“No need to do that,” said Uncle Tad.  “For when we stop, then one of you can get down, and run up ahead with something for daddy and Bunker Blue.”

And, a little later, the automobile did stop.

“What’s the matter?” called Mrs. Brown to her husband, who was up on the front seat.  “Did anything happen?”

“No, only the automobile needs a drink of water,” answered Mr. Brown.  I have told you how automobiles need water, as much as horses do, or as you do, when you get warm.  Of course the automobile does not exactly drink the water.  But some must be poured in, from time to time, to keep the engine cool.  And this was why Bunker Blue stopped the automobile now.

While he was pouring water in, dipping it up with a pail from a cold spring beside the road, Bunny and Sue got out and took their father and the red-haired boy some jam and jelly tarts, and also some sandwiches.

“My!  This is fine!” cried Mr. Brown, as he ate the good things Sue handed him.  “I’m glad we’re going camping; aren’t you, children?”

“Oh, I should say we were glad!” cried Bunny, as he took a drink from the spring.  There was half a brown cocoanut shell for a dipper, and Bunny thought he had never drunk such cool, sweet water.

Then, when Bunker Blue had eaten his sandwiches and tarts, they started off once more, rumbling along the country roads toward Lake Wanda.

“I wish we’d hurry up and get there,” said Sue.  “I want to see what camping is like.”

“Oh, we’ll soon be there,” promised Daddy Brown, “and there’ll be work enough for all of us.  We’ll have three tents to put up, and many other things to do.”

On and on went the big automobile.  Splash ran along the road, some time at the side of the car, sometimes behind it, and, once in a while, away up ahead, as if he were looking to see that the road was safe.

After a bit the dog came back to the automobile, and walked along so slowly, with his red tongue hanging out, that Sue said: 

“Oh, poor Splash must be tired!  Let’s give him a ride, Mother!”

“All right.  Call him up here.”

“Come on, Splash!” called Bunny and Sue, for they each owned half the dog.  They had pretended to divide him down the middle, so each one might have part of the wagging tail, and part of the barking head.  It was more fun owning a dog that way.

Up jumped Splash into the back of the auto-moving van.  He stretched out on a roll of carpet that was to be spread over the board floor of the big tent, and went to sleep.  But first Bunny had given him some sweet crackers to eat.  Splash was very fond of these crackers.

The automobile was going down hill now, and when it reached the bottom it came to a stop again.

“What’s the matter now?” asked Mother Brown.  “Does the auto want another drink?”

“No, not just now,” answered daddy.  “Something has happened this time.”