down there was a gap in the fence
where several rails were broken.

Meg shrieked in terror as she saw what the bull meant to do.

"Peter! Jud! Aunt Polly! Come quick!" she screamed, hardly knowing
what she was crying.

"Coming!" called a big voice, and over the fence corner sprang Peter
Apgar, a pitchfork in his hand. He had been gathering up the loose hay
left along the edge of the field after the hayloader had gathered the
main crop.

After Peter came Spotty, who met the bull just as that cross animal's
nose appeared at the gap in the fence. Indeed, Spotty met him so
suddenly that both grunted.

"I'll turn him. You stay back here out of sight," commanded Peter,
running past the four little Blossoms.

The children were very glad to stay huddled behind the bushes, but
they cou