When my cousin Mary came out from the big city, she and I made hide-outs.   Sometimes we would go into the barn and move bales of straw around to make tunnels.   Sometimes we'd make hide-outs in the tall corn field.   No one could see us in there.

The best hide-out we ever had was in the bushes in the ditch along the road from Grandma's house to my house.

We had elaborate traps set up for anyone that might try to come into our hide-out.   We dug holes and covered them with sticks and grass to look like the ground, and hoped somebody would fall in them.   We look a long vine hooked to a tree, stretched it out and hooked it to another tree-- just at neck level on an adult.   Pity the poor person who ever tried to invade our hide-out!

If anyone went by in a car, we would lay hidden in the ditch and laugh because we knew they couldn't see us.  

One day Grandma and Mary's mother, Aunt Katie were calling us and we didn't answer them.   They got in the car and drove slowly down the road toward us.   We stayed hidden in the bushes and even though Aunt Katie was looking out the window, she didn't see us.

They drove up to my house and we could see them talking to Momma.

So we sneaked out of the ditch and ran back to Grandma's house.   When they pulled back into the driveway, there we were, playing in the backyard as if we had never been gone.  

They both looked at us strangely and then went into the house.   Cousin Mary said we had to keep our hide-out a secret.