The cow was very gentle and tame. She probably did not intend to frighten Teddy by thrusting her horns against the tent, poking him in the ribs and afterward thrusting her head inside. It was all an accident.
Mr. Martin found a rope that was fastened around the animal’s neck, and soon led her well away from the camp, tying her to a tree. Then he came back to the little tent and soon the place was quiet again, and all the Martins slept soundly until morning.
Getting breakfast was lots of fun, and they had fresh milk, after all. For while Mrs. Martin was making coffee a farm boy came strolling along, looking for the lost cow. When he heard what had happened and saw the creature tied to a tree, he milked her, Mrs. Martin giving him a pail for this purpose.
“It’s only fair to give you some milk after the fright the cow gave you,” said the farm lad, with a grin. “Where you folks going?” he asked, as he looked with eager eyes at the auto and the tent fastened to it.
“Oh, we’re just touring around,” Teddy answered. “I guess we’ll go up the river to-day.”
He had heard his father say they might do that, for they were near a large stream alongside of which wound a good road leading into a pleasant country with great stretches of woodland.
After breakfast, at which Trouble drank with glee some milk from the “night cow,” as he called her, preparations were made for a trip up the river.
The tent was taken down and folded into a small space, as were the folding cots. Then, once more, the Curlytops were on their way. They soon reached the river road, and Mr. Martin was glad to find it in good condition.
“This will take us many miles on our way,” he said.
All that morning they traveled, stopping at noon in a little glade of trees to cook and eat lunch. They were ready to go on again when Mr. Martin discovered that one of the tires was flat.