fur."

"Oh, well," sighed Laddie. "Then my riddle isn't any good."

"Not much, I am afraid," said Russ kindly but firmly.

However, Laddie and the other little Bunkers did not have many
disappointing things happen to them on this lovely Christmas Day. Mr.
and Mrs. Armatage tried in every way to make the stay of their guests at
the Meiggs Plantation as pleasant as possible.

After the celebration at the quarters the white folks came home, and
there at the big house a fine party was soon under way. People had come
in their cars from far and near and the house was brilliantly lighted on
the first two floors.

The children were allowed to look on at this grown folks' party for a
little while, then they had to go to bed. Phillis and Alice and Frane,
Junior, seemed to consider it very hard that they were not allowed to
stay downstairs; but the little Bunkers were used to having their own
good times and did not expect to enter into the amusements of their
elders.

"Let's sit on the top step of these stairs," said Phillis to Rose and
Alice, "and we can see through the balustrades. There's Mrs. Campron!
She's got a lovely dress on, and diamonds."

Rose remained with the two Armatage girls for a little while and Russ
saw to it that the little folks went to bed. Then he came out into the
hall again to see what the girls were doing. Before he could ask them he
chanced to look out of the back window at the end of the long hall.

"Oh!" cried Russ Bunker. "What is that?"

"What's what?" demanded Phillis. "What do you see?"

"Is it a shooting star?" went on Russ. "See that light! I believe it
must be a fire."

The girls came running to join him then, more interested in what Russ
saw than they were in what was going on at the party below.

CHAPTER XVII

MAMMY JUNE IN PERIL

From the big house on the Meiggs Plantation, standing on a knoll--which
means a small hill,--one could see for a long distance all about, in
spite of the shade trees, and especially when looking from the third
floor windows. Russ Bunker was looking right out over the quarters where
the hands lived, and could see far down the slope of the land and to the
forest beyond the cultivated fields.

It was a lovely starlit night, but of course the stars did not reveal
everything. The strong red light that sprang up beyond the cabins where
the colored people lived, revealed a great deal, however.

"It's a house afire!" declared Phillis Armatage.