Six little Bunkers at Captain Ben's

by Laura Lee Hope

"And we can't go on to Grand View and see mother!" added Vi.

"Shall we have to stay here all night?" Laddie asked. "If we do, we'd better get a tent, 'cause it won't be any fun sleeping in the automobile like that."

"No, it will not," said Captain Ben, as he walked around the car and looked at it from all sides to see the worst of the damage. "But we won't stay here all night. If we can't go on in this machine, we'll get another."

"I don't see how you can go on in this when a wheel is smashed," said Daddy Bunker.

"I have an extra wheel," Captain Ben said. "If that is the worst of the damage we can get over that, provided we can get pulled out of the ditch. That's the first thing to be done—get pulled out of the ditch. But it looks as though we should not get to Grand View even to-night, and I don't know what Cousin Amy will think of me for keeping her four little Bunkers away from her two nights in succession, not to say anything about her big Bunker," and as he said this Captain Ben looked at the children's father.

"Yes, I fear Amy will be missing us," said Mr. Bunker. "But we don't want to desert you, Captain Ben. If I had some way of talking to Amy and telling her just what has happened, letting her know the children are safe, I'm sure she wouldn't mind if we stayed on the road another night—that is if we have to."

"I'm almost sure we'll have to," said Captain Ben. "I am very sorry, but I seem to have brought you nothing but bad luck ever since I came. When I arrived your chimney was on fire. Then almost as soon as we start out we run into a storm and have to stay all night. We can't even have a peaceful night, for Jack made Laddie fall out of bed and there were all kinds of excitement."

"That was only fun!" laughed Rose.

"It sure was," agreed Russ. "And maybe this will be fun, too. That is, if mother doesn't worry, and we can get the car out of the ditch," he added.

"Oh, we can get the car out of the ditch, sooner or later," Captain Ben remarked. "And I fancy we can get word to your mother—perhaps on the telephone. We'll try, anyhow."