The Bobbsey Twins Megapack

by Laura Lee Hope

  “I guess I’d better keep Frank at the house after this,” went on Mr. Mason. “He’s safer there than at the office, and wouldn’t lose me so much money. But I’ll get it out of him, some way,” and he thrust back into his pocket the bad twenty dollar bill.

  Bert had understood most of the talk between his father and Mr. Mason, but little Freddie did not know much of what went on except that Frank had run away.

  “I wouldn’t run away from my home,” he said. “I like it too much.”

  “Yes, but you haven’t anyone at your home to shake you as hard as that man did,” said Bert. “I don’t blame Frank for running away.”

  “Poor boy!” sighed Mr. Bobbsey. “Life is a hard matter for a little chap with no real home.”

  In the automobile the lumber man and his two boys went back to Lakeport, passing on their way the house where Mr. Mason lived. The two little girls waved their hands to Freddie and Bert as the boys rode past. But there was no sign of Frank Kennedy.

  The sadness of the scene the two Bobbsey boys had witnessed was soon forgotten in the joys of getting ready to go to Meadow Brook. They spent that night in their city house, unpacking only such few things as they needed. When morning came Flossie and Freddie were the first up.

  “We’re going to the country!” sang Flossie, walking about in a long night-gown that trailed over the floor.

  “Going to Meadow Brook!” chanted Freddie. “Where’s Snoop? I’m going to take him!”

  “And may we take Snap, too?” asked Bert, who had taught the former circus dog many new tricks.

  “Yes, we’ll take them both,” said Mrs. Bobbsey. “Now hurry, children dear. We are going to leave soon after breakfast, and it is a long ride in the train, you know.”

  “Are we going to ride in the ‘merry-go-round car’?” asked Flossie.

  “She means a parlor car, with chairs that swing around,” said Nan, with a laugh.

  “Yes, we’ll ride in a chair car,” decided Mr. Bobbsey.

  The Bobbsey house was soon a very busy place. Valises that had been opened were packed again. Dinah got a quick breakfast. Mr. Bobbsey had much telephoning to do about business matters, and Mrs. Bobbsey—well, she had to do what all mothers do on such occasions—look after everything. Nan and Bert helped as much as they could.

  Flossie and Freddie tried to help, but you know how it is with little children. The two smaller twins were very anxious that Snoop, the black cat, be taken with them in his little traveling crate.

  “I’ll get him and pack him up,” said Freddie.

  “And I’ll help,” offered Flossie.

  Soon all was in readiness for the start to the depot where the Bobbseys would take the train for Meadow Brook. Just as the automobile came up to the door to take the family, there arose a cry from the direction of the side porch where Flossie and Freddie had gone with the cat-cage, in which to put Snoop.

  “Oh, my!” exclaimed Mrs. Bobbsey. “I wonder what has happened now? I hope those twins are all right!”

  “I’ll go see!” offered Nan, setting off on a run.

  CHAPTER V

  Snap’s Escape

  Nan found Flossie and Freddie, standing one on either side of the wooden crate in which Snoop made his journeys. The twins each had hold of the black cat, who did not seem to be enjoying life very much just then.

  “He goes in this way, I tell you!” shouted Freddie.

  “No, he goes in the other way!” cried Flossie, and then they both tried, at the same time, to thrust poor Snoop into his cage.

  The cat cried out, and scrambled to get away.

  “What’s the matter?” asked Nan. “What does all this mean, Flossie and Freddie? Don’t you know the automobile is waiting to take us to the station?”

  “Well, I want to put Snoop in his cage!” insisted Freddie.

  “And so do I!” cried Flossie.

  “But she—she—Flossie wants to put him in, tail end first!” went on the excited little boy.

  “Course—’cause that’s right!” went on the little girl. “Freddie says he ought to go in head first,” she exclaimed, “and you know, Nan, if you stand Snoop on his head he’ll get dizzy, like I did when I hung dingle-dangle by my legs from the swing.”

  “And if he goes in tail first he’ll get all tangled up!” retorted Freddie, who was almost crying now.

  “Oh, dear!” exclaimed Nan. “I guess I’ll have to call papa or mamma, and they have enough to look after as it is, with the auto here, and almost train time. I never saw such children! What am I to do?”

