“I’m going to ask my father how much I got saved up,” he went on to Tommy.  “And how much it costs to buy a ship.  He’ll know for he sells lumber.  You wait here and I’ll ask him.”

Freddie slipped from the seat into the aisle of the car.  Flossie stayed to talk to Tommy.  Bert and Nan were looking at a magazine which Mrs. Bobbsey had bought for them, and she and her husband were still talking to the fresh air lady.  Scattered about the car, the fresh air children were talking and laughing, telling each other of the good times they had had in the country.  All of them were sorry to go back to the city again.

“Papa,” began Freddie, as he reached the seat where Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey sat, “how much money have I saved up?  And how much does a ship cost?  ’Cause Tommy Todd and I are going off to look for his father who is lost on a desert island, and we want to bring him home.  Does it take much money?”

Mr. Bobbsey looked at his little boy, wondering what he meant, and he was just going to answer him, and say it took much more money than Freddie had saved to buy a ship, when, all at once, the train came to such a sudden stop that Freddie was nearly thrown off his feet.  His father caught him just in time.

“Oh!” cried Mrs. Bobbsey.  “I hope there has been no accident!”

“If dey is I’se gwine t’ git out quick!” cried Dinah.  “Come on, chilluns.  I’se got de cat!” and she started to run for the door, carrying the basket holding Snoop.

“Be quiet,” said Mr. Bobbsey.  “Nothing much seems to have happened.  We didn’t hit anything, anyhow.”

Some of the fresh air children were excited, and the two ladies in charge hurried here and there quieting them.

Bert Bobbsey, who was with his sister Nan, looked out a window.

“Oh, see!” he cried.  “A lot of men with guns are standing along the track.  They stopped the train, I guess.  They must be robbers!  I’m going to hide my money!”

Several women heard Bert speak of robbers, and they screamed.

“Bert, don’t be foolish!” said Mr. Bobbsey.  “I dare say it isn’t anything.  I’ll go out and see what it means.”

“I’ll come with you,” said a man in the seat behind Mr. Bobbsey.  Several other passengers also left the train.  And while they are out seeking the cause of the sudden stop I’ll tell my new readers something about the Bobbsey twins, so that they may feel better acquainted with them.

Those of you who have read the other books in this series, beginning with the first, “The Bobbsey Twins,” know enough about the children already.  But others do not.

There were two sets of Bobbsey twins.  Bert and Nan were about ten years old.  Both were tall and slim, with dark hair and eyes.  Flossie and Freddie, who were about five years of age, were short and fat, and had light hair and blue eyes.

The Bobbseys lived in an Eastern city called Lakeport, near Lake Metoka, on the shore of which Mr. Bobbsey had a large lumber yard.  Once this had caught fire, and Freddie had thought he could put the blaze out with his little toy fire engine.  Ever since then Mr. Bobbsey had called the little chap “fireman.”