SUE DECIDES TO MAKE A PIE
"Here. You're too little for such a job as this!" cried Tom, as he
stepped in front of Bunny. "That's an old, tough bird and he's a born
fighter. Better let me tackle him."
Bunny was a brave little boy, but when he saw how large and fierce the
gobbler was his heart failed him a little. The big Thanksgiving bird
just then made a furious rush at Sue, and as she jumped back Tom stepped
up in her place. The turkey did not seem to mind whom he attacked, as
long as it was some one, though probably Sue's red dress had excited him
in the first place, though why bulls and turkeys should not like red I
can not tell you.
"Look out, Tom!" called Bunny. "He's a bad one!"
"He certainly is fierce all right," answered Tom. "He's coming with a
rush!"
As he spoke the turkey made a rush for him, keeping off the ground with
outstretched wings and claws. He went: "Gobble-obble-obble!" in loud
tones as though trying to scare the children.
Tom was ready with a heavy stick he had caught up, and as the big bird
sailed at him through the air the lad aimed a blow at the gobbler.
But the turkey seemed to be on the lookout for this, and dodged. Then,
before Tom could get ready for another blow, the gobbler landed back of
the lad, and came on with another rush.
"Look out!" cried Bunny, but his warning came too late. The turkey
landed on Tom's back and began nipping and clawing him.
"Get off! Get off!" cried the poorhouse lad, trying in vain to reach up
with his club and hit the gobbler hard enough to knock him to the
ground.
But Tom's club was of little use, with the big bird on his back. Bunny
saw this and cried:
"Wait a minute and I'll throw some stones at him."
"You might hit Tom instead of the gobbler," said Sue, who was safe out
of harm's way behind a big pile of wood. "Don't throw any stones,
Bunny."
"No, you'd better not," said Tom. "I'll try to shake him off."
So he rushed about here and there, swaying his back from side to side,
trying to make the turkey fall off. But the gobbler had fastened his
claws in the back of Tom's ragged coat, and there he clung, now and then
nipping with his strong bill Tom's head and neck.
"Here comes Splash!" cried Bunny. "He'll soon make that turkey gobbler
behave."
Up the sandy beach of the lake shore came Splash racing. He had stopped
to look at a little crayfish, and it had nipped his nose, so Splash was
not feeling any too pleasant. Most of you children know that a crayfish
is like a little lobster.
"Here, Splash! Splash!" cried Bunny. "Come and drive this bad turkey off
Tom!"
"Bow-wow!" barked the big dog, as he came running.
"Tell him to hurry," begged Tom. "I can't shake him off and he's biting
deep into my neck. I'm feared he'll bore a hole in it!"
"Hurry up, Splash! Hurry up!" urged Bunny.
"Bow-wow!" barked Splash again, which, I suppose, was his way of saying
he would.
On he came, and, all this while, the gobbler was on top of Tom's back,
gobbling away, fluttering his wings and now and then making savage pecks
at the boy's shoulders and neck.
"Splash will make him go away," said Bunny. "Splash likes you now, Tom.
He's a friend of yours, for he shook hands, and he'll do anything you
want."
"Well, all I want is for him to get this gobbler off me," said the
ragged boy.
"Hi, Splash!" cried Bunny. "Get at this bad gobbler!"
Splash rushed up to Tom, and then, raising up on his hind legs, nipped
at the gobbler. The big bird made a louder noise than ever, and suddenly
jumped down from Tom's back.
"Ha! I knew you'd do it!" cried Bunny in delight. But just then
something queer happened.
Splash, seeing the bird flop down to the ground, made a dash for the
gobbler with open mouth, barking the while.
"Now watch that old gobbler run!" cried Bunny, capering about.
But instead it was Splash that ran. Unable to stand the sight of the big
bird, with outspread and drooping wings, with all his feathers puffed
out to make him look twice as large as he really was, and with an angry
"Gobble-obble-obble" coming from his beak, Splash ran. It was no wonder,
for the turkey was a terrifying sight. I think even a tiger, a lion or
perhaps an elephant would have run.
"Come back! Come back, Splash!" called Bunny. "We want you to drive the
turkey gobbler away from us."
But the gobbler was already going away. He was going right after Splash,
who was running down the road as fast as he could go.
"Well, we're all right," said Tom. "That bird won't bother us any more."
"And I hope he doesn't come for me," said Sue. "He scared me."
