“Well, I think there’s something queer about him,” Grandpa Brown said.  “I’d like to know where he was working before he came here.  But I’ll ask him again to-morrow.  He seems like a nice, clean boy.  But he certainly is queer!”

CHAPTER VI

BEN HALL HELPS

Early the next morning Bunny and Sue jumped out of bed, and ran down stairs in their bath robes.  Out into the kitchen they hurried, where they could hear their grandmother singing.

“Where is he?” asked Bunny, eagerly.

“Did he have his breakfast?” Sue wanted to know.

“Who?” asked Grandma Brown.  “What are you children talking about?  And why aren’t you dressed?”

“We just got up,” Bunny explained, “and we came down stairs right away.  Where is Ben Hall?”

“Did he go away?” asked Sue, and she looked all around the kitchen.

“Bless your hearts!” exclaimed Grandma Brown.  “You mean the strange, hungry boy, who came last night?  Oh, he’s up long ago!”

“Did he go away?” asked Sue.

“I hope he didn’t,” cried Bunny.  “I like him, and I hope he’ll stay here and play with us.  He could help us with the circus.”

“Did he go away?” asked Sue again, anxiously.

“Oh, no,” Grandma Brown answered.  “He went out to help Bunker Blue feed the chickens and the cows and horses.  He is very willing to work, Ben is.”

“Is grandpa going to keep him?” Bunny asked.

“For a while, yes,” said his grandmother.  “The poor boy has no home, and no place to go.  Where he ran away from he won’t tell, but he seems badly frightened.  So we are going to take care of him for a little while, and he is going to help around the farm.  There are many errands and chores to do, and a good boy is always useful.”

“I’m glad he’s going to stay,” said Bunny.

“So’m I,” added Sue.  “Maybe he can make boats, Bunny, and a water wheel that we can fix to turn around at a waterfall.”

“Maybe,” agreed Bunny.  “Where is Ben, Grandma?”

“Oh, now he’s out in the barn, somewhere, I expect.  But you two tots must get dressed and have your breakfast.  Then you can go out and play.”

“We’ll find Ben,” said Bunny.

“Yes,” agreed Sue.  “We’ll have two boys to play with now—­Ben and Bunker Blue.”

“Oh, you two children mustn’t expect the big boys to play with you all the while,” said Grandma Brown.  “They have to work.”

“But they can play with us sometimes; can’t they, Grandma?” asked Bunny.

“Oh, yes, sometimes.”

A little later the two children, having had their breakfast, ran to the barn, to look for Ben and Bunker.  They found them leading the horses out to the big drinking trough in front.  The trough was filled from a spring, back of the barn, the water running through a pipe.

“Oh, Bunker, give me a ride on Major’s back!” cried Sue, as she saw her father’s red-haired helper leading the old brown horse.