The Bobbsey Twins at Home, Page 3

  CHAPTER III

  SNAP AND SNOOP

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

  "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 wouldnot like it. He may be back any moment."

  "I don't believe anything much has happened, ma'am," said a man acrossthe aisle from Mrs. Bobbsey. "I can see some men up near the engine, butthey are talking and laughing."

  "Then they aren't robbers," said Freddie to his older brother Bert,"'cause robbers wouldn't laugh."

  "Well, if they're not train robbers why have they guns and false faceson?" asked Bert.

  "Maybe they're just making believe--same as when we have pretend-plays,"put in Flossie.

  "Do you pretend, and make believe?" asked Tommy Todd, of the two youngertwins.

  "Oh, yes, lots of times," Freddie said. "We have heaps of fun that way;don't you?"

  "Sometimes," answered Tommy in a low voice. "Sometimes I pretend I havegone off in a ship, and that I've found my father. I make believe thathe and I are sailing together. And oh! how I wish it would come true!"

  "Maybe it will--some day," said Flossie softly, as she patted Tommy'shand which was on the back of the seat in front of her.

  "I must go out and see what is keeping your father," said Mrs. Bobbseyat last. "Something must have happened. You children stay here withDinah. Nan and Bert, you look after Flossie and Freddie."

  But there was no need for Mrs. Bobbsey to leave the car for, just then,her husband came in. He was smiling, and that seemed to show thatnothing very serious was the matter.

  "What is it?" asked Bert.

  "Are the men playing a game?" Freddie demanded.

  "Is the train off the track?" asked one of the fresh air boys. "I hopesit is--that is, if nobody is hurt, 'cause then we won't have to go home,and maybe we can go back to the country."

  "No, the train isn't off the track," answered Mr. Bobbsey. "It's ahold-up by masked robbers."

  "There! What'd I tell you?" cried Bert to his brother and sisters. "I_knew_ they were masked robbers."

  "But only make-believe," went on Mr. Bobbsey, still smiling. "This is ahold-up, or stopping of the train, and a pretend robbery for movingpictures."

  "Moving pictures!" cried Mrs. Bobbsey.

  "Yes. There is a man up front, near the engine, with a moving picturecamera. With him are some men and women, actors and actresses, dressedup--some like passengers, such as we are, and others like robbers, withfalse faces on. They wanted the train to stop so they could get apicture of that, for it would be a funny movie of a train robberywithout a train to be seen."

  "And did they actually stop the train?" asked Mrs. Bobbsey.

  "Yes. They held up a red flag and the engineer stopped. But it was allright, for he knew it was going to be done. It was all arranged forahead of time. Now, if you like, you may come out and see them takemoving pictures."

  "Well, who would have thought that!" cried Bert. "I was sure the menwith masks on were robbers. And they're only taking a moving picture."

  "I'd like to see it in a theatre afterward," said Nan. "Don't youremember what fun it was when we were in the movies this Summer?"

  "Were you in them, really?" asked Tommy as he followed the twins out ofthe car.

  "Yes, we acted a little," said Bert. "There was a make-believe battlebeing taken near our uncle's farm. We went to watch. They fired cannonand guns, and had horses----"

  "And the men and horses were shot!" interrupted Freddie. "Only pretend,of course, but I was there and I was in the movies too. I acted and sodid Nan. And I fell in the brook and the man made a moving picture of medoing that!"

  "Did they really?" asked one of the fresh air ladies of Mrs. Bobbsey.

  "Yes, the children were in the moving pictures a little this Summer,"explained Freddie's mother. "It was all unexpected, but we did not mind,for it was all outdoors. It was fun for them." Those of you who haveread the book before this one will remember how Freddie and the othersreally did act before the camera.

  "Say, I'd like to do that!" cried Tommy with shining eyes as he heardwhat the Bobbseys had done. "It must have been great!"

  "It was fun," Freddie said.

  By this time they were out of the train, walking up toward the engine.About it were men and women, and the children saw a man with a black boxon three legs grinding away at a crank.

  "He's taking the moving pictures," said Bert.

  "Why--why!" exclaimed Flossie as she came closer. "It's the same man whotook our pictures at Meadow Brook!"

  "So it is," agreed Nan. "It's Mr. Weston."

  "Yes, he's the same one," said Mr. Bobbsey. "I told him you childrenwere on the train and he asked me to fetch you up to see him."

  When Mr. Weston had finished taking the pictures of the actors andactresses who had to pretend they were being robbed by the masked men,he spoke to the Bobbsey twins.

  "Don't you want to act for the movies again?" he asked, laughing.

  "Oh, yes!" cried Flossie and Freddie.

  "I'm afraid we haven't time now," said Mrs. Bobbsey with a smile. "Weshall get home late, as it is. When is the train going to start again?"

  "Pretty soon," answered Mr. Weston.

  A few more pictures were taken and then the engineer blew the whistle.The moving picture people got in a big automobile to ride away.

  "All aboard!" called the conductor, waving his hand to the engineer whowas looking from the window of his cab. "All aboard!"

