Dinah Johnson was the Bobbsey’s cook.  She had been with them many years.  And Sam, her husband, worked around the house, carrying out ashes, cutting the grass, and such things as that.

Besides these, the Bobbsey family consisted of Snap, the big dog who once had been in a circus and could do tricks, and Snoop, the black cat.

These pets were taken along wherever the Bobbsey twins went on their Summer vacations.  For the Bobbseys used to spend each Summer either in the mountains or at the seashore.  The second book tells about the good time they had in the country while the third one tells of their adventures at the shore.

“The Bobbsey Twins at School,” is the name of the fourth book, and in that I had the pleasure of telling you the many good times they had there.  Later on they went to “Snow Lodge” and helped solve a mystery, while on the houseboat, Bluebird, where they spent one vacation, they found a “stowaway,” and, if you want to know what that is, I advise you to read the book.

“The Bobbsey Twins at Meadow Brook,” is the name of the book just before this present one.  On the farm of Uncle Daniel Bobbsey the twins had had a most glorious time, and they were on their way home in the train when the fresh air children got aboard, and Tommy Todd told the story about his lost father.  Then had come the sudden stop, and Bert had seen the men with guns outside the train.

“I tell you they are robbers, Nan,” Bert whispered to his sister.  “Look, one of ’em has a mask on his face.”

“That’s so,” agreed Nan.  “Oh, I wonder what it is!”

“Don’t be afraid!” exclaimed Bert.  “I guess they won’t come in this car.  Father won’t let them.”

By this time Flossie and Freddie had also seen the masked men with their guns standing along the track, and Freddie cried: 

“Oh, look!  It’s just like Hallowe’en.  They’ve got false faces on!”

Many in the car laughed at this.

CHAPTER III

SNAP AND SNOOP

The train on which the Bobbsey twins were coming back from the country had now been stopping for several minutes.  There was no sign of a station on either side of the track, as could be told by those who put their heads out of the opened windows.  And Mr. Bobbsey had not come back.

“I wonder if anything has happened,” remarked Mrs. Bobbsey.

“I’ll go and find out, Mother,” offered Bert, getting up from his seat.

“No, indeed, I can’t let you!” his mother answered.  “Your father would not like it.  He may be back any moment.”

“I don’t believe anything much has happened, ma’am,” said a man across the aisle from Mrs. Bobbsey.  “I can see some men up near the engine, but they are talking and laughing.”

“Then they aren’t robbers,” said Freddie to his older brother Bert, “’cause robbers wouldn’t laugh.”