The Bobbsey Twins at the County Fair | Page 8

Bobbsey asked.
"Didn't you hear that thunder? I can't see the sky, on account of the
trees, but I'm afraid it's clouding over."
"No, the sun is shining," said the twins' mother.
"But I'm sure that is thunder," went on Mrs. Morris.
There was a rumbling sound down the road, and there seemed to be
some excitement there, for a number of children who had started
toward the ice cream pavilion turned back.
"I wonder what it is," mused Mrs. Bobbsey. "I hope no 'almost'
accidents are going to happen."
"I'll go see what it is," offered Bert.
He ran down the road, was gone a little while, and came back, his eyes
shining with eagerness.
"Oh, it's a big merry-go-round!" he cried.
"A merry-go-round?" repeated his mother, busy at the ice cream.
"Yes, a man has a big merry-go-round in pieces on three or four big
wagons," Bert reported. "Something's the matter with the engine--it
runs by a steam engine, and something's the matter!"
"Bert, go call your father," said Mrs. Bobbsey, for her husband had
gone to the far side of the grove to get another ice cream tub from the
truck on which they were brought to the picnic. "We don't want any
strange men setting up a merry-go-round here. Call your father!"

CHAPTER IV
A MISSING COAT
Mr. Bobbsey came hurrying over to the ice cream pavilion, with Bert
almost running beside him to keep up with his father.
"What's all this, Mother?" asked Mr. Bobbsey, who, with his coat off
and his sleeves rolled up, was working hard to help the ladies at the
Sunday school picnic. "What's all this about a merry-go-round coming
here?"
"I don't know that it is coming here," answered Mrs. Bobbsey, with a
smile. "But some sort of affair is thundering along the road. You can
see the crowd of children near it. A merry-go-round some one said. I
thought perhaps some men owning one of those traveling affairs had
heard about our picnic and had come here to set up a machine. We
don't want anything like that."
"No," agreed Mr. Bobbsey with a smile. "We don't. I'll go see about it,"
and off he went, followed by Bert. Nan, with Flossie and Freddie, had
already joined the group of children down near the road that extended
along one edge of the picnic grove.
As Bert and his father neared the place, a loud, hissing sound was heard
and a white cloud of steam shot into the air, while the little ones
screamed and scattered.
"What's that?" cried Bert.
"I hope those youngsters don't go too near!" murmured Mr. Bobbsey.
"The safety valve of his steam engine is blowing off. He's got too much
pressure on. It may be dangerous," and Mr. Bobbsey broke into a run,
which Bert imitated as well as he could with his shorter legs.
However, there was no great danger. As Mr. Bobbsey had said, the
safety valve of a steam engine, on one of the trucks which carried the
merry-go-round outfit, was blowing off, and a short, stout man, with a

very red face, and a lanky boy, wearing ragged clothes, were working
about the engine.
"Keep back, children! Keep back!" called Mr. Bobbsey, as he reached
the road. "This merry-go-round isn't going to be set up here. Keep back
out of danger!"
"That's what I wish they'd do, mister!" said the red-faced man in no
very friendly voice. "They're under foot, and some of 'em may get
stepped on. I've got trouble enough without a bunch of kids getting in
the way."
He did not speak very nicely of children, Bert thought, and Nan was
evidently of the same opinion from the way in which she looked at her
brother. Flossie and Freddie thought nothing of this. They were too
excited in looking at the merry-go-round outfit.
This fun-making machine was loaded on four large trucks, hauled by
four sturdy horses each. On one truck was an engine, with a fire in it
and smoke and steam coming from it. It was this that seemed to be
causing the trouble which the red-faced man and the lanky boy were
trying to make better.
Behind the engine truck, which was in the lead, were three other trucks,
and the drivers of the horses kept to their seats, not offering to help the
red-faced man.
The three trucks were piled high with the frame and roof of the
merry-go-round. There were posts, boards, long iron rods, greasy cog
wheels and all sorts of queer things. But what interested the children
most were the wooden animals that made up the more showy part of
the merry-go-round. There were horses, lions, tigers, camels, elephants,
zebras, an ostrich and a cow.
"Oh, I want to ride on the cow!"