"Oh, say, this is a dandy big car!" exclaimed Russ, as he and his sister climbed into it for the ride back home.
"Glad you like it," said Captain Ben. "We'll need all the room there is to take six little Bunkers and all their baggage to the shore for a second vacation."
The next few days were busy ones in the Bunker home. Every one was so occupied, helping to unpack, pack and get ready, that Laddie had no time to ask Norah or Jerry Simms about the riddle of the mouse and the squeaking door. But he did not forget it, and he thought he might find some one at Captain Ben's place at the shore whom he might puzzle with the riddle.
The damage done by the chimney fire was soon cleared away and the chimney repaired, and the day after the newspaper contained an account of the happening. It interested the six little Bunkers almost as much as did the account of the accident to the Montgomery school.
On making some inquiries, Mr. Bunker found that what the paper had stated about the needed repairs at the school was true. No classes could start for more than a month after the date set for the regular opening of the other schools, and therefore the children could remain away without getting any black marks. There was no room for the pupils of Montgomery school in any of the other schools of Pineville.
As I have said, these were busy days at the Bunker home during the visit of Captain Ben, for he stayed at the Bunker residence until it was time to go to the seashore. Captain Ben helped pack, too, and he seemed to know just how to do it.
"This was another thing I learned when I was a marine," he said, as he showed Mrs. Bunker how to get more into a trunk than she had ever supposed it would hold.
Margy and Mun Bun, Laddie and Vi and Rose and Russ also helped pack, though, to tell you the truth, I do not believe that the four smallest children really did much helping. But they thought they did, and this gave them as much joy as if they had done it all themselves.
"Time to stop and eat!" exclaimed Captain Ben one noon, when several valises and trunks had been filled in readiness for the trip next day. "It's twelve o'clock," and he looked at a watch he wore on his wrist.
"Does your watch keep good time?" asked Violet.