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Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue at Christmas Tree Cove, a novel by Laura Lee Hope |
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Chapter 17. The New Boy |
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_ CHAPTER XVII. THE NEW BOY Uncle Tad, who was mending a broken fishing rod just outside the bungalow, heard Mrs. Brown's cry and saw her running down to the dock. He also looked across the cove and saw the sailboat in which he knew Bunny and Sue had gone for a ride with Bunker Blue. And then Uncle Tad guessed what had happened. "Man overboard!" he cried, though of course Bunny was only a little boy. But that is what is always said when anybody--man, woman, or child--falls into the water. "Man overboard!" Uncle Tad raced down to the dock and saw Mrs. Brown trying to loosen the rope that held to the pier the boat Mr. Brown had hired for the summer. "Let me do it," said Uncle Tad, who knew considerable about boats from having lived so long with the Browns. Just then a voice behind Mrs. Brown cried: "He's got him out! Bunker Blue has got him out!" And there, on the pier, stood Jimmie Madden with his sister Rose. He pointed across to the now motionless sailboat. Uncle Tad and Mrs. Brown had not looked at it for the last few seconds, as they were busy trying to get ready the other boat to go to the rescue. But, looking now, they saw Bunker Blue lift Bunny Brown from the water. And a moment later Bunker's voice rang out as he called: "You don't need to come! Bunny is all right! I'll soon bring him to shore!" "Oh, I'm so glad!" exclaimed Mrs. Brown, and she dropped the rope she had been trying to loosen, while Uncle Tad, who had knelt down on the pier to do the same thing, stood up. As Jimmie had said and Uncle Tad and Mother Brown had seen, Bunker had pulled Bunny from the water, and a little later the sail was filled with wind and was bringing the boat to the dock. Bunny and Sue could be seen sitting safely in it, and Bunny did not appear much the worse from having fallen overboard, though, of course, he was soaking wet. "I saw him fall in," explained Jimmie Madden. "Then I ran over here." "And I ran over, too," said his sister Rose. "I could 'a' jumped in and got him out if he'd been near shore. I can swim," went on Jimmie, who was a regular seashore boy and quite at home in the water. "I can swim, too," went on Rose. "I'm glad neither of you had to jump in after Bunny," said Mrs. Brown, as the boat neared the dock. "I wonder how Bunny happened to fall overboard." This was explained when the wet, dripping little chap was helped out of the boat to which Bunker had fitted a sail. "He saw something floating in the water," said Bunker, "and he reached for it, though I told him not to, as I was going about. But he did, and he lost his balance, and in he went." "But Bunker got him right out again!" Sue made haste to say. "It wasn't Bunker's fault," added Bunny. "He told me not to lean over." "Then you should have minded," said his mother. "It was very wrong of you, Bunny, to do that. I told you to mind Bunker when you went out with him. Now, as a punishment, you may not go sailing again this week." And though Bunny cried and said he would never disobey again, he was punished just as his mother said he must be. Sue was allowed to go for a sail, while Bunny had to stay on shore. "You must be made to understand that you have done wrong," his mother said. There was really very little danger, for the water in the cove was not deep, and Bunker was such a good swimmer that he, very likely, could have managed to get out both Bunny Brown and his sister Sue if they had fallen in together. After his days of punishment, however, Bunny was allowed to go sailing again, and Bunker even let him steer a little, which made Bunny very happy. "Some day I am going to learn all about steering," declared Bunny to Sue, "and then I'll be able to take out a boat all alone." "You be careful, Bunny Brown, or maybe the boat will sail off with you," warned Sue, earnestly. "And it might sail 'way off to--to Boston, or--or China--or--or Mexico." "It couldn't sail that far. I wouldn't let it." "It might run away with you." "Boats can't run--they sail. You ought to know that." "It could sail away ever so far, if it wanted to, Bunny Brown. An' if it sailed 'way off to--to China, how ever would you get back?" "I'd sail back." "How could you if you didn't know the way?" "I'd ask some--some Chinaman. I know how to talk to 'em. I can talk to that Chinaman who has the laundry near the school." "Huh! He ain't a real Chinaman--he's an American Chinaman. I mean a real Chinaman Chinaman--that can't talk like we do." "I'd find a way--just you wait and see," said Bunny confidently. The summer days passed pleasantly at Christmas Tree Cove. Mr. Brown found it possible to come up more often than he had expected, and he and his wife, with the children, Uncle Tad and Bunker Blue, went on excursions on land and water. Often when her husband would arrive at the bungalow, coming up from his dock office at Bellemere, Mrs. Brown would ask: "Did you hear anything about the strange dog or my lost pocketbook and ring?" And her husband would shake his head and answer: "There is no news. I saw Mr. Foswick, the carpenter. He said he keeps looking around his shop, thinking he may find the things the dog dropped, but they have not been discovered yet." Then Mrs. Brown would be sad for a little while as she thought of her lovely diamond engagement ring, but she did not let Bunny or Sue see that she was unhappy. One afternoon it was very hot at Christmas Tree Cove. The sun's rays beat down and there was scarcely any breeze. "Come on, kiddies!" called Mother Brown to Bunny and Sue. "We will put on our bathing suits and go down to the water. If there is any cool place this hot day it is there." Of course Bunny and Sue were delighted with this. They never tired of bathing, and soon they were splashing about in the cove. They were not the only ones, for many of the neighboring cottagers and bungalow residents took advantage of the water to cool off. "Be careful and don't go out too far!" called Mrs. Brown to Bunny and Sue, as she went up on the beach to talk to some friends, leaving the children in the water. "The tide is coming in." "We'll be careful!" promised Bunny. "Here, Sue, give me your hand and we'll wade out to the float." The float was made of some planks fastened to empty barrels, and it was a fine place to play. As Sue and Bunny were wading out they noticed a boy whom they had not seen before wading beside them. "Hello!" said Bunny, in friendly spirit. "Did you just come?" "Yes. We came to the hotel last night," was the answer. "I never was at the ocean before. We're going to stay all through August." "This isn't the ocean," said Bunny. "It's just Christmas Tree Cove. The ocean is lots bigger." "I'd like to see it," said the new boy. "Look out!" suddenly called Sue. "Here comes a big wave!" She had just time to take a tighter hold of Bunny and turn, but the new boy did not seem to know much about bathing or waves. He stood waiting, and, an instant later he was knocked down and his head went under water. _ |
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