“It’s too far for Margy and Mun Bun. But you four may go if you wish.” She knew where the cow pasture was.
Mun Bun and Margy began to cry, as they wanted to go also, but Farmer Joel said they could go egg-hunting with Adam, and this pleased the smaller children so that smiles drove away their tears.
The path to the cow pasture lay through pleasant fields, and half way to the place was a clear, sparkling spring of water at which the children stopped for a drink.
Then they climbed a hill, went down in a little valley, and as they reached a broad field, Ralph said:
“Here’s where we pasture our cows. But I don’t see all of them—the two black ones are missing.” There were ten cows in the pasture where there should have been twelve.
“Do you think anybody stole those two cows?” asked Russ.
“Oh, no,” answered Ralph. “I guess they just wandered away. They do, sometimes.”
“What do you have to do?” Violet wanted to know.
“Have to hunt ’em,” Ralph answered. “Jimsie helps me. There are lots of places where cows can hide in this pasture—lots of low places, and bushes and trees. Sometimes it takes me an hour to find the lost cows.”
“Why don’t you yell for ’em?” asked Laddie.