"I can count fourteen," said Bobby after a moment, for the night was not pitch black, but one of those soft summer nights with so many stars that after your eyes are accustomed to it you can see objects distinctly enough to count.
"Somebody's left their barnyard gate open," announced Meg. "What'll we do? Drive 'em into our barnyard?"
"Sure!" answered Bobby, just like a farmer. "That'll keep 'em safe till morning. And then Jud will find out whose they are."
Driving those fourteen baby calves was not such hard work as they had expected, for they were very amiable beasties and only wanted to nibble a little fresh sweet grass as they were driven on toward the barnyard. But Meg and Bobby had so much fun doing this that they forgot to be quiet, and just as they had the last calf safely inside and the big gate barred, two figures came running up to them.
"For the love of Pete!" said Jud, breathing heavily. "Meg and Bobby! And in their night clothes! Are you crazy?"
"There's fourteen baby calves in there," announced Bobby with dignity.
"Yes, and they would have had the whole lawn eaten up if it hadn't been for us," declared Meg.
"Those are Tom Sparks' calves he bought for his auction next week," said Peter. "Guess he didn't pen 'em in good to-night. Well, you youngsters don't miss anything, do you? You run back to bed now, and in the morning we'll do a little telephoning."
And when Jud came up while they were at breakfast the next morning and told them that Mr. Sparks wanted to pay a reward of five dollars to the person who had saved his calves for him, maybe there wasn't great excitement!
Aunt Polly then heard the story for the first time, as did Dot and Twaddles and Linda.
"You take it," advised Linda, when Jud repeated the offer of the reward. "If the constable had put his calves in the pound it would have cost him twice that to get them out."
"But I don't like to have them take money," protested Aunt Polly.
"All right," said Jud suddenly. "Mr. Sparks can pay them back some other way."
Jud went off whistling, and soon after they had finished breakfast the four little Blossoms saw a tall, stout man drive in. His horse was a beautiful, shiny black animal, evidently groomed and tended with great care.