  “Let me put Snoop in tail first!” cried Flossie.

  “No, he ought to go in his box head first!” declared her brother, and neither one of them would let go of the black cat. Snoop looked sadly at Nan, as though he wished she would rescue him, and put him in the traveling box either end first, if only he might be left in peace and quietness.

  “Oh, dear!” Nan exclaimed again. “I really don’t know what to do! I guess we’ll leave Snoop home altogether!”

  “Oh, no!” cried Flossie and Freddie.

  “Here! What’s all the trouble?” asked Bert, running around to the side porch. “Hurry up! The auto is waiting.”

  “It’s these twins!” said Nan, hopelessly.

  “It’s Flossie!” accused Freddie. “She wants Snoop to go in tail end first, and he’ll get all tangled up, ’cause he’s got an awful long tail.”

  “And Freddie wants to put him in head first, and he’ll get dizzy same as I did in the swing!” accused Flossie.

  “Here! I’ll settle this!” cried Bert, like a manly little chap. “Give me that cat!”

  He took Snoop from Flossie and Freddie, who let go willingly enough. If Snoop could have talked he would have said, “Thank you, Bert!” I am sure he would have.

  “There, we’ll put him in feet first,” Bert went on, carefully lowering the black cat into the box that way. “A cat always likes to land feet first,” he explained, “then he won’t get tangled up in his tail, nor dizzy. Now, Flossie and Freddie, hustle around front and get into the auto. I’ll bring Snoop” he continued, as he fastened down the lid of the traveling cage.

  “That’s right! Feet first!” cried Freddie, a happy smile on his face.

  “Of course! Why didn’t we think of putting Snoop in that way?” asked Flossie, as she put her chubby hand in her brother’s and ran with him around to the front porch.

  “Oh, such children!” sighed Nan as she followed Bert, who carried Snoop in his cage. The black cat curled up and went to sleep. He was used to traveling this way.

  “My! What was the trouble?” asked Mrs. Bobbsey. Nan and Bert explained, while Flossie and Freddie took their places in the gasoline machine.

  “Are you all ready?” asked Mr. Bobbsey. “How about you, Dinah?” for the colored cook was being taken to the country to help look after the smaller twins.

  “Oh, indeedy I’se all right, Mrs. Bobbsey,” was Dinah’s answer. “Heah, Freddie, let ole Dinah carry dat cat-box,” for Bert had given Snoop in his cage to the small twin boy.

  “No, I want to hold him,” Freddie insisted, and he was allowed to have his way.

  Sam, Dinah’s husband, was to stay home to look after the Bobbsey city house, and he waved a good-bye as the automobile started off.

  “Where’s Snap?” asked Flossie, as they were rolling down the street.

  “He’s coming,” reported Nan, for the big dog was running alongside the car. There would have been room for him to ride in it, but he preferred racing along the street, and he would be at the depot waiting for the family when they arrived.

  “The train will be here in about five minutes,” said Mr. Bobbsey, after they had reached the depot, and he had purchased the tickets. Then, while Flossie and Freddie took turns looking in at black Snoop through the slats of the box, Nan and Bert helped gather the valises into one pile. Mr. Bobbsey went to see about getting the trunks checked, and also about sending Snap in the baggage car, for th
e dog would have to ride that way to Meadow Brook.

  At last, with a toot of the whistle, and a ringing of the bell, the engine, drawing the train, puffed into the station.

  “All aboard!” called the conductor.

  Many persons were getting on, while others were getting off. Mr. Bobbsey gathered his little family down toward the parlor, or chair, car.

  “Heah you am, sah!” exclaimed the colored porter as he swung Flossie and Freddie up the steps, and helped Mrs. Bobbsey and Dinah. Nan and Bert felt big enough not to need any help.

  “Hello! What’s dish yeah?” cried the porter, as he picked up the box containing Snoop. “Am dish good to eat?” he asked, looking in at the black cat. “What am it?”

  “Oh, it’s our Snoop!” cried Flossie. “Don’t hurt him!”

  “’Deed an’ I won’t, little Missie!” laughed the colored porter. “I thought maybe it was a watermelon yo’ all had in dat box.”

  “All aboard!” called the conductor again, and then, with the Bobbseys safely in their chair car, the train puffed away again, going faster and faster.

