The Bobbsey Twins Megapack

by Laura Lee Hope

  “Oh, I don’t believe a word of it!” exclaimed Uncle Daniel, when he heard the tale. “Every time a circus comes to town there is a story of wild animals escaping, but I’ve never seen any yet. I don’t believe it at all!”

  But the children did, and later, when Uncle Daniel came back from a visit to the village store that evening, he had to admit that several persons had spoken to him about the wild beasts being loose.

  “Hadn’t you better see if your shot gun is loaded?” his wife asked him.

  “Well, I will, if it will make you feel any easier,” he agreed. “But there’s no danger of any of them coming near here, even if they have escaped, which I don’t believe.”

  The children were rather frightened that night, and would not go far from the porch to play in the moonlight, which they usually did before going to bed.

  Of course Bert and Harry were not as frightened as were Flossie and Freddie, but they looked nervously over their shoulders at the dark places under the bushes as they passed them.

  Freddie, true to his promise, got out his toy fire engine, and filled the tank with water, winding up the spring that worked the pump and sent out the stream from the little rubber hose.

  “Now I’m ready for a lion or a tiger or a bear,” he said.

  “Well, don’t dream of them,” said his mother. “Now it’s time for bed.”

  Whether the talk of the circus animals had made Freddie nervous, or whether he did dream of them, he could not clearly tell afterward. All he knew was that he did not sleep well, and, some time after going to bed he awakened with a start.

  There was no light in his room, but the moon shone in. He could look across to where Flossie was asleep in her crib.

  Then Freddie heard a noise. It came from outside and sounded like: “Wuff!”

  “Oh! Oh!” whispered Freddie to himself. “That’s him! That’s one of the wild animals! It’s a bear! That’s how bears go—‘wuff!’ Oh, it’s come, and what shall I do!”

  He sat up in bed listening. He heard the noise again!

  “Wuff! Wuff!”

  Then Freddie decided he must be brave. Without waking Flossie, the little fellow slid from bed, and crossed to the window. The bear, if such it was, could not be in his room. He was sure of that, for the place was made bright by the moonlight that streamed in the window.

  Over to this window Freddie went. He looked out, and as he did so, he saw something shaggy and black walk under the lilac bush in front of the house.

  “There he is!” whispered Freddie to himself. Then in his shrill childish voice he called loud:

  “Mamma! Bert! Nan! It’s come! The bear! He’s out in front under the bush! Oh! Oh! Oh!”

  CHAPTER XIX

  In Swimming

  Freddie’s cries roused the whole house at Meadow Brook, for the little Bobbsey boy had a strong, ringing voice.

  His mother was suddenly awakened from her sleep in the next room. Aunt Sarah and Uncle Daniel heard him in their apartment. Nan, Bert and Harry also heard him.

  “Oh, Freddie!” cried Flossie, who slept in the same room with her little brother. “What is it? What is it, Freddie?” and she sat up in her crib.

  “It’s a bear—out in front—under a bush. The circus bear!” answered Freddie. “I didn’t see the lion or tiger, but they must be out there too, unless the bear ate them up!”

  “Oh! Oh!” cried Flossie. “Oh, dear!”

  “Mamma! Nan! Bert!” cried Nan. “Come, oh, come here! Dinah!”

  “I’se comin’, honey lamb! I’se comin’!” cried the colored cook, as she heard Freddie’s wild cry. “What am de mattah, honey lamb?”

  Others were asking this question now.

  “What’s it all about?” called Bert.

  “A bear!” answered Freddie.

  “Lions and tigers,” added Flossie, half sobbing.

  “Gracious! Freddie’s been dreaming, or else he’s talking in his sleep,” said Bert to Harry, who was also awakened by the shouts of the little boy.

  By this time Mrs. Bobbsey was up, and had put on a dressing gown and slippers. She hurried out into the hall, to meet Aunt Sarah.

  “Oh, something dreadful must have happened,” said Freddie’s mother. But when she went in his room, she found him and Flossie safe, with the little boy standing in the moonlight, near the open window.

  “What is it, little man?” asked Aunt Sarah.

  “Hush! Not so loud!” cautioned Flossie. “It’s bears and lions and tigers. Freddie saw ’em!” She was not so frightened now.

