“Well, you had quite a number of adventures,” said Mr. Brown.  “I stayed out fishing by myself longer than I meant to, and when I came back to get you I find you just coming in.  We’ll go this afternoon.”

“And may Tom come too?”

“I guess so,” answered Mr. Brown.

“I know where there’s lots of places to fish,” said Tom.

Mr. Brown talked it over with his wife after dinner, and they decided to let Tom stay in camp and do a little work, such as cutting the wood and bringing the water.

“But what do you suppose he means by saying that Mr. Bixby sticks needles into him?” asked Mrs. Brown.

“That’s what I’ll have to look into,” said her husband.  “The hermit seems to be a queer sort of chap.”

“And Bunny finding one of his cars, too!”

“Yes, that was queer.  This will certainly have to be looked into.”

In a few moments after this conversation Sue came from behind the kitchen tent.

“Come on, Sue, we’re going fishing,” called Bunny to his sister.

“No; you and Tom can go with father,” said the little girl, “I’m not coming.”

“Why not?  Are you ’fraid?”

“Course not, Bunny Brown!  I’m just going to stay in camp and make a pie.  Tom said he hadn’t had one for a good while.  I’m going to make him one.”

“All right.  Make me one too, please,” said Bunny.  “We’re going after some fish,” and with his pole and line he started down toward the lake with his father and Tom.

CHAPTER XVIII

ROASTING CORN

“Now, Bunny, be careful when getting into the boat,” said his father.

Bunny turned and looked at his father.  What Bunny thought, but did not say, was: 

“Why, Daddy!  I’ve gotten into boats lots of times before, I guess I can get in now.”  That is what Bunny Brown did not say.

But, in a way, Bunny’s father was talking to the ragged boy, Tom, and not to Bunny.  For Mr. Brown did not yet know how much Tom might know about boats, and as the boy was a big lad, almost as tall as Uncle Tad himself, Mr. Brown did not want to seem rude and give a lesson to a boy who might not need it.  So though he pretended it was Bunny about whom he was anxious, all the while it was about Tom.

“Oh, I’ll be careful, Daddy,” said Bunny.  “And you be careful too, Tom.  You don’t want to fall in and get drowned, do you?”

“No indeed I don’t, Bunny.  Though it would be pretty hard to drown me.  I can swim like a muskrat.  And I can row a boat, too, Mr. Brown,” he went on.  “I’ve worked for Mr. Wilson, the man who owns the pavilion at the other end of the lake.  I used to row excursion parties about the lake, and there isn’t a cove or a bay I don’t know, as well as where the good fishing places are.”

“I found one of those myself this morning,” said Mr. Brown, with a smile.