ocean and the steamboat's got to rock! Look at her rock!" and he swung the
barrel to and fro faster than ever.

"Oh! Oh!" cried Rose. "It's all coming apart! Look! Oh, dear! The barrel's
all coming apart!"

And that's just what happened! In another moment the barrel on which Russ
sat fell apart, and with a clatter and clash of staves he toppled in on
Laddie. Then the chairs, behind the barrel, where Rose, Vi and Margy and
Mun were sitting, toppled over. In another instant the whole steamboat
load of children was all upset in the middle of the playroom floor, having
made a crash that sounded throughout the house.




CHAPTER II

DADDY BUNKER'S WORRY


"Dear me! What's that? What happened?" called Mother Bunker from the
sitting-room downstairs. "Is any one hurt, children? What did you do?" she
asked, as she stood, with some sewing in her hands, at the foot of the
stairs, listening for some other noise to follow the crash. She expected
to hear crying.

"Is any one hurt?" she asked again. She was somewhat used to noises. One
could not live in the house with the six little Bunkers and not hear
noises.