“Trouble’s ball gone!” he said.
“Well, where has it gone to, Trouble?” asked Ted.
“Me show!” was the answer. “Down hole. You get hims for me!”
“He’s thrown his rubber ball down a hole, Tom,” said Ted to his chum, who was following a bird through the woods, trying to see where she had made her nest. “I’ll get it for him, and then we’ll see if we can find the eggs. But we won’t take any.”
“No, we won’t take any,” agreed Tom.
“Now come on, Trouble, show me where you threw the red ball, and I’ll get it for you,” said Ted.
“All wite! Me show!” was the answer, and Baby William put his little hand into his brother’s. Down one of the woodland paths Trouble led his brother, and at last he stopped where a round, black hole showed just under the edge of an overhanging stone.
“Trouble’s ball down there!” said the little fellow.
“All right! I’ll get it up for you,” offered Ted. He stretched out on the ground, and reached his arm down into the hole, thinking he could easily touch the bottom, and bring up the red ball. But Ted’s hand was only half way down the hole, and his fingers had not felt the soft rubber ball when he heard a growl from inside the hole.
“Oh! Oh!” cried Ted, jumping up in a hurry. “There’s something down in that hole besides your rubber ball, Trouble!”