  “The engine can hardly get its breath,” remarked Freddie, as he listened to the puffing of the locomotive.

  “I guess it’s going up hill,” said Bert, with a laugh.

  The ride to Meadow Brook would take nearly all day, and Mrs. Bobbsey settled herself comfortably in the easy chair to look out of the window, after she had seen that Flossie and Freddie were all right. Nan and Bert looked after themselves, and Mr. Bobbsey, having seen that his family was comfortable, began to read his paper. Dinah took a chair in one corner where she could doze off. It always made her sleepy to ride in a train, she said.

  Nan and Bert looked out at the passing scenery, as did Flossie and Freddie, when they were not taking turns peeking in at Snoop. As for the black cat himself, he had curled up into a little round ball, and was fast asleep.

  He had become a traveler by this time, for once he had been to Cuba, when the circus lady took him, as I told you in one of the other books.

  “I wonder how Snap is getting along in the baggage car?” said Bert to Nan, after a bit. “I think I’ll go in and see.”

  “Oh, will papa let you?” inquired his sister.

  “I don’t know. I’ll ask him.”

  Mr. Bobbsey was a little doubtful about letting Bert pass from one car to another when the train was moving.

  “But it’s a vestibule train, papa,” said the boy. “It’s like one big car. I can’t fall off.”

  “Well, I don’t know,” said Mr. Bobbsey, slowly.

  “I’ll take him up front, if he wants to see about the dog,” said a brakeman who had heard Bert’s talk.

  “Oh, thank you,” said Mr. Bobbsey. “Be careful, Bert.”

  But, as it turned out, there was no danger at all. As Bert had said, the cars were joined together with “vestibules,” that made the train like one big railway coach. And as it was slowing up to stop at a station, when Bert went forward to the baggage car, he had no trouble at all in walking along with the brake-man.

  Bert found Snap very glad indeed to see him, and as the train was then at a standstill the boy took the chain off the dog’s collar, and let him run about the car a little, for he had to be kept chained fast while the cars were in motion.

  “I guess you want to run about a bit, eh, Snap?” said Bert.

  “Bow wow!” barked the dog, and that was the best answer he could make. The man in the baggage car had seen to it that Snap had plenty of water to drink, for the day was very hot.

  “Better chain him up again, my boy,” suggested the baggage man, after a bit. “We’ll start pretty soon now.”

  Bert led Snap over to the side of the car, where the collar-chain dangled, but, just then, Snap, looking out of the door of the baggage car, saw a strange dog on the depot platform. Whether Snap knew this dog, or thought he did, Bert could not tell.

  But, an instant later, with a bark, Snap pulled away from Bert’s grasp on his collar, and leaped out of the open car door. At the same moment the train started off.

  “Snap! Snap!” cried Bert. “Come back here!”

  CHAPTER VI

  At Meadow Brook

  The train was not going very fast when Snap leaped from the baggage car, but, even if it had been moving at greater speed, it is not likely that Snap would have been hurt.

  As it was, when the dog leaped from the open door, he did a somersault in the air, for he had learned to do that while in the circus, when he jumped from a high place.

  “Snap! Snap!” called Bert again.

  But Snap landed lightly on his feet, and raced across the depot platform toward the dog he had seen.

  “Say, that’s a fine dog of yours!” cried the baggage man admiringly to Bert. “He must be a trick one.”

  “He is!” answered Bert. “But can I get him back again? Oh, I must get him!” and he looked about for some way to do this.

  “Don’t jump out, whatever you do!” warned the brakeman who had brought Bert to the baggage car. The man stood in front of the open door, out of which trunks were taken. But Bert had no idea of doing what Snap had done. Besides, the train was moving quite rapidly now.

  “Oh, how can I get my dog back?” Bert wanted to know.

  “You can telegraph back, from the next station we stop at, and have the agent there send him on, wherever you are going,” explained the baggage man.

  “Oh, but we’re going a long way,” Bert said. “I’m afraid Snap would be lost, traveling alone. Oh, what will Nan say!”

  Nan was as fond of Snap as was Bert himself, though perhaps the smaller twins, Flossie and Freddie cared more for Snoop, the black cat. But of course they loved Snap very much.

