began to cry.

"I want to go home!" she sobbed. "I want my mamma!"

"I'll get her as soon as I can," said the old man. "Don't cry little
girl. The thunder is only a big noise, like Fourth of July, and the
lightning is only a great big firefly--that is make-believe you know."

"Oh, yes, let's pretend that way!" cried Bunny, for he was not as
frightened at the storm as was Sue.

She stopped crying. Sue always liked anything make-believe, even if it
had to do with thunder and lightning.

"And will you get a carriage and ride me and Bunny home?" she asked.

"Yes," answered the hermit.

"All right. Then I won't be 'fraid."

Once more she cuddled her head down on the hermit's shoulder. In a
little while they were back at his cabin. The aged man went in, and
lighted a lamp, for it was quite dark. It was now raining hard, and the
stormy wind was blowing the tree branches all about.

"Now you stay right here until I come back with your father, or
grandfather," said the hermit, as he put on an old coat to go out in the
rain.

"Aren't you got an umbrella?" asked Sue.

"I don't need one, little girl. Umbrellas aren't much good in the woods.
They catch on the trees. I'll be all right. I don't mind getting wet.
Now don't you go away. I can't take you with me, or I would, but you'll
be all right here."

"We're not afraid," said Bunny bravely. "Once we got locked in an empty
house; didn't we, Sue?"

"Yep. And we slided down the banister rail. It was fun."

"Well, I haven't any banister here for you to slide down," said the
hermit. "But you may go to sleep if you like."

He went out, shutting the door after him, first having put the lamp on a
high shelf where it could not be knocked over, if Bunny and Sue happened
to be playing about the cabin.

But Bunny and Sue did not feel much like playing. They were not so
frightened by the storm just now, but they were tired and sleepy. Sue
saw, in one corner of the room, a sort of bed, or bunk, with blankets
and pillows spread out on it.

"Oh, Bunny!" cried the little girl. "There's a bed just like those in
our automobile. I'm going to sleep!"

"All right," answered Bunny. "You go to sleep, and I'll sit up and be on
guard like the soldiers do in camp. I'll pretend I'm a soldier."

"That will be fun!" exclaimed Sue.

She climbed up in the hermit's bed, and put her head down on the pillow.
It was a nice, clean bunk, as clean as those her mother had made in the
traveling au