"Oh, that sounds just like Santa Claus!" cried Margy, as the sound of jingling bells was heard outside the depot.

It seemed rather hard to leave the cosy, bright, warm station at that hour of the night and start out into the darkness and storm. But the children did not mind it. They were too eager to get to Great Hedge and see Grandma Ford. That is, most of them were. Perhaps Mun Bun and Margy were a bit too sleepy to care much what happened.

"But we can cuddle them down in the straw in the bottom of the sled, cover them with blankets and let them go to sleep," said Grandpa Ford, as he noted the blinking eyes of the two youngest Bunkers. "They'll go to sleep and be at Great Hedge before they know it."

"How can you find it in the dark?" asked Vi.

"Oh, the horses know the way," answered the old gentleman. "Come on."

"I'm going to make up a riddle about a horse," began Laddie. "I have it almost made up. It's about what kind of a tree would you like to drive."

"You can't drive a tree!" exclaimed Russ. "All you can do is to climb it, or cut it down. So there!"

"Yes, you can!" insisted Laddie. "You can drive my riddle kind of tree."

"You can not! Can you, Mother?" appealed Russ. "You can climb a tree and cut it down, and that's all you can do to it, isn't it?"

"You can sit in the shade of it," said Rose.

"Oh, yes, well, but that doesn't count!" said Russ.

"Anyhow it's a riddle," went on Laddie. "What kind of a tree would you like to drive?"

"We haven't any time for riddles now," said Mother Bunker. "Come along, children, Grandpa is waiting!"

And, with Laddie's riddle still unanswered, they went out into the darkness and the storm.

At first it rather took away the breath of the children--that is, of the four oldest. Mun Bun was carried by his mother, while Daddy Bunker took Margy in his arms. Thus they were cuddled up so the cold wind and snow could not blow on them. Grandpa Ford wanted to carry Violet from the depot out to the waiting sled, but she said she was big enough to walk.

The sled stood near the depot platform, and the lights from the station shone on it, so it was easy to tuck the children in. Down in the warm straw, and under the warm blankets, the six little Bunkers were placed, until no cold wind nor snow could get at them.

[Ill.u.s.tration: DOWN IN THE WARM STRAW AND UNDER THE BLANKETS THE SIX LITTLE BUNKERS WERE PLACED.

_Six Little Bunkers at Grandpa Ford's._ --_Page 100_]

"Well, I guess we're all ready, d.i.c.k," said Grandpa Ford to his hired man, who was to drive. "Think we can make it?"

"Oh, yes, Mr. Ford," was the answer. "The horses are anxious to get home, and the roads aren't as bad as they'll be in the morning."

"Well, when we get to Great Hedge we can stay there a long time," said Grandpa Ford. "Go ahead, d.i.c.k."

"Go 'long, horses!" called d.i.c.k, at the same time cracking his whip. Of course he did not hit the horses with it. He just snapped it in the air over their backs.

Away they sprang, with a jingle of bells, their feet making no noise in the soft snow. Away they went, and on down the road which was white with the crystal flakes that sparkled in the light of a lantern that was hung underneath the big sled.

"How long a drive is it?" asked Mrs. Bunker.

"Oh, about half an hour," answered Grandpa Ford. "We'll be there before you know it. It's downhill, and the horses are anxious to get to their warm stable."

And this seemed to be true, for the animals, with the jingling bells around them, raced bravely along. Mun Bun and Margy fell asleep almost at once, it was so warm and cosy in Grandpa's sled. But the other children peered out now and then from beneath the robes. However, they were soon glad to pull their heads in again, for it was very cold.

The drive, too, was longer than Grandpa Ford thought it would be, as one of the roads was so blocked with a drift that the sled could not get through, and they had to drive around it.

"But we'll get through!" said Grandpa Ford.

On and on they went. It was a long, cold ride, but it came to an end at last. Russ, peering up over a blanket, saw, down the road, a large, black patch, and from it a light seemed to glow.

"Is that another railroad station?" he asked.

"No, that's Great Hedge," answered Grandpa Ford. "The black part you see is the hedge around the house, and the light comes from a lantern I have outside. Here we are at Great Hedge at last!"

The sled turned into a driveway and stopped beneath a sort of covered porch.

"Whoa!" called d.i.c.k to the horses.

A door opened, letting out a glow of warm, cheerful light.

"Are the six little Bunkers there?" asked a voice.

"Yes, every one, and the two big Bunkers, too!" answered Grandpa Ford.

"Come on, children! Here's Grandma Ford all ready with that bread and jam for you!"

"Oh, I'm so glad!" sighed Rose. "I was getting hungry again."

"So was I," admitted Russ.

"Now I'm going to finish my riddle," declared Laddie, as he untangled himself from the robes.

"And we can begin to hunt for the ghost," whispered Rose to Russ.

"Yes," he whispered back.

Mun Bun and Margy were awakened and carried in the house. Oh, how nice and warm it was after the storm!

"Have you really got bread and jam?" asked Vi.

"Yes, indeed, my dear, I have!" laughed Grandma Ford, hugging and kissing her, and then hugging and kissing, in turn, the other five little Bunkers.

"Wait till you hear my riddle," began Laddie. "What kind of a tree would you like----"

And just then a loud noise sounded through the house. It was as if a giant had uttered a deep groan.

"O-u-g-h-m!"

Grandpa and Grandma Ford looked at each other. So did Daddy and Mother Bunker. And Rose leaned over and whispered to Russ:

"That's the ghost!"