"Don't be frightened," she said. "It isn't anything. Perhaps Bunker is dreaming, and talking in his sleep. Daddy will make it all right."
"Is Splash barking in his sleep?" Sue wanted to know.
Mother Brown laughed, and Bunny and Sue felt better after that.
Once more Bunker Blue called out:
"Hey! Quit, will you? Stop it! Ouch! I'm being tickled! Oh!"
Bunny Brown and his sister Sue laughed again. They could not help it, for it seemed so funny—Bunker Blue being tickled in his sleep.
By this time Mr. Brown had lighted a lantern, slipped on a bath robe, put some slippers on his feet and was going down the back, outside steps of the van. These steps, you remember, folded up, out of the way, when the automobile was traveling.
"What is it, Bunker? What's the matter?" Bunny and Sue heard their father ask.
"Why—why, I don't know what it is," answered the red-haired lad who steered the automobile. "But it's some big animal after me. He poked his head right into my cot, and he struck me with something sharp. Maybe he tried to bite me."
Mr. Brown flashed his lantern under the automobile where Bunker was sleeping. Only, of course, as I told you, Bunker was not asleep now. Nor was Splash, for the dog was running about and barking.