“I can’t do it!” Gran’ma replied, as she sat down on the ground. “If we only had our boat we’d fly across!” Janey said. “Yes! If we only had our boat we’d fly home!” Gran’ma sighed. “Maybe, after all, we had best go back to the wicked Jingle’s house until he goes to bed and then we may be able to get our boat!” Gran’pa suggested. “Perhaps we had!” Johnny agreed. So they turned from the canyon and started to retrace their steps. Suddenly Gran’pa, who was in the lead, stopped and said, “Listen! What was that?” They all held their breaths an instant later. It was the baying of Wolves. “They are coming in this direction!” Johnny cried. The sound grew louder. “Which way shall we go?” Janey asked. “Come on everybody!” Gran’ma cried, as she lifted her skirts and ran towards the Vine Bridge. “Wait, Gran’ma!” Janey cried. “Let Johnny help you across!” But Gran’ma kept running. Just as she reached the edge of the canyon she stumbled and slid over the cliff. Gran’pa, Johnny and Janey ran to the edge and looked over, expecting to see Gran’ma struggling in the river far below, but what was their surprise to see her sitting upon the top of the water, unharmed. “Are you hurt?” Gran’pa called. “Not a speck!” Gran’ma called back. “The river is rubber and all I did was bounce up and down!” “Jump over and have a bounce! I wish I were up there so I could do it again! It was fine!” Gran’ma added, as she jumped up and down and bounced about like a rubber ball. Gran’pa had almost forgotten the Wolves coming behind them, but noticing now how near they seemed, he said, “We haven’t a great deal of time left, Johnny, we better jump! The Wolves have scented us and are getting closer every minute!” “But if we get down there, how will we ever get up again?” Johnny wondered. “I don’t know!” Gran’pa exclaimed, “but I know I shall not leave Gran’ma down there alone!” So with that, Gran’pa jumped from the cliff and turned over and over before he hit the Rubber River upon his back. The children thought he never would stop bouncing. By this time the children could see the Wolves in the distance. “What shall we do?” Janey cried, wringing her hands. “If we jump down we may never get up again, if we stay here we shall be caught by the Wolves, and if we go across they will follow us!” “We could go across and then, when the Wolves tried to follow, we could bounce the Vine Bridge and shake them off!” Johnny suggested. “Yes, and shake them down to Gran’ma and Gran’pa! No, Johnny, that will never do!” “Then you cross the Vine Bridge, Sis, and I’ll show you what we’ll do! Hurry now, before it’s too late!” Janey ran across the Vine Bridge, and when she had reached the other side Johnny drew his knife from his pocket and hacked at the vines. The small, sharp blade soon cut them in two. He was none too quick, for just as he severed the last strand of the Vine Bridge the Leader of the Wolves sprang toward Johnny. [Illustration]