CHAPTER II
AN AUTOMOBILE RIDE
Mrs. Martin dropped the letter from Uncle Toby. It fluttered to the ground as she hastened down the bank of the brook in which Trouble was sailing away, aboard the small box he had brought to play with as his "s'ip."
"William! William Anthony Martin! Come right back here!" called Mrs. Martin. "Come back!"
Poor William would have been glad enough to do this, but he could not. He had stepped into the box, shoved it out from shore with a pole as he had seen Janet poling her tiny ship along, and then the current of the stream had carried poor Trouble away. He was floating down the brook, which was quite deep in some places.
"Oh, Trouble! Trouble! What shall I do?" cried his mother.
"I'll run up to the house and get the rake, and we can hook it on the edge of his box and pull him out!" shouted Janet.
"I'll get him myself!" called Ted, and, not thinking that he had on his shoes and stockings, into the water he dashed, following after the floating box in which Trouble was riding. As for the little fellow himself, he had been overjoyed, at first, when he found that he was afloat. But as the water came leaking through the cracks in the box Trouble became frightened.