“Let’s ask ’em in and show ’em our bunks,” proposed Bunny, and his mother said he might.  The children were even more surprised at the inside of the “Ark” than at the outside.

“Oh, wouldn’t I love to live in this!” sighed a little girl with red hair.  “It’s just like Mother Goose or a fairy story.”

“I love fairy stories,” said Sue.

Just before the Browns were ready to set off once more in their automobile, a hired hand from the Blakeson farm came down with a basket of fresh eggs, some apples and other fruit which the farmer gave Daddy Brown and Uncle Tad for helping to put out the fire.

“Oh, he needn’t have done that,” said Mrs. Brown.  “But I do love fresh eggs, so I’ll keep them.  Please thank Mr. Blakeson for me.”

The man said he would, and then, as he went back to the farm, the big auto started off on the tour again.  There were yet many miles to go, and many more adventures were in store for Bunny Brown and his sister Sue.

“We’ve got to find that missing Fred Ward,” said Bunny.  “It’s funny where he went, isn’t it?”

“Well, this country is a big place, especially if a person wants to hide,” said Mr. Brown.  “Still we may find some trace of Fred in Portland when we get there.  But that will not be for some weeks, as we are traveling slowly.”

The Browns and Uncle Tad found the auto tour so pleasant that it was decided to make the trip even longer than at first planned, which would put off the time when they would reach Portland.

For two more days they traveled on, stopping each night near some village or small city.  Nothing happened except that once they nearly ran into a hay wagon that did not get out of the way in time.

“But it wouldn’t hurt any more to hit a hay wagon than it would be to fall into a feather bed,” said Bunny.

It was just about supper time.  Bunny and Sue were playing out in front of the automobile, while Mrs. Brown was getting supper.  Sue suddenly called: 

“Oh, look at Dix!  He’s chasing a cat!”

Something big and gray flashed over the ground.  Dix ran for it, and his teeth seemed to close on one of the hind legs of the animal.  Then the gray animal ran up a tree, and Dix raced about at the foot, barking and whining, while Splash left the place where he was rolling on the grass, to come to see what the matter was.

CHAPTER XIV

THE MEDICINE SHOW

Bunny Brown and his Sister Sue ran toward the tree up which Dix had chased the gray creature.  The dog was greatly excited, and at once Splash joined in, too.  Though it is very likely Splash did not in the least know what he was barking at.

Dogs are like that, you know.  When one hears another bark it will join in, and then will come a third and maybe a fourth until every dog in the block is barking, and only the first one may know why, and perhaps even he does not.