Then appeared a host of small colored folk--Russ and Rose never
could imagine where they all came from. They seemed to spring right up
out of the ground when anything exciting happened.
All this troop came streaming down the hill, and very quickly Vi found
herself surrounded. Russ demanded:
"What's the matter with you? Has something bitten you?"
"They are biting Laddie!" wailed the twin sister.
"How silly!" exclaimed Phillis Armatage. "Laddie isn't here."
"Yes, he is, so now!" cried Vi.
"Oh! Oh!" screamed Alice. "I see his legs!"
At that they all saw his legs--at least, as much of them as were poked
out of the mouth of the drainpipe. And they certainly were kicking
vigorously. But the children outside made so much noise that the voice
of the boy inside the pipe could not be heard.
"Oh! Oh!" declared Vi, jumping up and down again. "It is biting him."
"What is biting him? Mosquitoes?" demanded Russ, as much puzzled as
anybody.
"The red thing! With the pointed ears! And a big tail!" cried Vi in
gasps.
"What can she mean?" demanded Rose.
[Illustration: PHILLY GRABBED LADDIE'S ANKLE AND STARTED TO PULL HIM
OUT.
_Six Little Bunkers at Mammy Junes._ _Page_ 187]
But Philly Armatage suspected the reason for Vi's fear at once. She
grabbed hold of Laddie's ankles and started to draw him out of the pipe.
"You'd better come out!" she cried.
Pages:
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138