what it is the queer
fellow wants me to take charge of for him."

"May we go?" chorused Ted and Janet again.

"Oh, I suppose so," agreed their father, and this was better than the
"I'll see," of their mother.

"Me tum too!" declared Trouble. He never wanted to be left behind.

"We'll all take an auto trip over to Pocono to-morrow and see what Uncle
Toby has," decided Mr. Martin.

Accordingly, the next day, Mr. Martin left his manager in charge of the
store, and, in the comfortable family automobile, the Curlytops and their
father, mother and Trouble--not forgetting Skyrocket, the dog--started
off.

It was just as fine a day as the previous one, when Trouble had sailed
down the brook. The grass was green, the birds sang, and the wind blew
gently in the trees.

"Oh, it's summer, and there's no school and well have lots of fun!" sang
Janet.

"Maybe we'll have fun with what we find at Uncle Toby's house," suggested
Ted.

And neither of the Curlytops realized how much fun nor what strange
adventures were in store for them.

The automobile started down a rather steep hill, and Mrs. Martin, who was
on the front seat with her husband, looked back to see that the three
children were safe.

"Hold on to Trouble!" she told Janet. "He might bounce out. The road is
very rough!"

"Yes, it isn't very safe, either," murmured Mr. Martin. "I hope nothing
happens."

Hardly had he spoken than there was a loud bang close behind him. He
jammed on the brakes and cried:

"Tire's burst! Hold tight--everybody!"

Then the automobile slid over to one side of the road and Janet cried:

"Oh, Trouble! Trouble!"

CHAPTER III

THE QUEER OLD LADY

For a little while it seemed as though something serious had happened in
the automobile which was taking the Curlytops to Uncle Toby's house. Mr.
Martin had all he could do to slow up the machine, bringing it to a stop
beside the road, and under a tree. If a tire had burst or been punctured
Daddy Martin wanted to be in the shade to fix it.

Mother Martin, holding tightly to the side of the seat when the banging
noise sounded, turned to look behind her to see if the three children
were all right. She saw Trouble sitting between Ted and Janet, and
William was looking at something in his chubby hand.

"What happened?" asked Mrs. Martin. "Were any of you hurt when the tire
burst?"

"The tire didn't burst, Mother," answered Teddy.

"Why, I heard it," said Mr. Martin, as he p