  “I did not see ’em!” cried Freddie. “I only saw a bear!”

  “Oh, yes, the bear ate the lion and tiger,” went on Flossie, “and if Snap or Snoop would only eat the bear now, it would be all right.”

  “What does it all mean?” asked Mrs. Bobbsey. “Did you really see something, Freddie, or were you dreaming?”

  “I did see something, mamma, and it went: ‘Wuff! Wuff!’” Freddie explained. “Then it went and hid under the lilac bush. I’ll show you,” and, taking his mother’s hand, he led her to the window, out of which he pointed.

  Now Nan, Bert and Harry came into the small twins’ room.

  “What is it?” they asked.

  By turns Flossie and Freddie told their story, Freddie doing the “Wuff! Wuff!” part very earnestly, until Flossie begged him to stop, as he “skeered” her.

  Dinah, too, came waddling into the room, bringing a candle which dripped grease down on her bare feet. The grease was hot, and as Dinah felt it, she gave a yell which was almost as startling as was Freddie’s.

  “Oh, what is it?” cried Mrs. Bobbsey.

  “Candle grease done splashed on mah toe, an’ burnt me,” Dinah explained, as she stood on one foot, and held the other on top of it to ease the pain.

  “There it is! There it is!” suddenly cried Freddie. “There’s the bear!” and he leaned so far out of the window that Bert had to catch his little brother by his night gown to save him from a possible fall.

  Mrs. Bobbsey and Aunt Sarah looked out, and saw a big black object come into the moonlight.

  “Oh, it is a bear!” declared Mrs. Bobbsey.

  “It does look like some strange beast,” agreed Aunt Sarah.

  “I wish Mr. Bobbsey were here,” said the lumber merchant’s wife.

  “Uncle Daniel will fix him!” declared Freddie. “Uncle Daniel’s got a gun. Mamma, can’t I take my fire engine and squirt water on that bear?”

  “No, indeed!” answered Mrs. Bobbsey. “Get back to bed right away.”

  “Dan, you’d better see what it is,” said Aunt

  Sarah, as her husband, half dressed, was heard out in the hall. “There is some animal under the lilac bush.”

  “I’ll soon have him out of that,” said the farmer. He had his gun with him, and while the children watched from the window, they saw him step out of the kitchen door.

  “Oh, he’s going to shoot!” cried Freddie in a shrill whisper, as he watched his uncle.

  “I don’t want to hear him!” murmured Flossie, as she got into her crib, and pulled the bed clothes over her ears.

  But Bert, Nan and the others watched. Then, just as Uncle Daniel raised the gun, to shoot at something black which he saw beneath the lilac bush, an animal rushed out, and gave a howl.

  Hardly had that died away than there sounded a loud:

  “Bow! Wow! Wow!” This was repeated several times.

  “Oh, it’s only a dog!” cried Bert.

  “Is it Snap?” Freddie wanted to know.

  “No, it’s a big black stray dog,” answered Bert.

  “No wonder Freddie thought it was a bear,” said Mrs. Bobbsey. “Now it’s all over, go back to bed, and sleep in peace.”

  And it was only a dog that had caused all the excitement. The animal ran out into the moonlight, stood a moment looking at Uncle Daniel with the gun, and then gave more barks.

  It was as if he said he did not like to be chased away in that fashion.r />
  “Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t shoot him,” said Uncle Daniel as he came back into the house.

  “Whose dog was it?” asked his wife.

  “Snook’s big black one. He was hunting for a bone, I guess, and he must have sniffed and snuffed when the dirt got up his nose. That woke Freddie. It was only a dog.”

  “Only a dog!” murmured Freddie. “I thought it was a bear!”

  “Well, I’m glad it wasn’t, or a tiger or lion, either,” said Flossie, as she curled up in her cot.

  Soon the house was quiet again, and everyone went to sleep. In the morning Freddie and Flossie went out to look at the place under the lilac bush where the dog had been seen. They found a hole where he had been digging up a bone he had hidden there.

  And, a little later that day, the dog himself came over, to make friends with Snap. He let Freddie pat him.

  “He isn’t half as big as he looked in the night,” said the little fellow.

  “No, daylight often makes many things seem smaller—even troubles, that look very big at night,” said Mrs. Bobbsey, with a smile.

