Then he opened the door between that room and the other room. It was all
quiet in there. He glanced into the two berths. There was nobody in
either of them.
"You are mistaken, Russ," whispered Rose, looking in at the door he had
left open. "He can't be here. Daddy has just come and says the captain
has promised to have the ship searched."
But without making any reply Russ Bunker went down on his knees, looked
under the lower berth, and then stretched an arm under and grabbed
something with his hand.
A sleepy squeal came from under the berth. Russ, laughing, dragged at
the chubby ankle his hand had grasped. Mun Bun's cross, sleepy voice was
raised in protest:
"Don't you! Don't you! Let me be!"
Mother and Daddy Bunker came running.
"That blessed baby!" cried his mother.
"That pestiferous youngster!" exclaimed his father.
But he smiled happily, too, when Mun Bun was completely drawn out from
under the berth by Russ and was in his mother's arms again. She sat down
and rocked him to and fro while he "came awake" and looked around at the
others.
"You have begun well," said Daddy Bunker gravely. "Stirring up the whole
ship's company before we are out of sight of land! I must hurry and tell
the captain to call off his sea-dogs. The lost is found."
"What are sea-dogs?" demanded Vi. "Do they have dogs at sea to hunt for
lost children--dogs like Alexis?"
Nobody answered that question, but Rose and Russ, trotting along the
deck beside their father, were more fortunate in getting their questions
answered.
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