nd
out.

"Who is there?" he suddenly called. "Who are you? What do you want in
our cave?"

The figure sliding down the piece of grapevine into the cave, through
the chimney hole, suddenly fell in a heap on the floor, close to where
Bunny and Sue were lying on the pile of bags. Splash jumped up and began
to bark loudly.

CHAPTER XXV

BACK IN CAMP

Bunny Brown tried to be brave, but when he saw someone come into the
cave in the darkness, in such a queer way, the little boy did not know
what to do. He thought of Sue, and felt that he must not let her get
hurt, no matter what else happened.

"Oh, Bunny!" cried Sue. "Is that one of the robbers? Is it, Bunny? If it
is I don't want to stay here! You said there weren't any but picture
book robbers in this cave, Bunny Brown!"

Bunny did not answer right away. He did not know what to tell Sue.

But the big boy who had dropped down through the chimney hole
straightened up suddenly. Bunny could see him patting Splash on the
head.

And that was rather strange, for Splash did not easily make friends
with strangers. He would not bite them, but he would bark at them, until
some of his friends had said it was all right, and that he need bark no
more.

But, after his bark of surprise this time, Splash seemed to have
suddenly made friends with the big boy who had come sliding down the
chimney hole of the cave.

"Who--who are you?" asked Bunny again.

Instead of answering the big boy laughed. Then he asked:

"Are you Bunny Brown and his sister Sue?"

"Ye--yes--yes, we are," Bunny said. "But how did you know?"

"Oh, I can tell, all right."

Splash seemed very glad to meet the strange boy. There was still light
enough coming down the chimney hole for Bunny to see the dog's wagging
tail. And Splash did not wag his tail for persons he did not like. This
must be a friend.

"Is--is you a robber?" asked Sue. She had hidden her face in the pile of
bags, and was holding closely to her doll.

Again the big boy laughed.

"No, I'm not a robber," he said, "though I did take a piece of your
mother's bacon. But I'll pay her back for it. How in the world did you
find my cave, and where is your father, or Bunker Blue? And what are you
doing out alone in this storm? Are you----"

But Bunny Brown broke in on the questions.

"Oh, I know who you are! I know who you are!" Bunny cried. "You're Tom
Vine who ran away from us! Why did you run away? Daddy has been looking
for y