urse," Russ explained. "I have heard of it. You go
up the road past the swamp. I know."

"That's right," said Tad. "It's not far."

"I want to go, too, to D'ipping Wock," Mun Bun declared.

"Of course you do," Rose told him. "And if mother lets us go----"

Mother did. As long as Tad was along and knew the way, she was sure
nothing would happen to her little Bunkers. At least, nothing worse than
usual. Something was always happening to them, she told daddy, whether
they stayed at home or not.

"Don't go into the swamp, that is all," said Mother Bunker.

"Why not?" asked Vi.

"I know a riddle about a swamp," said Laddie eagerly. "Why is a swamp
like what we eat for breakfast?"

"Goodness!" cried Rose. "That can't be. I had an egg and two slices of
bacon for breakfast, and that couldn't be anything like a swamp."

"But you ate something else," cried Laddie delightedly. "You ate mush.
And isn't a swamp just like mush?"

"Huh! You wouldn't think so if you ever tasted swamp mud," said Tad.

"But I guess that is a pretty good riddle after all," Russ told the
little boy kindly. "For the mush and the swamp are both soft."

"And--and mushy," said Margy. "I think that's a very nice riddle,
Laddie. Why do we eat swamps for breakfast?"

"Goodness! We don't!" exclaimed Rose. "Now, come along. If we are going
to the Dripping Rock, we'd better start."

It was not far--not even in the opinion of Mun Bun. They took a road
that led right back from the shore, and you really would not have known
the sea was near at all when once you got into that path. For there were
trees on both sides, and for half the way at least there were no open
fields.

"I hear somebody calling," said Russ suddenly, as he led the way with
Tad.

"Somebody shouting," said Tad. "I wonder what he wants!"

"I hear it," cried Rose suddenly. "Is he calling for help?"

"Hurry up," advised Tad. "I guess somebody wants something, and he wants
it pretty bad."

"Well," said Russ, increasing his pace, but not so much so as to leave
Mun Bun and Margy very far behind, "if he wants help, of course he wants
it bad. Oh! There's the swamp."

They came to the opening. There were a few trees here on either side of
the road, which was now made of logs laid down on the soft ground. Grass
grew between the logs. There were pools of water, and other pools of
very black mud with only tufts of tall grass growing between them.

"Oh!" cried Rose, who had very bright eye