  “But maybe we’ll see some wild animals that got away from the circus,” hopefully said Freddie at dinner.

  “No, you won’t!” exclaimed his uncle with a laugh.

  “Why not?” asked Bert.

  “Because none got away,” was the answer. “I met one of the circus men in the village this morning. He stayed behind to settle up some bills, and he said not a single animal got away. It was all a false alarm; no truth in it.”

  “Well, I’m glad of it!” declared Mrs. Bobbsey, and I think everyone felt better on hearing that news.

  Mr. Bobbsey came back to Meadow Brook the next day, and heard all about the wild animal scare, and also about Freddie being lost at the circus, and Frank Kennedy finding him.

  “And Mr. Mason is looking for Frank at the circus, wherever the show is now,” said Bert.

  “Yes, so I heard,” remarked Mr. Bobbsey. “Well, I hope he treats the poor boy kindly if he takes him back.”

  It was a hot, quiet summer afternoon, a few days later, that Bert and Harry, with Tom Mason, sat under the trees in front of the farmhouse. Mrs. Bobbsey and Aunt Sarah had gone calling, Flossie and Freddie were asleep in the house, and Nan had gone over to see Mabel Herold.

  “What can we do?” asked Bert, stretching his arms.

  “I don’t want to do much except keep cool,” spoke Harry.

  “That’s what I say!” exclaimed Tom. “And I know a good way to get that way, too.”

  “What way?” asked Bert, closing his eyes.

  “Cool. Let’s go swimming. It’s just right for that!”

  “All right!” agreed Harry.

  “Fine!” cried Bert. “Let’s do it.”

  A little later they were on their way to the old swimming hole, near the willow tree that grew on the edge of the brook, or little river.

  CHAPTER XX

  Frank Comes Back

  “Watch me dive in!”

  “I can swim under water!”

  “Let’s see who can first swim across to the other side of the big hole!”

  Bert Bobbsey, his cousin Harry, Tom Mason and some other boys were standing on the bank of the little brook, or river, as it was sometimes called, all ready for a cool bath that hot summer day. The water of the “old swimming hole,” as it was called, was not deep enough to be dangerous, and Mrs. Bobbsey was not afraid to have Bert go there without his father. Bert’s father had taught him to swim.

  “All ready now?” asked Harry, as the boys stood in line on the edge of the little pool, waiting for the dive.

  “All ready!” answered Bert.

  “Then go!” cried the farm-boy.

  Into the water they splashed, head first, disappearing under the waves. Up they bounced again, like corks, and then they began swimming for the other side.

  “A race! A race!” cried Bert, shaking his head to get the water out of his eyes and nose. He had held his mouth tightly shut when diving, so no water had been able to get between his lips.

  “I’ll race you!” exclaimed Tom Mason, and soon the boys were swimming as hard as they could toward the other bank. Some of them could not swim very well, but they paddled, or swam “dog-fashion.”

  “Tom’s going to win!” cried one of the boys who could not swim fast. He was now standing up in the water, looking at the three boys in the lead.

  “No, I think Bert will get to the other side first!” said another boy, who stood on the bank, not yet having dived in.

  “You’re all wrong, Harry will beat!” exclaimed a third boy, and so it proved. Harry soon passed Bert and Tom, and reached the farther bank first. Then Tom came next, while poor Bert was last.

  “Too bad you couldn’t win,” said Harry kindly.

  “Oh, you two are better swimmers than I am,” said Bert. “I don’t mind being beaten that way. I guess I need more practice.”

  “That’s it,” his cousin said. “I have had more chances to swim than you do, so of course I ought to be better.”

  “You can beat me, and I swim as much as you do,” said Tom, who had lived in the country all his life, and near the little river. “I used to beat Harry every time,” said Tom to Bert, “but now he goes ahead of me.”

  “Well, maybe you’ll beat him next time,” remarked Bert, with a laugh.

  After the little race the boys swam about as they pleased, now jumping in, or diving head first from the bank near the deeper part of the pool, sometimes swimming under water, and then jumping out to lie in the warm sand, or on the green grass.

  “Oh, this is great fun!” exclaimed Bert, as he sat on the edge of the bank, swinging his bare feet to and fro. “I’m glad we came!”

