The Bobbsey Twins on Blueberry Island | Page 2

only reason, is it?" asked Bert with a laugh. "Well,
just keep inside the boat until we get on shore, and then you can fall out
if you want to."
"How am I going to fall out when the boat's on shore?" asked Freddie.
"Boats can't go on land anyhow, Bert Bobbsey!"
"That will be something for you to think about, and then maybe you
won't lean over and scare Nan," said Bert, smiling.
"Do you want I should land you at your father's lumber dock, or shall I
row on down near the house, Bert?" asked a man who was pulling at
the oars of the boat. "It won't make any difference to me. I've got lots of
time."
"Then, Jack, row us down near the house, if you don't mind," begged
Nan. "I want to get these two fat twins ashore as soon as I can; Freddie
especially, if he's going to almost fall overboard when I'm not looking."
"I'm not going to fall overboard!" cried the little fat fellow. "Can't I row,
Jack?"
"Not now, Freddie. I'm in a hurry," answered the man, one of the
workers from Mr. Bobbsey's lumberyard.
"But you told Bert, just now, that you had lots of time," insisted
Freddie.

"Well--er--ahem--I haven't time to let you row, Freddie. Maybe I will
some other day," and Jack looked at Bert and smiled, while he said to
himself: "You've got to get up early in the morning to match a smart
chap like him," meaning Freddie, of course.
A short time before, the Bobbsey twins had returned from the city of
New York where they had spent a part of the winter. Now it was spring
and would soon be summer, and, as the day was a fine, warm one, they
had gone on a little picnic, taking their lunch with them and pretending
to camp on one of the many islands in the lake. Now they were on their
way home.
"Well, here you are, safe on shore!" announced Jack, as the twins called
Mr. Henderson, the man whom their father had sent with them to
manage the boat.
"Yes, and there goes Freddie--falling overboard!" cried Bert with a
laugh, as his little fat brother stumbled over a coil of rope on the dock
and tumbled down. "It's a good thing you didn't do that in the boat,
little fat fireman."
"I didn't hurt myself, anyhow," said Freddie, as he got up. "Come on,
Flossie, let's run home. I'm terrible hungry."
"So'm I," added his sister, who was as fat as he, and just the same size.
The two smaller Bobbsey twins started on ahead, while Bert, after
seeing that the boat was well tied, followed on more slowly with his
sister Nan.
"It was a nice ride we had," Nan said, "wasn't it, Bert?"
"Yes, it's great out on the lake. I wonder if we'll ever go camping as we
talked of when we were in New York?"
"Maybe. Let's tease mother to let us!"
"All right. You ask her and I'll ask father. There's one island in the lake
where----"

But Bert did not have a chance to finish what he was going to say, for
just then Flossie and Freddie, who had hurried on ahead, came running
back, surprise showing on their faces.
"Oh, Bert!" cried Freddie. "It's here! It's come!"
"Can we go to see it?" added Flossie. "Oh, I just want to!"
"What's here? What do you want to see? What is it?" asked Bert and
Nan together, taking turns at the questions.
"The circus is here!" answered Freddie.
"Circus?" asked Bert in surprise.
"Yep! We saw the wagons!" went on Flossie. "They're all red and
yellow, and they've got lookin' glasses all over the sides, and they have
rumbly wheels, like thunder, and horses with bells on and--and----"
"You'd better save a little of your breath to eat some of the good things
you think Dinah is going to cook for you," said Nan with a laugh, as
she put her arms around her small sister. "Now what is it all about?"
"It's a circus!" cried Freddie.
"We saw the wagons going along the street where our house is," added
Flossie. "All red and yellow and---- Oh, look!" she suddenly cried.
"There they are now!"
She pointed excitedly down the side street, on which the Bobbsey twins
then were, toward the main street of Lakeport, where the Bobbsey
family lived. Nan and Bert, as well as Flossie and Freddie, saw three or
four big wagons, gaily painted red and yellow, and with glittering
pieces of looking glass on their sides. The prancing horses drawing the
wagons had bells around their necks and a merry, tinkling jingle
sounded, making music wherever the horses went.
Bert and Nan gave one look