Grandpa Brown put some liniment on the sore leg, and bound it up in soft cloths.  Then Splash went to sleep in the kitchen.

“Oh, I’m so glad he isn’t lost!” sighed Sue, as she and Bunny went to bed that night.

“So am I,” echoed her brother.

For several days Splash had to go about on three legs, holding the lame one, with the cloth on, up in the air.  Then the pain and bruise of the trap passed away, and he could run around the same as before, on four legs, though he limped a little.  Soon he was over that, and as well as ever.

“And you must keep out of traps,” said Bunny, shaking a finger at his pet.

“Bow-wow!” barked Splash, and I guess that he meant he would.

It was about a week after this that Bunny Brown and his sister Sue saw Bunker Blue and Ben Hall out in a field with a big pile of white cloth.

“Oh, maybe they’re going to send up a balloon!” exclaimed Bunny, for he had once seen this done at a park.

“Let’s go watch!” cried Sue.

They found the two big boys stretching out the white cloth, to which was fastened many ropes.

“Is it a balloon?” asked Bunny.

“No,” answered Bunker.  “It’s a tent.”

“A tent!  What a big one!”

“It’s the army tent your grandfather used to sleep in when he went to camp.  He let us take it.  We’re going to put it up and see how many it will hold.”

“What for?” Bunny wanted to know.  “Are you going camping?  Can Sue and I come?”

“No, we’re not going camping,” answered Ben.  “But we want this tent, and perhaps another one, bigger, for the circus we are going to give.”

“Oh, are you going to have a circus?” asked Bunny.

“Well, we big boys are thinking of it,” said Bunker.  “You young ones gave such a good one, that we want to see if we can’t come up to you.  That’s why we’re going to put up this tent.”

“We’ll help,” said Bunny.  Then he and Sue began pulling on ropes and hauling on the ends of the white canvas, of which the tent was made.  The children thought they were helping, but I guess Bunker and Ben could have done better if left alone.  Still they liked the children, and did not want to send them away.

But Bunny, who had gone away from Sue, soon grew tired of pulling on the heavy ropes.

“I guess I’ll come back when you have the tent up,” said the little fellow.  “Come on, Sue,” and he looked around for his sister.

But she was not in sight.

“Sue!  Sue!” called Bunny.  “Where are you?”

“Maybe she’s gone home,” said Ben.

“No, she wouldn’t go without me,” Bunny declared.  “Oh, maybe she’s lost; or caught in a trap, just like Splash was!” and Bunny began to cry.

CHAPTER XVII

BUNNY AND THE BALLOONS

Bunker Blue, Ben, and some of the large boys from nearby farms, who had been invited to come over and help put up the big tent, stopped pulling on the ropes, or driving in stakes, and gathered around Bunny Brown.