“I didn’t do anything!” declared Bert.  “I was swinging on a rope, over the haymow, and so was Nan.  And Flossie and Freddie were playing on the barn floor under the mow.  I fell on the hay and so did Nan, and a whole lot of it slid down and fell on top of Flossie and Freddie and—­and—­now they’re down under there, I guess!”

“Good land ob massy!” exclaimed Dinah.  “Dat suah is a lot to happen to mah poor l’il lambkins!  Where is you, Flossie?  Where is you, Freddie?” she cried.

There was no answer.

“Oh, Dinah! do get them out,” begged Nan.

“I will, honey!  I will!” exclaimed the colored woman.

“Shall I go to get Sam?” Nan wanted to know.  “Mother isn’t at home,” she added to Bert.  “She went over to Mrs. Black’s.  Oh, maybe we can’t ever get Flossie and Freddie out!”

“Hush yo’ talk laik dat!” cried Dinah.  “Co’se we git ’em out!  We kin do it.  No need to git Sam.  Come on now, Bert an’ Nan!  Dig as fast as yo’ kin make yo’ hands fly!”

Dinah bent over and began tossing aside the hay as Bert had been doing.  Nan also helped, and Snap—­well he meant to help, but he got in the way more than he did anything else, and Bert tried to send his dog out, but Snap would not go.

Faster and faster worked Dinah, Nan and Bert, and soon the big pile of hay, which had fallen on Flossie and Freddie grew smaller.  It was being stacked on another part of the floor.

“Maybe I’d better go and telephone to daddy!” suggested Nan, when the hay pile had been made much smaller.  “You don’t see anything of them yet, do you Dinah?” she asked anxiously.

“No, not yet, honey!  But I soon will.  We’s ’most to de bottom ob de heap.  No use worritin’ yo’ pa.  We’ll git Freddie and Flossie out all right!”

Bert was tossing aside the hay so fast that his arms seemed like the spokes of a wheel going around.  He felt that it was partly his fault that the hay had fallen on his little brother and sister.

“Now we’ll git ’em!” cried Dinah, after a bit.  “I see de barn flo’ in one place.  Come on out, chilluns!” she cried.  “Come on out, Flossie an’ Freddie!  We’s dug de hay offen yo’ now!  Come on out!”

Indeed the hay pile was now so small at the place where it had slid from the mow, that it would not have hidden Snap, to say nothing of covering the two Bobbsey twins.

But something seemed to be wrong.  There were no little fat legs or chubby arms sticking out.  The little Bobbsey twins were not in sight, though nearly all the hay had been moved aside.

Bert, Nan and Dinah gazed at the few wisps remaining.  Then, in a queer voice Nan said: 

“Why—­why!  They’re not there!”

CHAPTER II

THE WASHINGTON CHILDREN

There was no doubt of it.  Flossie and Freddie were not under the pile of hay that had fallen on them.  The hay had all been cast aside now, so far away from the place where it had fallen that it could not serve for a hiding place.  And Bert and Nan could see the bare floor of the barn.