The Bobbsey Twins on a Houseboat | Page 5

Snap!" ordered Freddie, and Snap again stretched out.
Freddie walked slowly over toward the bicycle. Of course he was too
small to ride it in the regular way, with his feet on the pedals, for his
little legs were not long enough to reach them. But he could sit on the
seat, and Bert had taught him how to steer a little, so that though a
bicycle has only two wheels, and will tip over if it is not properly
guided, Freddie could manage to ride a little way on it without toppling
over, especially if some one put him on and gave him a push, or if he
was given a start down a little hill.
"I'm going to have a ride," thought Freddie. "I'll have a little ride, while
I'm waiting for Flossie."
Freddie had a velocipede of his own, but that had three wheels instead
of two. Freddie thought two wheels were much more fun than three.
"If I can get up on that bicycle, I'll have a nice ride," murmured Freddie.
He looked toward the house. Flossie was not in sight. She had not yet
found the straps.

Then Freddie looked toward Bert and Nan. They were still busy talking
about the houseboat. They paid no attention to Freddie.
The little twin chap looked around until he had found a small box. By
stepping on this he could get up on the seat of the bicycle, which was
leaning against the shed. Then Freddie could give himself a little push,
and away he would go. There was a little hill leading from where the
bicycle stood down to the gate, and into the road. The gate was open.
"Maybe I can even ride down the road a little way," thought Freddie to
himself. "That would be great."
It was rather hard work for Freddie to get up on the bicycle from the
box, but he managed it. Then he sat on the leather saddle, and took hold
of the handle bars. As I have told you, he knew how to steer, even
though he could not reach the pedals.
"Here I go!" cried Freddie softly, as he gave himself a little push. Down
the hill he went, along the path, straight for the yard gate.
"Oh! I'm going out in the road!" exclaimed Freddie, this time out loud,
for he was far enough away from Nan and Bert now.
And into the road he did go, on Bert's bicycle. The wheel was going
faster and faster, for Bert had just oiled it and it rode very smoothly.
"This is great!" Freddie cried. "Maybe I can ride all the way to the
bridge."
He looked down the road to where a little white bridge spanned a small
brook. And then, as Freddie looked, he saw something which made his
heart beat very fast indeed. For, coming right toward him, was a team
of horses, hitched to a big lumber wagon--it was one of Freddie's papa's
own lumber teams, as the little boy could see for himself.
On came the trotting team, pulling the heavily laden lumber wagon,
and, worst of all, there was no driver on the seat to guide the horses.
They were trotting away all by themselves, and Freddie was out in the

road, on the bicycle that was far too big for him,
"Oh dear!" cried Freddie.
Just then he heard Flossie scream. She had come out on the side porch,
and she saw the team coming toward her little brother.
"Nan! Bert!" screamed Flossie. "Look at Freddie!"
Nan and Bert jumped up and raced down the path.
"Freddie's in trouble again!" thought Bert.
It was not the first time Freddie had gotten into mischief. Though
usually he was a pretty good boy, he sometimes made trouble without
intending to.
I have told you there were two sets of Bobbsey twins, and those of you
who have read the first book of this series know what I mean by that.
The first book is called "The Bobbsey Twins," and in that I told you
how the Bobbsey family lived in an eastern city called Lakeport, at the
head of Lake Metoka. Mr. Bobbsey was a lumber merchant, and owned
a large sawmill, and a yard, near the lake, in which yard were piled
many stacks of lumber.
Nan and Bert were the older Bobbsey twins, being past nine, while
Flossie and Freddie were about "half-past-five." So you see that is how
there were two sets of twins. Nan was a tall, slender girl, with a dark
face and red cheeks. Her eyes were brown, and so were her curls. Bert,
too, was quite dark, like Nan.
Flossie and Freddie were very light, with blue eyes. They were short
and fat, instead of tall and thin. So