them," said Mr. Brown to the chief. "These we can send to other cities.
And we'll notify the police by telephone. I'll be down to see you this
evening."

"All right," answered the chief. "I'll get right after this boy."

"And tell whoever catches him to be good and kind to him," said Mr.
Brown. "Fred is not a bad boy. He feels that he has not been treated
well, and he'll do his best to hide away. But a boy with a banjo, who is
crazy to play in a show, ought not be very hard to find."

"No, I think we'll soon pick him up," the chief said.

"Well, pick him up as soon as you can," said Mr. Brown.

"Pick him _up_!" repeated Bunny, who had been listening to his father's
side of the conversation. "Did Fred fall down?"

"No. 'Pick him up' is a police expression," explained Mr. Brown. "It
means find him, or learn where he is."

"Oh, I see," murmured Bunny. "Well, I hope they'll soon find Fred."

The talk at supper time drifted from the running away of the boy next
door, and what might happen to him, to the trip the Browns were to take
in the big car.

"Well, now are you ready to tell us?" asked Bunny, as he saw his father
finish his cup of tea.