"She's in the boat, and it's sunk," was the answer. "Oh, what made the
boat sink?"

"Silly boy! Stop asking riddles at a time like this!" cried Mrs. Bunker.
"What do you mean, Laddie?"

"It isn't a riddle at all," he answered. "The boat did sink and Vi is in
it. What made it?"

"A boat! Sure there's no boat on the brook, unless the boy made one
himself," said Norah.

"I did make one--out of a box, and Vi was riding in it, but it sank," said
Laddie. "What made it sink?"

Then Mrs. Bunker, Norah and Russ came near enough to the shore of the
brook to see what had happened. Out in the middle, standing in a soap box,
was Violet. The little girl was crying and holding out her hands to
Laddie, who seemed quite worried and excited.

"She's sunk! She's sunk!" he said over and over again.

"Be quiet, silly boy!" ordered his mother, who saw that Vi was in no
danger. "We'll get her out. Why didn't you wade out to her yourself, and
bring her to shore?"

"'Cause I thought maybe something was out there," said Laddie.

"Something out there? What do you mean?" asked his mother.