Before long Buster was sure he heard a groan, though no one of the
merrymakers paid the slightest heed to it. Everyone was too busy eating
and talking with his neighbors to notice Bill's distress.

Then came another groan--and another--and another--and another, until
finally greedy Bill clapped both his hands across the front of his jacket
and let out a terrific roar.

"Ah!" said Buster Bumblebee. "You have a stomachache, young man. And it's
no wonder."




XX

BUSTER AND THE FIDDLERS


There was a great rattling of knives and forks dropped suddenly upon
plates and a clatter of cups set hastily upon saucers. For when the boy
with the stomachache screamed aloud in his agony all of Farmer Green's
guests turned towards him to see what was the matter.

Buster Bumblebee saw a large woman dressed in bright red rush up to the
boy Bill and lead him away towards the farmhouse, quite doubled up with
pain.

"That's his mother!" Buster decided. "And it's lucky for him that she's