DIX TO THE RESCUE
"Where is the waterfall?"
"Can't we go in swimming?"
"I want to row a boat!"
"I want to fish!"
As soon as they jumped out of Farmer Jason's wagon at Blue Lake, Bunny
Brown and his Sister Sue were saying these things and asking these
questions. The children saw before them a large body of water, that
seemed a deep blue under the shining sun, and round about it were small
hills "like strawberries on top of a shortcake," as Sue said.
"Oh, what a beautiful place!" ejaculated Mrs. Brown.
"Yes, folks around here thinks as how it _is_ right pretty," said Farmer
Jason. "But you haven't seen the prettiest part yet--that's the
waterfall."
"Oh, that's where I want to go!" cried Bunny.
"And I want to go out in a boat," added Sue, renewing her first request.
"So do I! And fish!" chimed in Bunny.
"Now, one thing at a time," said Mr. Brown with a laugh. "You are hardly
here yet and you want to do half a dozen things. Be patient. We are
going to stay all day, for we brought our lunch, and I think we shall
have time for everything you want to do."
"Yes, pitch right in and enjoy yourselves," said Farmer Jason with a
laugh. "That's what the lake's here for. A few of us farmers own it, and
the churches in this neighborhood generally has picnics here. I've got
to drive over a few miles to see a man about some horses I want to buy,
but I'll stop back in plenty of time to take you home."
The Browns and their lunch being safely unloaded from the wagon,
including, of course, Sue's Teddy bear, Farmer Jason drove off, while
Dix and Splash scampered about in the woods on the shore of the lake and
went swimming, something which Bunny and Sue wanted to do at once.
"I think it is a little cool," said Mother Brown. "Besides, I didn't
bring your bathing suits. I guess you can get along without a swim
to-day."
Indeed there was enough else to do at Blue Lake, as the children very
soon found out. Of course it was not the first time they had been at a
lake in the woods, but there seemed to be something new about this
place.
Perhaps the trees were greener. Certainly the lake seemed of a deeper
blue than any the children had seen before. They ran up and down the
pebbly shore, threw stones into the water to watch them sink, after
sending out a lot of rings that made little waves on the beach. They
tossed sticks into the water, which the dogs were eager to swim out for
and bring back. Then Bunny had an idea.
"Sue, let's go in wading!" he cried.
"Oh, yes, let's!" she agreed instantly; and without saying anything to
their father or mother about it the two took off their shoes and
stockings and were walking about in the shallow water near the shore.
Mr. and Mrs. Brown, with Uncle Tad, were sitting in the shade, looking
out over the beautiful lake. They were glad they had come on the little
excursion, and the trouble of the broken spring of the automobile seemed
turned into something good now.
"For," said Mrs. Brown, "it has given us a chance to camp out and to see
this lake, and I would not have missed this sight for a great deal."
"Nor I, either," said her husband. "But suppose we go to take a look at
the waterfall before lunch. I know I'll want to take a nap after I eat,
and then it will soon be time for Mr. Jason to come back for us, so if
we don't go now we may miss it."
"That's what I say," agreed Uncle Tad, and the three arose from the
fallen tree on which they had been sitting. Just then Mother Brown
caught sight of Bunny and Sue.
"Look at those children!" she cried.
"What's the matter?" asked Mr. Brown quickly. "They haven't fallen in, I
hope!"
"Well, they're _in_ all the same!" chuckled Uncle Tad. "Bunny has his
knickerbockers rolled up as high as they'll go, and if Sue's clothes
aren't wet I'm mistaken!"
For by this time, liking the fun so much, Bunny and Sue had waded out
where the water was deeper, and their clothes had become splashed by the
little waves they made as they moved along.
"Oh, dear! Such tykes!" exclaimed Mrs. Brown. "Well, it isn't too cool
for wading, though it is for swimming. But I must get them dry if we are
to go to the waterfall."
Mrs. Brown had brought some old towels along, for she knew what might
happen when the children were going to play near a lake, and while Bunny
and Sue were being told that they should have first asked whether or not
they could go in wading, they were drying their pink toes on towels and
getting ready to put on their shoes and stockings again.
"But we didn't think _wading_ was as bad as _swimming_," said Bunny as
he rubbed some sand off his fat legs.
"It isn't _exactly_," his mother answered. "But this time it was
_nearly_ as bad. But never mind. Come on and we'll see the waterfall."
Farmer Jason had told Mr. Brown how to walk to the place where the
waters of a small river toppled over the rocks into the lake, and having
hidden the bundle of lunch up in a tree, where wandering dogs could not
get at it, the family set off, Dix and Splash running on ahead, to see
the waterfall.
