they've seen my electric train."

"And my Sallie Malinda," added Sue. "My nice 'lectric-eyed Teddy bear."

For all the inquiries that had been made had not brought forth any trace
of either of the children's toys. The man in whose barn Bunny had found
one car, said he had seen no one hiding it in the hay.

"Daddy is going to say something!" whispered Sue.

"Hush!" cautioned her mother.

Just then Mr. Brown arose and looked at the men in front of him.

[Illustration: TOM WADED IN THE MUD AND WATER TO GET THE LILIES.
_Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue in the Big Woods._ _Page_ 233.]

CHAPTER XXV

THE MISSING TOYS

"Gentlemen," began Mr. Brown, "I have asked you all to come to my camp
to-night to settle some questions, and, if possible, to find out what
has been going on around here.

"As I have told you, two rather costly toys, belonging to my children,
have been stolen. Eagle Feather's horse has been taken away. I know my
children's toys have not been found. And I think, Eagle Feather, your
horse is still missing?"

"Him no come back long time," said the Indian. "Stable all ready for
him--good bed straw, hay to eat. He no come home. Me t'ink somebody keep
him for himself."

"That's what we think, too, Eagle Feather," said Mr. Brown.

"Now there is one person I asked to come here to-night who is absent,"
he went on.

"The hermit," said some.

"Bixby," said others.

"I think we all mean the same man," said Mr. Brown.

"Now I have told you about this boy Tom, who was found by my children in
a cave near the lake shore," he continued. "He was found crying, saying
he was being stuck full of needles. I have not been able to get more
than that out of him. He says Bixby made him take hold of two shiny
balls, and then the needles pricked him. I have my own opinion of that,
but I'll speak of that later.

"I asked Bixby here to-night, that we might talk to him. I find that he
has a right to hire this boy to work for him, and under the law to keep
him all Summer. So it seems that unless we can show that Bixby has
treated Tom harshly he will have to go back."

"Unless we can prove that this needle-business was queer," said one man.

"Yes, and that is what I hoped to prove to-night. But since Mr. Bixby is
not here to talk to us----"

"Suppose we go and talk to him!" cried an officer.

"He may hear us coming, and run away," said another.

"Not if we go through the cave," suggested Tom. "I got into the c