t--a--a bear?" asked Meg softly.

But Dot heard her.

"It's a bear!" she shrieked. "Twaddles, Meg, Bobby, come quick! It's a
bear!"

Something bounded out of the bushes and leaped upon them with shrill,
sharp barks.

"Spotty!" chorused the children. "You dear, darling old Spotty! Where
did you come from?"

Spotty was apparently as glad to see them, and in his way tried to
tell them so. He jumped up and down, barked excitedly and licked their
hands and faces over and over.

"Say, I'll bet you Spotty knows the way home!" Bobby jumped to his
feet as this thought came to him. "Spotty, show us the way home,
that's a good dog. Home, Spotty!"

Spotty wagged his tail heartily and barked once. Then he rushed a
little way ahead and turned to look at the children.

"Come on," he seemed to say.

"He does know," agreed Meg excitedly. "Put your shoes on, Dot. All
take hold of hands and hurry!"

They were in such haste they put the left shoe on Dot's right foot and
the right one on her left, but she never even noticed it. Taking hold
of hands, the four little Blossoms scurried through the dark woods,
for it was pitch dark now, after Spotty. The dog kept just a little
way ahead, and now and then he barked as if to tell them that
everything was all right.

It was not easy walking in the dark, and they tripped and stumbled
over tree roots and unsuspected stones. But at last they came out into
the open. The stars were shining overhead, and it was night.

"Where are we?" asked Meg in wonder. "This isn't the brook pasture."

"I see the gate light!" cried Bobby suddenly.

CHAPTER X

THE BLOSSOMS GO BERRYING

Sure enough, ahead of them twinkled the pretty ornamental light that
Aunt Polly had lighted on dark nights to show where the driveway went
through the gates.

"We're in back of the house!" cried Meg. "See, that's the kitchen
window where the white curtain is. Don't things look different at
night?"

"Hello! Hello!" came Jud's clear call. "Bobby, Meg, is that you?"

Then as Bobby answered him, they heard Jud shouting:

"All right, folks, they've come. I told you they were all right."

Peter and Jud and a neighbor's boy came running toward the children,
swinging lanterns, and followed by Mrs. Peter Apgar and Aunt Polly and
Linda. Such a time as there was, and such a hugging and kissing and
explaining!

"When you didn't come home to supper, I began to worry," said dear
Aunt Polly, carrying Dot, big girl