CHAPTER III
THE RUNAWAY BOY
It was a pleasant trip for Freddie and Bert to ride with their father in the automobile along the shady shores of the lake. The little twin, and the bigger one, sat back on the cushions, now and then bouncing up and down as the machine went over a rough place in the road.
Freddie, being lighter than Bert, bounced up and down oftener, but then he was so fat, almost "like a lump of butter," as his mother used to say, that he did not much mind it.
"I wish we could take this machine to Meadow Brook Farm with us," said
Bert, as they neared the lumber yard of Mr. Mason, with whom Mr.
Bobbsey had business that day.
"We can ride in one of Uncle Daniel's carriages," said Freddie. "Or maybe I can ride horse-back. That would be fun!" he cried, his bright eyes sparkling.
"It's fun—if you don't fall off," Bert said.
As the automobile passed around a curve in the road, where the lake could be seen stretching out its sparkling waters in the bright sun, Bert suddenly uttered a cry, and pointed ahead.
"Look!" he exclaimed. "There are two little girls drifting out in that boat, and they don't seem to know how to row to shore."
Mr. Bobbsey steered the machine down to the edge of the lake, over the grass at one side of the road. As he did so he and the two boys heard voices faintly calling: