“Yes, I imagine he’ll follow this boy.  He’s a hard worker, Bob is, and Blipper won’t want to lose him.  I shouldn’t wonder but what he came on after Bob.”

“How will he know where to find him?” asked Bert, who heard what his father and mother said.

“Oh, he can make inquiries along the way.  But I’ll do what I can for Bob.”

Bert and Nan, with Flossie and Freddie, had good times at the country hotel.  Their rooms were on a long corridor, and the twins raced up and down this, playing tag and other games.  No one seemed to mind.

At supper Bob ate a good meal, but did not talk much.  And every time the dining room door opened he looked around quickly, as if fearing to see Mr. Blipper come in.

In the evening Mr. Bobbsey went down to the garage to see how the men were progressing with the repairs to his car, for they had promised to work all night.  Bert went with his father.

“I guess you’ll be able to go on in the morning, Mr. Bobbsey,” the garage man said.

“I hope so.  My youngsters are anxious to get to Meadow Brook, and from there go to the Bolton County Fair.”

“That’s quite a fair.  Lots of attractions I hear.  A merry-go-round, a balloon, airships, and auto races.  I’d go myself if I had time.”

As Bert and his father reached the hotel a little later they heard loud talking coming from the sitting room where they had left Mrs. Bobbsey and the children.  The voice of an angry man was saying: 

“Well, I tell you I’m going to have that boy back!  He ran away from me!  I’m his legally appointed guardian, and I want him back!  You come along with me, Bob Guess!”

Then Mrs. Bobbsey said firmly: 

“Mr. Blipper, you shall not take this boy away until my husband comes back.  Mr. Bobbsey wants to see you.  You can’t take Bob away like this.  I won’t let you.  If necessary I’ll call a policeman.  You must wait until my husband comes back!”

“I’m not going to wait!  I’m going to take that boy now!” cried the angry man, as Bert and his father hurried in.

CHAPTER IX

THE BIG SWING

Mr. Bobbsey and Bert now looked on a rather sad scene in the hotel sitting room.  On one side of the apartment stood Mr. Blipper, having hold of the coat collar of Bob Guess.  And Bob was crying again.

On the other side of the room stood Mrs. Bobbsey with Nan, Flossie, and Freddie close to her.  At one end of the room, looking in through the door, was the good-natured but easy-going proprietor of the hotel and some of the servants.

“What is going on here?” asked Mr. Bobbsey.

“I’m going away, if that’s what you mean!” snapped out Mr. Blipper in angry tones.  “I traced this runaway adopted son of mine here, and I’m taking him back with me.  This lady says I can’t!”

“I told him to wait until you came back,” said Mrs. Bobbsey.  “I didn’t want him to take poor Bob away.  I don’t believe he has any right to take him.”