“I guess we’ll like it there,” said Rose, as she smoothed out her doll’s dress.

“I’m going to swim!” declared Russ.

“Well, pile in, and I’ll soon have you at Grandma Bell’s,” said Mr. Mead, and very quickly the automobile was chugging along a woodland road, under tall, green trees.

“There’s the house,” said Mr. Mead, in about half an hour, as he pointed through the trees.  The children had a glimpse of a big white house near the shore of a blue lake amid the trees, and a little later they were getting out of the machine on the drive, while a dear old lady, with pretty white hair, was kissing Mother Bunker.

“Oh, I’m glad to see you!  Glad to see you—­every one!” cried Grandma Bell.  “I’m very glad you came.  Let me see if you’re all here.  Daddy, mother, and six little Bunkers, that’s right.  Now come right in and get something to eat!  I’m so glad to see you!”

And as the six little Bunkers started to go into the house, suddenly a strange voice that seemed to come from the woods cried: 

“Let me out!  Let me out!  Take me!  Don’t leave me behind!”

Every one looked at every one else.  Were any of the little Bunkers missing?

CHAPTER XII

RUSS COULDN’T STOP

“Mercy me!” cried Grandma Bell as she heard the strange voice.  “What is that?”

As if in answer the call came again: 

“Take me out!  Don’t leave me here!  I want to go!  Take me!  Oh, my eye, give me some pie!”

“It’s in the automobile!” said Daddy Bunker.

“But who can it be?” asked his wife.

“You must have forgotten and left one of the children under a robe, though goodness knows it’s hot enough without any covering to-day,” said Grandma Bell.  “Are all the children here?”

Once more she counted them, naming each one in turn:  Russ, Rose, Vi, Laddie, Margy and Mun Bun—­six little Bunkers.

“All here—­every one,” said Grandma Bell.  “Unless you bought a little baby on the way up.”

“Oh, I almost had one!” exclaimed Rose.  “I laid my doll down in a seat, and when I picked her up she was alive, but it was a lady’s baby and——­”

Once more the voice called from the auto: 

“Take me out!  Don’t leave me here!  Oh my eye, give me some pie!”

“There is a child in there!” said Grandma Bell “Who is it?” she asked of Mr. Mead, who had been taking some of the Bunkers’ baggage into the house, and who came out just then.

“Who is what?” asked the man who had so kindly given the children a ride over from the station.

“What child is hidden in that auto?” asked Grandma Bell.  “It isn’t one of the six little Bunkers, for they’re all here.  But there is some child in that auto.”

“Why no, there isn’t,” said Mr. Mead.  “There’s nobody in my machine but——­”

“Let me out!  Oh, let me out!” cried the voice again.