, and he could easy break that," said
Sue.

"Maybe," agreed Bunker Blue.

They went around a turn in the road, and, looking down a straight
stretch, they could see that the man had caught the pony near a clump of
willow trees.

"There! He's all right!" said Mr. Brown. "But we had better go and ask
the man if we can help him any. He may blame us for the running away of
the pony."

And as they all walked down the road Bunny whispered something to Sue.
Sue looked quickly at her brother and exclaimed:

"Oh, if he only would!"

Now what did Bunny whisper to Sue?

CHAPTER III

MR. TALLMAN

Mr. Brown, followed by Bunker Blue and the two children, went down the
road toward the little, short man who was standing with the Shetland
pony. For, after walking back with him a little way, the man had stopped
to let the pony drink from a brook that ran beneath the willow trees.

"I'm afraid we caused you some trouble, my friend," said Mr. Brown,
politely.

"Trouble?" repeated the short man. "You say you caused me trouble?"

"Yes. We were riding in the big auto which we have left just around the
turn of the road. Was it our auto that frightened your pony and made him
run away?" asked Mr. Brown, while Bunny and his Sister Sue looked with
eager eyes at the pretty pony, which did not seem frightened now.

"Oh, yes, I guess your big moving van of an auto did scare my pony,"
answered the man. "I waved my hand, and tried to call to you to stop, so
we could drive past, but I guess you didn't hear me."

"No," said Bunker Blue, "we didn't. The engine made so much noise, I
guess."

"And then my pony ran away before I could stop him," went on the little
man, who, as Bunny and Sue could now see, was not as tall as Bunker
Blue. "You see, he is a trick pony, and used to be in a circus. But the
men there did not treat him kindly, so I heard. I guess maybe he thought
your big auto was a circus wagon, and when he remembered those wagons he
thought of the unkind men and wanted to run away."

"I'm sorry for that," said Mr. Brown. "We surely would not hurt your
pony. In fact, my children would love him. Did he break the harness when
he turned to run away?"

"I guess he did," answered the short man. "But it was an old harness,
and easily broken. In fact, part of it was tied with bits of string. I
knew it was strong enough for Toby unless he should cut up a little, and
that's just what he did, and broke some of the straps and st