  “Look out!” suddenly called Tom, but he spoke too late. Just then Harry slipped quietly up behind Bert and pushed him into the water.

  “Whoop!” yelled Bert, as he splashed in. He went under, but soon came up again, and, swimming to shore, crawled out.

  “You wait until I get hold of you!” he cried laughingly to Harry. “I’ll toss you in! Just wait!”

  “You’ve got to get me first!” replied Harry, keeping out of Bert’s way. Bert raced after Harry but did not catch him. However, Bert waited his chance and a little later, when he saw Harry sitting on the edge of the hole, talking to one of the other boys, Bert stole softly up behind his cousin, and pushed him into the water.

  “Wow!” cried Harry as he splashed in.

  “Now we’re even,” Bert said with a laugh.

  After this the boys played some games in the water, swimming about, “ducking” one another, and having lots of fun.

  “Well, I guess it’s about time we started for home,” said Harry, after a bit, as he noticed the sun, like a ball of fire, sinking to rest in the western sky. “I’ll have to go after the cows soon.”

  “I’ll go with you,” offered Bert, as the boys came out of the water, and began to dress.

  They were almost ready to start back home when Bert noticed a boy walking along the path that extended on one side of the river.

  At first Bert did not pay much attention to the boy, after giving him one glance, but as the strange lad came nearer Bert looked at him more closely.

  “I wonder where I’ve seen that boy before?” he said aloud.

  “What boy?”

  “Over there,” replied Bert, pointing.

  Harry gave one look, and exclaimed:

  “Why, don’t you remember? That’s the boy who found Freddie when he was lost at the circus!”

  “Oh, so it is!” exclaimed Bert. “But what is he doing here? Why isn’t he with the show?”

  “I don’t know,” answered Harry, who was trying to untangle a hard knot in his shoe lace. “Better ask him.”

  “I will, if he comes near enough,” decided Bert, as he finished dressing. Then he “ruffled” up his hair, so it would dry more quickly.

  By this time they had on their clothes,
and the other boy had noticed the lads who had just finished swimming. He gave them one look, and then turned hurriedly away, as if he did not want them to see him.

  “Hold on wait a minute—Frank!” called Bert.

  The boy stopped as he heard his name mentioned.

  “Who wants me?” he asked.

  “I do—Bert Bobbsey,” was the answer. “You know me. You found my little brother Freddie, when he was lost at the circus. Don’t you remember?”

  “Oh—yes,” was the answer.

  The boy walked slowly forward, and as he came nearer Bert could see that he looked tired and hungry.

  “What’s the matter?” Harry asked. “Why aren’t you with the circus any more? Did you lose your place?”

  “Well, no, not exactly,” replied Frank, “but the side show I worked for busted up—I mean it failed, and I was out of a place. There was nothing else for me to do in the circus, so I had to leave it. I haven’t any work now, and I don’t know what to do.”

  “That’s too bad,” said Bert kindly. “What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know,” and Frank’s voice was sad.

  “Are you going back to the lumber office?” asked Harry, for he had heard his cousin tell how Frank had run away from his guardian, Mr. Mason, who punished the boy for taking in a Confederate twenty dollar bill, that was worthless.

  “No, I’ll never go back there!” exclaimed Frank, with flashing eyes.

  “Mr. Mason was looking for you, the day after the circus showed in Rosedale,” said Bert. “Did he see you?”

  “No, he didn’t, and I don’t want to see him,” Frank said. “After I lost my place in the side show, where I took in tickets at the tent entrance, I started to tramp, and look for work. But I haven’t found any yet. So I thought I’d come back to Meadow Brook. I heard there were some farms around here, and I thought maybe I could get work on one of them. If I can’t—I don’t know what to do,” and it sounded as if Frank was trying to keep from crying.

  CHAPTER XXI

  Bad Money

  Bert, Harry and their chums hardly knew what to do. They felt sorry for Frank, and wanted to help him, but they did not know just how to go about it.

  “Do you know how to work on a farm?” asked Harry.

  “Well, no, not exactly,” replied Frank. “But I know something about the lumber business, and I guess I could chop wood. They have to do that on farms, don’t they?” he asked, and he was smiling a little now.