CHAPTER XII

THE CROSS MAN

“Come on!  Come on!” whispered Tom to Bunny and Sue, as he led them still deeper back in among the bushes.  “Don’t let him hear you!  Come on, and we’ll hide!”

“Who is it?  What’s the matter?” Bunny wanted to know.

“Hush!” whispered Tom.  “It’s that man!  He’s after me, I guess.  I’ll tell you about it when we get away.  He’s coming!  Hurry!”

Certainly someone, or something, was coming along the path from which Tom and the two children had just stepped to go in among the bushes.  Tom was in such a hurry that he pulled Bunny and Sue along with him harder than he meant to.  Finally Bunny said: 

“Oh, Tom, I’m spilling the milk!”

Bunny was carrying the pail of milk they had bought at the farmhouse, and, though the pail had a cover on it, some of the milk had splashed out, and was running down Bunny’s stocking.

“Set the pail down here, and we’ll get it when we come back—­after that man goes,” Tom said, in a whisper.

Bunny put the pail down on the ground, near a big stone, so he would know where to look for it again.  Then, to hide, they all squeezed as far back in the bushes as they could, and waited.

“Is he coming after us?” asked Sue in a whisper.

“No, I guess he’s only after me,” answered Tom.  “He won’t touch you or Bunny.”

“Is it a Gypsy man?” Bunny wanted to know.

“No, he isn’t a Gypsy,” replied Tom.  “He’s just a cross, bad man; and I don’t want him to see me.  Keep your heads down.”

Bunny and Sue did so.  Like frightened rabbits they crouched among the bushes.  Tom kept hold of their hands, and though the children knew that Tom was afraid, for he had said so, still Bunny and Sue were not very much frightened, as long as the man was not a Gypsy and did not want them.

“There!  He’s gone past!” exclaimed Tom, as he stood up to look over the tops of the bushes.  “He’s gone, and we can come out.  He didn’t see us—­he won’t get me this time.”

“But who was he?” Bunny wanted to know.  Tom, however, did not seem to hear him.  Still holding Bunny and Sue by the hand, Tom led them back to the path.  Bunny picked up the pail of milk.

“I’ll carry it for you,” Tom said.  “We’ve got to hurry back to camp.”

“Why?” asked Sue.  “I can’t hurry very much, for my legs hurt.”

“I’ll carry you,” said Tom, “if Bunny will take the milk pail.”

“Yes, I’ll do that,” said the little boy.

Once more he took the pail, while Tom hoisted Sue up onto his shoulder.

“Give me a piggy-back!” Sue begged, so Tom carried her pickaback, while Sue held tightly to her doll.  Tom marched ahead along the path, and soon they were safely at the tent.  Before Tom could say anything, Bunny and Sue, seeing their father and mother, called out: 

“Oh, Tom saw a man, and we hid!”