  "Come on!" cried Mr. Bobbsey, and he and the twins, as well as the freshair children, were soon in the car again, speeding on toward Lakeport.

  "That's the first time I ever saw moving pictures taken," said TommyTodd.

  "We go to moving picture shows lots of times," said Flossie. "I like'em, 'specially when they have fairy plays."

  "I like 'em too," replied Tommy. "Only I don't get to see 'em veryoften. There aren't very many nickels lying loose around our house.Sometimes I only make five cents in a whole day."

  "Oh, I didn't find out how much money there was in my bank," saidFreddie. "I was just doing it when the train stopped. Wait a minute,Tommy, and I'll ask my father."

  Back once more the chubby little "fireman" went to where his father sat,and again he asked the question about the money, and about buying a shipto search for the lost sea captain.

  "What's all this?" asked Mr. Bobbsey in surprise. "Who is this TommyTodd?"

  "He's one of the fresh air boys," answered Freddie. "There he is in theseat ahead of Flossie."

  "He is one of our nicest boys," put in Miss Carter, the fresh air lady."I was so glad we could send him out to the farm. He lives with hisgrandmother on the outskirts of the city near the dumps, and, though thehome is a very poor one, Mrs. Todd keeps it very neat. She sews for aliving."

  "Tommy's father was lost at sea, and Tommy and I are going to rescue himfrom a desert island," cried Freddie eagerly. "How much money have I inmy bank, Daddy?"

  "Was his father really shipwrecked?" asked Mr. Bobbsey of Miss Carter.

  "I believe he was, yes. Before then Tommy and his grandmother livedwell. We help them all we can, but there are so many poor."

  "Tommy can run errands," put in Freddie. "He works for Mr. Fitch, ourgrocer, after school. He's strong, Tommy is. He gained two pounds in thecountry. Maybe you could hire him to run errands for you, Daddy, and payhim money."

  "He really is a very good boy," said Miss Carter. "If you could give himany work it would be a charity."

  "I'll see about it when we get home," said Mr. Bobbsey.

  "And you say the grandmother does sewing?" asked Mrs. Bobbsey. "I mustlook her up, and
perhaps I can give her work. We won't forget theTodds."

  "But can I help Tommy buy a ship and go to look on the desert island forhis father?" Freddie demanded.

  "I'll see about it," promised Mr. Bobbsey, with a smile.

  The train rumbled on. Some passengers got off, and others came on board.The fresh air children got drinks of water until there was none left inthe tank. Some of them crawled under the seats, and one little fat girlgot stuck, and a brakeman had to come in and raise the seat so shecould get out. Others raced up and down the aisles until the two ladiesin charge of them did not know what to do. Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey helpedas much as they could.

  "The children don't mean to be troublesome," said Miss Carter, "but theydon't very often have a chance to have real fun like this, and they makethe most of it. Thank goodness we'll soon be home."

  A little later the brakeman called:

  "Lakeport! Lakeport!"

  "Oh, here we are!" cried the Bobbsey twins.

  "Come!" shouted Flossie.

  "Hurry!" urged Freddie.

  "Don't forget Snoop, Dinah," said Nan.

  "I'll hurry up to the baggage car and get Snap," said Bert, for the doghad to ride there.

  "Can I help you carry any bundles?" asked Tommy Todd of Mrs. Bobbsey. "Iget out here, too."

  "Oh, yes, so you do. Well, you might carry that basket if it isn't tooheavy for you. But please be careful of it for it has flowers in it."

  "Yes'm, I'll be careful," and Tommy slipped the handle of the basketover his arm.

  The Bobbseys got out, as did some of the fresh air children, and otherpassengers. Fat Dinah carried the basket in which lay Snoop, the blackcat. She had awakened now, and was stretching out her claws.

  "I guess Snoop will be glad to get out," said Flossie, putting her fatlittle finger in the basket to rub her pet. Snoop purred her thanks.

  The baggageman loosed Snap's chain, and let him jump out of the baggagecar to Bert, who led him down the platform. There was another dog in thecar, and his master came for him, following Bert. And then somethinghappened.

  The other dog, who it appeared had been growling at Snap all the whilethe two were in the car, now made a rush to get at him. Perhaps he onlywanted to make friends, but it looked as though he wanted to bite. Snapdid not like this so he barked at the other dog. Then the other dogbecame frightened and ran away, pulling loose from his master.

  Straight toward Dinah, who was carrying Snoop in the basket, ran theother dog. His master called him to come back but he would not. ThenSnap, seeing his enemy run, naturally ran after him, pulling the chainout of Bert's hand.

  "Go 'way! Go 'way!" cried Dinah. But the strange dog ran right into her,upsetting her. Down she fell. The basket slipped from her arm, and thecover flew off, letting out Snoop. The black cat, seeing a strange dog,ran down the platform as fast as she could. So with Snap chasing theother dog, and with the Bobbsey twins yelling, and with men and boysshouting, there was so much excitement that Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey did notknow what to do.