“She—­she knows I’m watering the garden,” Bunny answered.

“Does she know you were watering me?” asked the man, with a half smile.

“No—­no, sir,” replied the small boy.  “I didn’t wet you!”

“You didn’t!  Then who did?”

“I—­I don’t know,” stammered Bunny.  “I left the hose here while I went in to get some bread and jam.  Here’s some of it now,” and he held out what was left of his slice.  “I heard you calling, and I thought maybe it was my sister Sue.  Course she wouldn’t ‘a’ done it on purpose.  But it wasn’t Sue.  She hasn’t been downstairs yet.”

“Then who was it?” insisted the man.  “Surely the hose didn’t wet me all by itself.”

“No,” admitted Bunny.  “But it might have been Mr. Winkler’s monkey.”

“Who’s Mr. Winkler’s monkey, and how could he wet me with a hose?” demanded the man.

“His name is Wango—­I mean the monkey’s is,” explained Bunny.  “Sometimes he gets away and does things.  He climbed up on Mrs. Golden’s shelves—­she keeps a store.  Maybe Wango got loose and came over here and picked up the hose to get a drink or something, and so wet you.”

“Well, that’s possible,” admitted the man.  “And if that’s the case I beg your pardon.  Do you see Wango around here?” he went on, while Sue, looking from her upper window, wondered who the stranger could be.

“No, I don’t see Wango,” replied Bunny, looking about.  “But I’ll look for him.  Maybe he’s hiding.”

“Maybe he is,” and the man now laughed.  “I’ll help you search.  For if the monkey is up to tricks like that he ought to be stopped.  He may wet some one else if you go away and leave the water turned on.”

“That’s right,” agreed Bunny.

He left the hose, still spurting, on the grass, and, followed by the man, walked around the yard, looking for Wango.  But the mischievous monkey was not in sight, nor did he come when Bunny called, though Mr. Winkler’s pet nearly always did this.

“I guess he isn’t here,” said Bunny at length.  “But I didn’t wet you with the hose.”

“Then who——­” began the man, but he stopped short to point and cry:  “Look at that!”

As Bunny and the stranger were walking back toward the hose, Splash, the big dog, ran out from under the back porch and took hold of the hose in his teeth.  He began to shake it as he often shook things with which he played.

“There!” laughed the man.  “That’s how I was sprayed!  Your dog picked up the hose after you left it, and raised it high, so the water shot over the hedge and on me!  Now the mystery is explained!  It was the dog that did it!”

And so it was.

“Splash!” cried Bunny.  “Drop that hose!”

Splash dropped it, and with a bark came running up to be petted.  He did not know he had done wrong.

“I’m very sorry,” said Bunny.  “Splash, you’re a bad dog!” he declared, and Splash drooped his tail between his legs.