“Were’s Puck an’ de bunny?” he asked, as if what had occurred had been merely an interlude and he was only anxious about the result of the rabbit hunt that had so unwittingly led to his unexpected immersion and narrow escape from drowning.
No one in the greater imminence of Teddy’s peril had previously thought of the dog or rabbit; but now, on a search being made, Puck was discovered shivering by the side of the river, having managed to crawl out somehow or other. As for the rabbit, which was only a young one or the little woolly terrier could never have overtaken it in the chase down the glade, no trace could be seen of it; and, consequently, it must have been carried over the weir, where at the bottom of the river it was now safe enough from all pursuit of either Puck or his master, and free from all the cares of rabbit life and those ills that even harmless bunnies have to bear!
When this point was satisfactorily settled, much to the dissatisfaction, however, of Master Teddy, a sudden thought struck Mary.
“Why, wherever can Miss Conny be all this time?” she exclaimed, on looking round and not finding her with the other children.
“See’s done home,” said Cissy laconically.
“Gone home!” repeated Mary. “Why?”
“Done fets dwy c’o’s for Teddy,” lisped the little girl, who seemed to have been well informed beforehand as to her sister’s movements, although she herself had hurried down with the nurse to the river bank in company with the others immediately Jupp had rushed to Teddy’s rescue.
“Well, I never!” ejaculated Mary, laughing again as she turned to Jupp. “Who would have thought the little puss would have been so thoughtful? But she has always been a funny child, older than her years, and almost like an old woman in her ways.”
“Bless you, she ain’t none the worse for that!” observed Jupp in answer. “She’s a real good un, to think her little brother ’ud want dry things arter his souse in the water, and to go and fetch ’em too without being told.”
“I expect you’d be none the worse either for going back and changing your clothes,” said Mary, eyeing his wet garments.