THE MEDICINE SHOW
Bunny Brown and his Sister Sue ran toward the tree up which Dix had
chased the gray creature. The dog was greatly excited, and at once
Splash joined in, too. Though it is very likely Splash did not in the
least know what he was barking at.
Dogs are like that, you know. When one hears another bark it will join
in, and then will come a third and maybe a fourth until every dog in the
block is barking, and only the first one may know why, and perhaps even
he does not.
"Oh, I hope he didn't hurt that pussy," said Sue.
"Maybe it wasn't a pussy," suggested Bunny.
"What makes you say that?" demanded Sue. "Didn't you see something gray
run across the grass, and didn't Dix run after it?"
"Yes. And the gray thing ran up a tree. But maybe it wasn't a kittie,"
said Bunny, shaking his head to show he did not agree with his sister.
"Let's go and see what it is," said she, and together the two hurried
faster than ever toward the tree at the bottom of which Dix and Splash
were having a great barking time.
"Where are you going?" asked Mrs. Brown.
"Just over to this tree," answered Bunny, pointing to it.
"Well, don't go any farther than that," warned his mother.
"No, we're just going to see what it was Dix chased up into it," went on
Sue. "I said it was a cat but Bunny says----"
"I don't say what it is yet!" interrupted her brother. "I want to see it
first."
They reached the tree, and the two dogs were so interested in looking up
and barking at something in it that they paid little attention to the
children. Dix actually stepped on Sue's feet and nearly made her fall
down, while Splash tried to jump over Bunny's head. But the dog did not
quite do it, and fell on Bunny instead, knocking him down.
"Oh, Bunny, are you hurt?" cried Sue.
"No, I guess not--much," answered Bunny slowly. "But I'm all--mussed
up!" and he looked at Splash, who was again rushing toward the boy, not
so much with the idea of playing with him as of getting nearer to the
tree so he could bark at the gray animal.
"Down, Splash! Down!" cried Bunny sharply, and the dogs at once stopped
barking. They had learned to mind the little boy.
Both dogs looked up into the tree and whined. It was just the way dogs
do who are in the habit of chasing cats, and who make this noise,
perhaps to show how sorry they are that they cannot get at the poor
pussies to roll them over in the grass.
But Dix and Splash were not what one could call cat-chasing dogs. True,
they had done it when they were small dogs, just over being puppies,
but, of late years, Splash had given up that fun, and what little the
children had seen of Dix they had not noticed him chasing cats.
"That's what makes me think it isn't a cat they've got up that tree
now," said Bunny, speaking of cat-chasing to his sister.
"But it _looked_ like a cat," said she.
The dogs were quieter now, though they both kept on peering up into the
tree and whining softly, though they did not jump about so hard and try
to leap over Bunny and Sue.
"Oh, I see it!" suddenly exclaimed Sue.
"See what?" asked Bunny.
"The cat--the gray thing--whatever it was ran up the tree," and Sue
pointed her finger to the crotch where one of the lowest big branches
joined the trunk.
"There it is!" went on the little girl. "See it, Bunny? And it is gray.
But it doesn't really _look_ like a cat."
Bunny came and stood beside Sue. He could see the gray animal now, and
as it moved just then, the dogs set up another wild barking.
"Be still!" ordered Bunny. Then, as the dog's cries were less noisy he
said: "Why, Sue, I know what that is. It's a----"
And just then the gray animal fell out of the tree, landing on a pile of
leaves at the very feet of the children.
With barks and howls the two dogs made a dive for it. I do not really
believe they meant to bite it--they just wanted to see what it was. But
Bunny was too quick for them.
With a sudden motion he caught up the gray animal and held it close to
him. At the same time he shouted:
"Down, Splash! Down, Dix! Don't dare try to get this poor little
squirrel. One of you has hurt its leg anyhow--that's why it fell out of
the tree."
"Oh, Bunny! Is it really and truly a squirrel?" asked Sue, excitedly.
"That's what it is," said her brother. "It's a big gray squirrel. It
does look something like a cat, but its tail is bigger than a cat's
except when a cat is being chased by a dog."
"I saw the big tail," explained Sue, "and that's why I thought maybe it
was a cat. A cat's tail always swells up like a long balloon whenever it
sees a dog. But is the squirrel hurt, Bunny?"
"I guess Dix must have bit it a little on one leg," said the boy, as he
looked at the gray animal which did not try to get away or bite. "That's
why it couldn't go up any higher in the tree or hold fast any longer.
Its leg is hurt. I'm going to take it to Uncle Tad. He knows how to fix
hurt animals."
Bunny could feel the heart of the frightened squirrel beating very hard,
and the little animal seemed to shrink closer to the boy, as though it
knew it would be taken care of. Dix and Splash bounded about, now and
then leaping up against Bunny as though they wanted to get the squirrel
away from him.