The way was through a pleasant wood, with little paths running here and
there, and if Bunny and Sue had been wandering alone they probably would
have gotten lost. But the road to the waterfall was a well-marked one
and Mr. Brown kept to it until pretty soon Mrs. Brown said:
"Hark, I hear something."
There was a distant roaring in the woods.
"It's a trolley car," said Bunny.
His father, mother and Uncle Tad laughed.
"What a boy!" cried Mother Brown. "To think the roar of a beautiful
waterfall is but the noise of a trolley car! He will never be a poet,
will he Daddy?"
"I don't want to be," said Bunny quickly. "I'm going to be a policeman
when I grow up, and have a gun."
"All right," chuckled Daddy Brown. "But a policeman's life is not an
easy one."
The roaring noise became plainer, and then, as the path turned, the
party came in sight of an open glade through which they could see the
cataract.
It was not unlike a small Niagara in its way. For a distance back of the
edge the waters of the little river bubbled and foamed over rough rocks.
Then came a smooth stretch and, suddenly, the waters plunged over the
broken ledge, falling about seventy feet to the lake below where they
made a pool of foam.
"Isn't it wonderful?" murmured Mother Brown.
"It certainly is a beautiful picture," came from Mr. Brown.
"It's the prettiest little fall I've ever seen," added Uncle Tad.
Sue said nothing for a minute. Both she and Bunny were looking at the
waterfall closely. Then Sue began to wrap a shawl, which she had brought
along, over her Teddy bear.
"What's the matter?" asked Mother Brown.
"It's like rain all over Sallie Malinda," answered the little girl. "I
don't want her to catch cold, for she might not shine her 'lectric eyes
any more."
"That's all Sue seems to care about the fall," laughed Mother Brown in a
whisper to her husband.
As for Bunny, he seemed to think them quite wonderful--for a time. He
stood as near the edge as his father would let him, looking up the
rapids down which the waters rushed, to fall over the rocky edge,
dropping in a smother of foam to the blue lake below. Silently he
watched the smooth waters glide down like some ribbon, and then, turning
to his father, he asked:
"Is this all they do?"
"All what does?" inquired Mr. Brown, not quite understanding.
"All the waterfall does. Does it just keep falling?"
"All day and all night, day after day and night after night, forever and
forever," said Mr. Brown, for really the waterfall was a marvelous
sight.
"Then I've seen enough," said Bunny, turning away. "If they've been
doing this a long while, and will do it all next week, I can look at 'em
then. Now I want to go out in a boat. I saw one as we came through the
picnic grounds. I've had enough of waterfalls."
Mr. and Mrs. Brown and Uncle Tad looked at one another. But they said
nothing. Bunny started down the hill again, toward the lake, Sue
following with her Teddy bear.
"Bunny surely will never make a poet," chuckled his mother.
"Oh, well, perhaps there are enough poets in the world now," said Mr.
Brown with a laugh.
Bunny and Sue were first at the place where the boat was kept. There
were several of them, and Mr. Jason had said that picnic parties used
them. The lake was not deep, he had added, and was very safe, for any
one who knew anything about boats.
Bunny and Sue finally prevailed on Uncle Tad to take them out for a row
after lunch, and when the two children were in their seats Dix insisted
on following.
Mr. Brown, who decided to remain on shore with his wife, tried to call
back the dog, but he would not come. Nor would he come when Splash
barked and whined at him, asking, in dog language, I suppose, if Dix did
not want to come and have a game of "water tag."
But Dix evidently wished to stay in the boat, and finally they let him
remain, as he was a quiet dog, not given to jumping about. He curled up
in front behind Sue and went to sleep.
Uncle Tad rowed about the lake. Bunny wished he had brought his fishing
pole and line along, as they saw fish jumping in several places.
"Never mind, we're going to be here nearly a week yet," said Uncle Tad.
"We can come again."
Just how it happened Sue herself could not explain. But, somehow or
other, her Teddy bear slipped from her lap and was about to fall out of
the boat. That would never do, the little girl decided, and of course
she made a quick motion to catch her toy.
And, just then, Bunny leaned on the same side of the boat to pick up a
floating stick so that the boat tipped.
"Look out!" cried Uncle Tad. "Sit still, children!"
But he spoke too late, for, in an instant, Sue fell out of the boat and
into the lake. Uncle Tad was so surprised for a moment that he sat
still. But not so Dix. He had awakened in a second, and with a loud bark
sprang overboard to the rescue of the little girl.