"Tad Munson!" exclaimed the captain. "He was with us this evening. He stayed here to supper and got on a trolley car to go to some relatives in Avalon, he said. Who are you?" went on the captain, and those who were listening heard some one come into the bungalow from outside.
"I'm Tad's father," was the answer. "I've been looking for him some time, and to-night I heard he was seen over here in Grand View. I traced him to you folks, but now you tell me he's gone again."
"Yes, he started for Avalon," went on Captain Ben, while Russ, who was listening, wondered how it felt to be away from your home and all one's family.
"Well, if Tad started for home he never got there—at least he hadn't when I left, about two hours ago," said Mr. Munson. "Poor, foolish boy! I feel sorry for him!"
"Did he run away from home?" asked Captain Ben.
By this time Mr. Bunker had got up, slipped on a bath robe, and was now with the two other men. Russ, Rose, Laddie and their mother still listened to the talk, which could plainly be heard. Vi, Mun Bun and Margy were sound asleep in their beds.
"Yes, Tad ran away," said Mr. Munson. "He was a little bad, but not very, and I said I'd have to punish him. I wasn't going to whip him, or anything like that, but I was going to take his bicycle away from him and not let him ride it for a week. But he is a foolish, quick-tempered boy, and he didn't wait to see what I was going to do. He just rode off on his wheel, and I haven't seen him nor heard from him since."
"But he started for home," said Daddy Bunker. "We brought him as far as here, and he said he could go the rest of the way on the trolley car."
"Didn't he have his bicycle?" asked Mr. Munson.
"No, he was on foot when we first saw him in a farmer's apple orchard," Captain Ben answered.