"Oh, the dear old 'Ark!'" cried Mrs. Brown. "I hope it won't be damaged
much."

"So do I," said her husband. "If I had known that bridge was so weak as
to let us fall through I would have gone a different road. But I
suppose the rain and high water weakened the supports. However, don't
worry. We'll see what can be done."

After a look at the way in which the rear wheels of the big car were
lodged in the ditch, Uncle Tad and Mr. Brown went to the nearest town on
foot to get help. Mrs. Brown, Bunny and Sue made a little camp beside
the road, the children helping a little, and then running about to play.
The two dogs joined them in their fun.

"I guess I'll make a little cornstarch pudding," said Mrs. Brown, as she
got the other things ready for lunch; and when the pudding was finished
she covered it up, so no ants or bugs would get in it, and set it in a
hollow stump to keep until it would be needed for the dessert after the
lunch.

It was not long before Mr. Brown and Uncle Tad came back riding in a big
automobile truck which they had hired at the nearest garage to pull the
"Ark" out of the ditch.

"Will you have lunch first?" asked Mrs. Brown.

"Yes, I guess we will," said her husband. "We'll eat while the garage
men are getting ropes and chains around our car to pull it out of the
ditch."

And so they ate their dinner under the shade of a big tree beside the
road. Two men had come in the auto truck to work for Mr. Brown, and they
went about it quickly, putting strong ropes and chains on the "Ark."

"And now I have a little surprise for you," said Mrs. Brown as she
poured tea for herself, Mr. Brown and Uncle Tad, and set milk before the
children.

"Oh, goodie!" cried Sue.

"Fine!" exclaimed Bunny.

Mrs. Brown went to the hollow stump. She looked in and then she cried:

"Oh, dear! No I haven't any either."

"Any what, either?" asked Mr. Brown.

"Surprise for you. I made a nice cocoanut cornstarch pudding, and put it
in this hollow stump, covering it up. But something has come along and
eaten it."

For a moment there was a silence, and then Bunny cried:

"Maybe it was a hungry bear!"

"Or maybe it was our squirrel Fluffy," said Sue. "He can hop around a
little now, 'cause his leg is almost well."

"Hum, the pudding's gone, is it?" said Mr. Brown. "That's too bad. Come
here, sir!" he suddenly called to Splash. The dog, who was lying beside
Dix near the brook, arose slowly and came to Mr. Brown, ta