“So I did, Sue.”

“They look like black stones,” said Bunny.

“You wait—­I’ll show you,” laughed Uncle Tad.  He brought the bark platter to the table.  Taking up a fork he opened one of the round, black, smoking things.  Though the outside was burned black from the fire, the inside was almost as white as snow.

“There’s baked potatoes for you!” cried Uncle Tad.  “Put some salt and butter on them, and you never tasted anything better!  But be careful—­for they’re very hot!”

Supper over, the dishes were washed and put away.  Then there was nothing to do but wait until it was time to go to bed.

“And I think we’re all tired enough to go early to-night,” said Mother Brown.

“But, before we go,” said her husband, “I think we will have a little row on the lake in our boat.  It is not yet dark.”

It was beautiful out on the water, and the sun, sinking down behind the hills, made the clouds look as though they were colored blue, pink, purple and golden.

Bunny and Sue were almost asleep when the boat was headed back toward shore, and their eyes were tight shut, when daddy and mother lifted them out to carry them up to Camp Rest-a-While.  The children hardly awakened when they were undressed and put to bed, and soon every one was sound asleep, for it was a dark night.

Bunny Brown was sleeping in the outer part of the bedroom-tent, in a cot next to his father’s.  Just what made Bunny awaken he did not know.  But, all at once the little fellow sat up on his cot, and looked with wide-open eyes toward the entrance.  There was a lantern burning in the tent, and by the light of it Bunny Brown saw a big shaggy animal, standing on its hind legs, and sniffing with its black nose.  At first Bunny could not make a sound, he was so frightened, but finally he screamed: 

“Oh, Daddy!  Daddy!  Wake up!  It’s a bear!  A bear!  A big black bear in the tent!”

Then Bunny slipped down between the blankets and covered up his head with the bed clothes.

CHAPTER VIII

THE RAGGED BOY

Daddy Brown was used to being suddenly aroused in the night by either Bunny or Sue.  At home the children often awakened, and called out.  Sometimes they would be dreaming, or perhaps they would want a drink of water.  So Daddy Brown and Mrs. Brown Were used to answering when they heard the children call out.

But it was something new to hear Bunny calling about a big, black bear.  He had never done that before, though one time, when he ate too much bread and jam for supper, he screamed that there was an elephant in his room, and there wasn’t at all.  He had only dreamed it.

But this time Daddy Brown had plainly heard his little boy say: 

“Oh, it’s a bear!  It’s a bear!”

Mr. Brown awakened, and sat up in his cot.  He looked over toward Bunny’s bed, but could see nothing of the little fellow, for as I have told you, Bunny was covered up under the blankets and quilt.  Even his head was covered.