"But what about poor Splash?" asked Bunny quickly. "He'll scare our
nice dog awful."
"Splash seems to be getting away," remarked Tom, rubbing the place in
the back of his neck where the turkey had nipped him.
"Oh! Oh, dear!" cried Bunny. "Look what's happening now. Splash is
coming back this way and the turkey is coming with him. Oh, what shall
we do?"
"He won't bother us as long as he has Splash to chase," said Tom.
"But I don't want him to chase Splash!" said Bunny.
The children watched what happened.
Splash, with the turkey close behind him, was running back to a spot in
front of the barn, where Bunny, his sister Sue and Tom were standing.
Just as the dog reached there the turkey caught him by the tail.
And I just wish you could have heard Splash howl! No, on second
thoughts, it is just as well you did not. For you love animals, I am
sure, and you do not like to see them in pain. And Splash was certainly
in pain or he would not have howled the way he did. And I think if a
big, strong turkey gobbler had hold of your tail, and was pulling as
hard as he could, you would have howled too. That is, if you had a tail.
Anyhow Splash howled and tried to swing around so he could bite the
gobbler, but the big bird kept out of reach.
"Oh, what can we do?" asked Sue.
"Get sticks and beat the gobbler!" cried Tom.
"No, wait. I know a better way," said Bunny.
"What?" asked his sister.
"I'll show you," answered the little boy. He had seen on the green lawn
of the farmhouse a water hose. It was attached to a faucet near the
ground and the water came from a big tank on the house into which it was
pumped by a gasolene engine.
Bunny ran to the hose. The water was turned off at the nozzle, but it
was the same kind of nozzle as the one on the Brown's hose at home, so
Bunny knew how to work it.
In an instant he turned the nozzle, and aimed the hose at the turkey
which still had hold of the poor dog's tail.
All over the turkey splashed the water, and as the big bird tried to
gobble, and keep hold of Splash's tail at the same time, and as the
water went down its throat, the noise, instead of "Gobble-obble-obble,"
sounded like "Gurgle-urgle-urgle."
"There! Take that!" cried Bunny squirting the water over the turkey.
"That will make you stop pulling dogs' tails, I guess."
Indeed the water was too much for the gobbler. He let go of Splash's
tail, for which the dog was very thankful, and then the big bird ran
toward the farmyard, just as the farmer came out to see what all the
trouble was about.
"I had to splash your turkey to make him let go of our dog," explained
Bunny.
"Oh, that's all right," answered the farmer. "I guess that bird is a
leetle better off for being cooled down. Glad you did it. None of you
hurt, I hope?"
"My neck's picked a bit," said Tom.
"Well, come in and I'll have my wife put some salve on it."
"No, thank you, we're in a hurry to get home," said Bunny. "My mother
has some goose grease."
"Well, that's just as good, I reckon. Next time I'll keep the old
gobbler locked up."
Mr. Brown was at home, when Bunny, Sue and the ragged boy reached the
tent. The father and mother listened while Bunny and Sue explained what
had happened, from going into the cave to the turkey gobbler.
"Well, you had quite a number of adventures," said Mr. Brown. "I stayed
out fishing by myself longer than I meant to, and when I came back to
get you I find you just coming in. We'll go this afternoon."
"And may Tom come too?"
"I guess so," answered Mr. Brown.
"I know where there's lots of places to fish," said Tom.
Mr. Brown talked it over with his wife after dinner, and they decided to
let Tom stay in camp and do a little work, such as cutting the wood and
bringing the water.
"But what do you suppose he means by saying that Mr. Bixby sticks
needles into him?" asked Mrs. Brown.
"That's what I'll have to look into," said her husband. "The hermit
seems to be a queer sort of chap."
"And Bunny finding one of his cars, too!"
"Yes, that was queer. This will certainly have to be looked into."
In a few moments after this conversation Sue came from behind the
kitchen tent.
"Come on, Sue, we're going fishing," called Bunny to his sister.
"No; you and Tom can go with father," said the little girl, "I'm not
coming."
"Why not? Are you 'fraid?"
"Course not, Bunny Brown! I'm just going to stay in camp and make a pie.
Tom said he hadn't had one for a good while. I'm going to make him one."
"All right. Make me one too, please," said Bunny. "We're going after
some fish," and with his pole and line he started down toward the lake
with his father and Tom.