her Bunker was much alarmed, and the children kept very quiet and
talked in whispers. Although Russ and Rose spoke cheerfully about it to
the other children, they were old enough to know that something really
dreadful might have happened to the twins.

"I guess nobody could have run off with them," whispered Russ to his
sister.

"Oh, no! There were no Gypsies or tramps anywhere about. Anyway, we
didn't see any."

"They weren't carried off. They walked off," said Russ decidedly. "Maybe
they will be back again waiting for the train."

They all hoped this would be the fact. The train finally stopped and
then steamed ahead again and ran on to the east-bound track that had
been cleared of all other traffic so that the passenger train could get
around the landslide. Mr. Bunker and Russ went out into the vestibule so
as to jump off the train the moment it stopped in the cut. The conductor
and one of the brakemen got off too, but other passengers were warned to
remain aboard. The train could not halt here for long.

Russ ran around the big rock that had fallen on the other track, and up
the road a way. But there was no sign of Vi and Laddie. Mr. Bunker saw
the path up the bank, and he climbed just as the twins had and reached
the top.

The big pasture was then revealed to the anxious father; but Vi and
Laddie were nowhere in view. Why! Daddy Bunker didn't even see the
chipmunk Laddie and his sister had chased. Daddy Bunker shouted and
shouted. If the twins had been within sound of his voice they surely
would have answered. But no answer came.

"You'll have to come down from there, Mr. Bunker!" called the conductor
of the train. "We can't wait any longer. We're holding up traffic as it
is."

So Mr. Bunker came down to the railroad bed, very much worried and
hating dreadfully to go back and tell Mother Bunker and the rest of the
little Bunkers that the twins were not to be found.

There was nothing else to be done. Where the twins could have
disappeared to was a mystery. And just what he should do to trace Vi
and Laddie their father could not at that moment imagine.

The train started again, but ran slowly. Mrs. Bunker did not weep as
Margy did, and as Rose herself was inclined to do. But she was very pale
and she looked at her husband anxiously.

"My poor babies!" she said. "I think we will all have to get off the
train at the next station, Charles, and wait until Vi and Laddie are
found."

Daddy Bunker could not