The Bobbsey Twins at Home | Page 7

to his brother and sisters. "I knew
they were masked robbers."
"But only make-believe," went on Mr. Bobbsey, still smiling. "This is a
hold-up, or stopping of the train, and a pretend robbery for moving
pictures."
"Moving pictures!" cried Mrs. Bobbsey.
"Yes. There is a man up front, near the engine, with a moving picture
camera. With him are some men and women, actors and actresses,
dressed up--some like passengers, such as we are, and others like
robbers, with false faces on. They wanted the train to stop so they could
get a picture of that, for it would be a funny movie of a train robbery
without 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 all
right, for he knew it was going to be done. It was all arranged for ahead
of time. Now, if you like, you may come out and see them take moving
pictures."
"Well, who would have thought that!" cried Bert. "I was sure the men
with 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 you
remember 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
of the car.
"Yes, we acted a little," said Bert. "There was a make-believe battle
being taken near our uncle's farm. We went to watch. They fired
cannon and 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 so did Nan. And I fell in the brook and the man made a moving
picture of me doing 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 have
read the book before this one will remember how Freddie and the
others really did act before the camera.
"Say, I'd like to do that!" cried Tommy with shining eyes as he heard
what 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 box on 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
who took 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 children
were 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 and
actresses 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. "We
shall 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
who was looking from the window of his cab. "All aboard!"
"Come on!" cried Mr. Bobbsey, and he and the twins, as well as the
fresh air children, were soon in the car again, speeding on toward
Lakeport.
"That's the first time I ever saw moving pictures taken," said Tommy
Todd.
"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 very often.
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," said
Freddie. "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

ship to search for the lost sea