But Bunny stood firm, and cried "Down, sir!" in such sharp tones that
the dogs knew they must mind. They gave up the hope of getting the
squirrel (that is, if they knew it was such an animal) and ran off to
have a game of "tag" together.
"Dix knew it wasn't a cat as soon as he saw it," explained Bunny to Sue
as they walked back toward the big auto, Bunny carrying the injured
squirrel, one of whose legs seemed broken. "Dix knew it was a wild
animal," went on the little boy, "and that's why he chased it."
"I'm glad he didn't get it," murmured Sue, softly.
"So am I," replied her brother. "We'll get Uncle Tad to fix the sore
leg, and then we'll make a cage and keep the squirrel. Some day we may
get up another circus, and we could have it do tricks."
"Don't you think the squirrel would rather be in the woods?" asked Sue,
as she looked at the gray creature.
"Well, maybe yes," agreed Bunny. "After we have it in the circus a while
we'll let it go. 'Member how we played circus, Sue?"
"I guess I do! We had lots of fun, didn't we?"
"We did!"
From across the fields came a call:
"Come to supper, children!"
"We're coming, Momsie!" shouted Bunny.
"And we're bringing a squirrel to supper too!" added Sue, who always
liked to be counted in on everything.
"A squirrel!" exclaimed Uncle Tad when he saw the gray creature that
had fallen out of the tree. "Where did you get it?"
The children told what had happened, and Uncle Tad looked at the
squirrel's leg.
"Can you fix it, or make him a new wooden leg?" asked Sue.
Uncle Tad looked the squirrel over carefully. The woodland animal did
not seem to mind being handled. It seemed to know it was in the hands of
friends, and safe from the barking dogs. And though wild squirrels
quickly bite one who manages to catch them alive in the woods, this one
did not offer to nip the hands of the children or of Uncle Tad.
"Yes," said Uncle Tad after a bit, "I think I can mend this squirrel's
leg. It doesn't seem to be broken, only strained and bruised. I guess
Dix didn't bite it very hard. I'll make some splints, or little sticks,
to put on, so the squirrel can't move his leg, and I'll bandage it. Then
it will get well quicker."
A little box, filled with straw and soft rags, was made as a home for
the squirrel after Uncle Tad had bound up its leg. Then Bunny and Sue
finally went to supper, after having been called several times. And even
then they could not leave the little squirrel, but ran back every now
and then to look at it, as it curled up on the soft bed. Over the box
was put a wire cover so the squirrel could not get out and so Dix or
Splash could not get at it.
"What are we going to give the squirrel to eat?" asked Bunny, when he
had finished his supper. "He's got to have something to eat."
"And he's got to have a name," added Sue. "We can't call him just
'squirrel' for we may get another."
"Call him Fluffy," suggested Mother Brown. "His tail is so soft and
fluffs out so beautifully."
"Fluffy is a good name," decided Bunny, and Sue said the same thing.
"But what about giving him something to eat?" asked Bunny.
"Bread soaked in milk will do for to-night," said Uncle Tad. "Afterward
we'll try to find him some nuts, though it's a little early. Still he'll
eat seeds and grain."
Bunny and Sue took a last look at Fluffy, the squirrel, before they went
to their bunks that night. Dix and Splash were called in and shown the
squirrel in his little nest. Then Mr. Brown told both dogs sharply and
solemnly that they must not bother the gray, woodland creature. Dix and
Splash understood, I think, for they were smart dogs.
Both children were up early the next morning to see their new pet, and
they fed Fluffy some dried crackers. At first the squirrel was a bit
timid, but it soon poked its sharp nose and mouth out of a little
opening on the side of the wire netting over the box and ate from the
hands of Bunny and Sue.
"Don't let him bite you," said Mother Brown, as she started to get
breakfast.
"Oh, Fluffy won't bite," said Bunny. "He's as tame as our cat used to
be."
Once more the automobile traveled on. It rained part of the day but the
shower was not a hard one, though Bunny and Sue had to stay in the big
car when noon came, and dinner could not be served out-of-doors.
But the skies cleared before night, and when the auto was stopped the
children could run about with their rubbers on. They were near a small
town, and Mrs. Brown promised to take the children in after the meal to
see if they could buy some grain or seeds for Fluffy.
The supper was an early one, and, leaving Uncle Tad at the "Ark" with
the two dogs and the squirrel, Mr. and Mrs. Brown, with the two children
walked into town. As they reached the middle of the village, near a
public square, they heard the sound of music and saw a crowd of people
around a wagon lighted by a gasolene torch, such as is used in a circus
at night.
"Oh, it's a medicine show!" cried Mrs. Brown, as she saw a big,
long-haired man on the back platform of a wagon, holding up a bottle
about which he was talking to the people.
"Yes, and there's a banjo player with him," said Bunny. "Look, Mother!
It's a colored boy playing a banjo! Maybe it's Fred Ward!"