“You tan, too,” declared Trouble.
“Why can’t you come?” asked Jan.
“’Cause I’m stuck! I crawled in too far and now I’m caught under the barn. I can’t get out!”
For a moment Jan was frightened. She wondered if Ted would have to stay under the barn forever. Or would they have to pull it down to get him out? She remembered that once a cat had gone in a narrow space between two houses, not far from where the Curlytops lived in Cresco, and the firemen had to come with their axes and chop away some boards before the poor pussy, that howled most sadly, could be gotten out.
“Oh, Teddy!” cried Jan, “what shall I do? Do you want me to crawl in and pull you out?”
“No! Don’t you come in!” answered her brother, his voice sounding farther away than before. “You might get stuck, too. Go for grandpa or daddy! Maybe they can get me!”
“All right,” gasped the little girl.
Away ran Jan, setting down the baskets of eggs, and telling Trouble not to touch them, which he promised. But Trouble did something else. Knowing Ted was under the barn, and not wanting to be left alone outside, Baby William started to crawl in after his brother.
“Me come to git eggs,” he announced, wiggling along on his stomach.
“Go back! Go back!” cried Ted, who was not able to turn around. “You’ll be caught, too!”