o one place and stayed there, so they might not
wander away and be lost.

"Yes, I guess so," returned Daddy Bunker. "It isn't far, and if you stay
on shore you won't fall in."

"True," chuckled Uncle Fred, but he wouldn't tell Laddie what he was
laughing at.

There were some small fish to be caught in the creek, and soon, with
hooks, lines, poles and bait Russ and Laddie started for the creek.

"I hope they'll be all right," said their mother.

They had been gone about an hour when Russ came running back to the
house, dragging his pole after him, and on the line was a fish, which he
had not stopped to take off.

"Oh, Mother! Daddy!" cried Russ. "Laddie--Laddie----"

"Has he fallen in?" cried Mrs. Bunker.

"No, Mother! It isn't that!" said Russ. "But he's caught a riddle, and
he doesn't know what to do with it."

"He's caught a _riddle_?" cried Uncle Fred. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he found it, or caught it, I don't know which," said Russ.

"How did he catch a riddle?" asked Daddy Bunker.

"On his hook. It's a funny thing, like a black stone, and it wiggles and
sticks its head out, and Laddie doesn't know what it is, and when you
don't know what a thing is that's a riddle, isn't it? Come and see!"

And down to the creek went Daddy and Mother Bunker to see the riddle
that Laddie had caught.

CHAPTER XIII

ON THE PONIES

Mr. and Mrs. Bunker found Laddie sitting on the bank of the creek
looking at something on the ground near him.

"What is it?" called Daddy Bunker, as Russ led them up to the place
where he and his brother had been fishing. "What have you caught?"

"I--I guess it's a riddle, for I don't know what else it is," answered
Laddie. "Come and look."

"Better not touch it," cautioned his mother.

"I'm not going to touch it, 'cause it can bite. It's got a funny head
and a mouth," said Laddie, "and it bit on my hook and it's got it yet."

Mr. and Mrs. Bunker hurried over and saw what Laddie had caught. As Russ
had said, it was rough, like a stone, and as black and hard-looking as
a rock. But it was alive and moved.

"Why, it's a mud turtle!" exclaimed Daddy Bunker, as he took a good look
at the creature. "It's nothing but a mud turtle, Laddie! I should think
you'd know what they are, for you have seen them in Rainbow River at
home."

"No, this isn't a mud turtle," said Russ. "I know what a mud turtle is,
and this is different. It's something like one, but not the same."

"How