He peered inside the truck, thinking perhaps the straw would need spreading out again in a smooth layer, and, as he did so, he started back in surprise. “What’s the matter?” asked Rose, who had followed him. “There’s something in there—in the straw,” whispered Russ. “You mean one of the children?” asked Rose, for thus she often spoke of her smaller brothers and sister. “No, it—it looks like some animal,” said Russ. “Look!” Rose looked and saw a dark object—clearly an animal—moving about in the straw. “Oh, maybe it’s a bear!” she cried. CHAPTER VII AT FARMER JOEL’S Four other little Bunkers were hurrying up the platform steps to get into the auto truck when Rose and Russ made this discovery of a strange animal in the straw. The first impulse of Rose was to run from the animal that, she half thought, might be a bear that had wandered in from the woods not far away and had found the warm straw a good place in which to sleep. The next thought Rose had was for her smaller brothers and sisters. Daddy Bunker and Adam North were up near the front of the truck, getting ready to take their seats, for the engine was now cool and the radiator filled with fresh water. Russ had the same idea as had Rose—the desire to save his brothers and sisters from harm. Seeing them coming up the platform steps he cried: “Keep back! Keep back! Don’t come up here!” “What’s the matter?” asked Laddie. “There’s something in the straw,” Russ answered. “It’s an animal!” added Rose. “A big animal!” “Oh, I want to see it!” cried Mun Bun. “I like animals! Maybe we can have a circus—this is like a circus wagon!” The big truck certainly was. But Rose did not intend to have Mun Bun or the other small ones rush into danger. She stood on the milk platform at the top of the steps, holding out her hands. “You mustn’t go in there where the animal is!” cried Rose. “Russ, can’t you do something?” and her voice was shrill with excitement. “I’ll get a stick—a stone—something——” panted Russ. Just then from inside the truck came a stamping sound, as if the animal were kicking about. At the same time a loud cry echoed. “What’s the matter?” asked Daddy Bunker, coming back from the front end of the truck. At the same time Mr. Armstrong, the farmer, hurried out of a side gate, calling: “Did any of you see a little colt? He got out of the pasture, and I don’t want him to run away. He’s valuable and he may get hurt.” Before any one could answer the sound of neighing came from inside the truck, and then Russ knew it was made by the animal he and Rose had seen standing in the straw. “Ha! That sounds like my colt!” said Farmer Armstrong. “It is!” shouted Russ, with a laugh. “He’s in the auto. I’ll get him out.” The oldest Bunker boy started to go inside the auto truck, whence came the neighing, stamping sound of the little horse. But Mr. Armstrong called out: