"They told me you Bunkers were going home soon, so I asked my father to let me come over once more to see you," Tad said, by way of greeting. "There's a lot of things you Bunkers haven't seen about here, I guess. I know you haven't seen Dripping Rock."
"What is Dripping Rock?" Vi promptly wanted to know. "What does it drip?"
"Not milk, anyway, or molasses," laughed Tad.
"It drips water, of course," 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.
"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."