before they got home again?

CHAPTER XII

THE WRONG ROAD

Toby, the Shetland pony, stamped his feet in the soft grass in front of
the home of Bunny Brown and his Sister Sue. Then he "shivered" off some
flies that were biting his legs, and switched some off his back with his
long tail.

"And now we're ready to start!" cried Sue, as she sat on the cushion
near her brother, who was to drive the first part of the way.

"And don't drop the butter when you're coming back," said Mrs. Brown, as
she saw that the children's lunch was safely put in the cart, together
with a few lumps of sugar and some sweet crackers for Toby.

"We won't," promised Bunny. "Gidap, Toby!" he called, and away trotted
the pony.

Down the village street went Toby, and Bunny and Sue smiled and waved
their hands to some of their boy and girl friends who watched them
driving away, wishing they were going.

"We'll give you a ride when we come back," promised Sue.

She turned to wave her hand to Sadie West, and then Sue saw Splash, the
big dog, trotting along behind the pony cart.

"Oh, Bunny!" exclaimed Sue, "do we want to take Splash along?"

"No, I don't guess we do," Bunny answered. "There's a big dog at the
farm, and he might fight our dog like he did once before."

This had happened. For once, when Mr. Brown took Bunny and his sister to
the place to get some fresh eggs and butter, Splash had trotted along
with them. And Splash and the other dog at the farm did not seem to be
friends, for they fought and bit one another, and Mr. Brown and Mr.
Potter, the man who owned the farm, had hard work to make the animals
stop.

"Whoa, Toby!" called Bunny to the pony, and he stopped. "Now you go on
back, Splash!" ordered his little master.

But Splash did not want to go back. He sat down on the grass, thumped
his tail up and down, and then sort of looked off to one side, as though
to see how tall the trees were. He didn't look at Bunny or Sue at all,
and when their dog didn't do this the children knew he didn't want to
mind them.

"Go back home, Splash!" ordered Bunny.

"'Cause we don't want you fighting with that other dog," added Sue. "Go
home like a nice doggie."

But Splash didn't seem to want to be a nice dog. He just sat thumping
his tail and looking off at the trees.

"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Bunny, with a sort of sigh. "What'll we do? I
guess I'll have to get out and take him back."

"If you do that," said Sue, "maybe Toby wil