  Poor Bert did not know what to do. Just then his father came running into the car.

  “Did Snap get away?” cried Mr. Bobbsey. “Your mother saw a dog on the station platform that looked like him,” went on the lumber man to Bert. “Is Snap—”

  “He’s gone!” interrupted Bert. “He jumped out of the car just now, and—”

  “We must stop the train!” Mr. Bobbsey explained.

  “All right, I guess we can make up any time we lose,” the brakeman said. He reached up and pulled the cord that ran overhead in the car. There was a hissing of air, the locomotive whistle blew sharply, and the train came slowly to a stop. The brakeman had pulled an air whistle in the engine cab, and the engineer, hearing it, and knowing the train ought to stop, had turned off the steam.

  Mr. Bobbsey then went to the door of the baggage car, and, leaning out, whistled in a way Snap well knew. He could see the dog, back on the depot platform, “wagging tails” with another dog.

  “Here, Snap! Snap!” called Mr. Bobbsey, as the train slowly came to a stop. “Here Snap!”

  Bert leaned out beside his father, and also whistled and called. Then Snap knew he had done wrong to jump out, and back he came, racing as hard as he could.

  “I’ll open the end door of the car if you wish, so he can come up the steps,” offered the brakeman.

  “You don’t need to, thank you,” replied Mr. Bobbsey. “I guess Snap can jump up here, though it is pretty high.”

  By this time a number of persons from the train had either gotten out, or thrust their heads from the windows, to learn the reason for the sudden stop. But when they saw the dog they understood.

  “Up, Snap! Up!” called Mr. Bobbsey, as the children’s pet came leaping along beside the track. Snap gave one look up at the high sill of the baggage car door, and then, with a loud bark, he gave a great leap and landed right beside Bert.

  “Say, that dog’s a fine jumper!” cried several railroad men who had come up to see what the trouble was.

  “Yes, he is a pretty good dog, nearly always,” Mr. Bobbsey said, “but he made trouble for us today. Now, Snap, you’ll have to stay chained up the rest of the trip, until we get to Meadow Brook.”

  Snap would not like that, Bert knew, but nothing else c
ould be done. The train soon started off again, and when Bert and his father went back to the parlor car where the rest of the family were riding they told all that had happened.

  “Snoop is better than Snap,” said Freddie as he listened to the story.

  “Yes, indeed,” agreed his sister Flossie. “Snoop wouldn’t jump out of a train and make a lot of trouble.”

  “Well, he did run away, once,” declared Nan, who did not like to hear Snap talked about.

  “Besides, Snoop is fast in a box, and he wouldn’t get out if he wanted to,” added Bert, with a laugh.

  So the children talked about their pets, now and then looking out of the windows at the scenery, while Dinah dozed off in her chair, and Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey spoke of different matters.

  Bert heard something of what his father and mother were saying, and once he heard mentioned the name of Frank Kennedy.

  “That’s the boy who ran away from Mr. Mason, the lumber man,” said Bert to himself. “I wonder what became of him, and if we’ll ever see poor Frank again?”

  And he little thought how soon, and under what circumstances, he was to meet the unfortunate lad again.

  One of the porters, wearing a white cap, jacket and apron walked through the chair car about noon, calling out:

  “First call fo’ dinner in de dinin’ car! First call fo’ dinner!”

  “Do they eat on trains?” asked Flossie.

  “Yes, and at cute little tables,” said Nan.

  “Did we eat at them the last time we went to Meadow Brook?” Freddie wanted to know.

  “No, you were too little then,” said Mrs. Bobbsey, “and we brought our lunch with us. But this time we shall go to the diner.”

  “Oh, what fun!” cried Flossie.

  Mr. Bobbsey led the way for his family into the dining-coach. As Nan had said, there were cute little tables against the side of the car, and on each table was a little dish of ferns, and other green plants, making a pretty decoration.

  Dinah would not come. She said she would rather eat some chicken sandwiches she had in her bag, and Mr. Bobbsey let the dear old colored cook do as she pleased.

  The Bobbsey twins found it so strange to eat in a car, at a real table, while rushing along, that I think they did not eat as much as they would have done at home. But they enjoyed it just the same, though Freddie did splash some water from his finger bowl on the table cloth.