But no welcome sound came to tell that poor Frisky was hiding in the
brushwood. With heavy hearts the boys turned away. They didn't even
feel like talking, somehow. They had counted on bringing the calf back
in triumph.

When Flossie and Freddie saw them coming back without Frisky they just
had to cry and no one could stop them.

"I tried to be a fireman!" blubbered Freddie. "I didn't care if the
rope hurted my hands either!"

"If only I didn't go in to see the chickens nests," Flossie whimpered,
"I could have helped Freddie!"

"Never you mind, little 'uns," Dinah told them. "Dinah go and fetch dat
Frisky back to-morrer. See if she don't. You jest don't cry no more,
but eat you supper and take a good sleep, 'cause we're goin' to have a
picnic to-morrer you knows, doesn't youse?"

The others tried to comfort the little ones too, and Uncle Daniel said
he knew where he could buy another calf just like Frisky, so after a
little while Freddie felt better and even laughed when Martha made the
white cat Fluffy and Snoop play ball in the big long kitchen.

"I'm goin' to pray Frisky will come back," Nan told her little brother
when she kissed him good-night, "and maybe the dear Lord will find her
for you."

"Oh, yes, Nannie, do ask Him," pleaded Freddie, "and tell Him--tell Him
if He'll do it this time, I'll be so good I won't never need to bother