“Well, maybe it is a trick, but I didn’t do it,” declared Russ.  “I haven’t got any string fast to his hat.  And, anyhow, if I did, maybe I could pull his hat off with a string, but I couldn’t pull it back on again, could I?”

“Well, maybe not, but you did it!” insisted Vi.

“No, I didn’t!” said Russ.  “You watch and I won’t move my finger even, and maybe Mr. White will take his hat off again.”

“Did you know he was going to do it?” asked Rose, as she looked at the snow man carefully.

“No, I didn’t know anything about it,” said Russ.  “I was walking along with you all, just now, and, all of a sudden, I saw the hat come off.  First I thought the wind blew it, and then, when I saw it wave at me, and go back on his head, I knew somebody did it—­or—­or maybe he did himself.”

“But he couldn’t, ’cause he’s a snow man,” insisted Laddie.  “And I helped make him and you didn’t put any phonograph or any machinery in him.  You didn’t, did you, Russ?”

“No, not a thing.  He’s just a snow man.”

“Then he couldn’t do it!” declared Rose.  “But maybe it was Mr. Ghost!  No, it couldn’t be that ’cause he only makes a noise, and, anyhow, there isn’t any such thing.  But what is it?”

“Look!  He’s doing it again!” cried Vi.

Surely enough, the snow man once more took off his tall silk hat, and waved it toward the children.  Then it went back on his head again, but this time it was not quite straight.  It was tilted to one side, and gave him a very odd look.

“Ho!  Ho!  Isn’t he funny!” laughed Mun Bun.  “I like that snow man.  I’m going to see what makes him take off his hat!”

“No, don’t!” cried Rose, catching hold of her little brother’s arm as he was about to run toward Mr. White.

“Why not?” Mun Bun wanted to know.

“’Cause he might—­something might—­oh, I don’t want you to go!” exclaimed Rose.  “I guess we’d better go and tell Daddy.”

They stood for a moment looking at the snow man who had acted so strangely.

Suddenly the tall silk hat was straightened on Mr. White’s head, and then, once more, it was lifted off and bowed to the six little Bunkers.

“Oh!”

“Come on!” cried Russ to Laddie after a moment.  “Let’s see what does it.”

“Maybe it’s a riddle,” Laddie suggested.

“If it is, it’s a funny one,” said his brother.

They started for Mr. White, and, all at once, off came the hat again, and then, suddenly, there was a loud a-ker-choo sneeze!

“Oh, he’s alive!  The snow man has come to life!” cried Rose.  “I’m going to the house.”

But just then, out from behind the big snow image, with the tall hat in his hand, stepped—­Grandpa Ford.  He was laughing.

“I tried to stop that sneeze, but I couldn’t,” he said.  “It came out in spite of me.”

“Oh, was that you, Grandpa?” asked Rose.

“Did you hide behind the snow man?” questioned Russ.