"One side! One side if you please!"
It was the men coming up with ropes to tie the balloon down.
Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey tried to gather the children close to them, to get them out of the way of the men. But, in some manner, Flossie and Freddie turned to one side, and before they knew it they were separated from their friends. And then Flossie and Freddie found themselves pushed close up against the balloon basket.
"Oh, let's get in!" cried Freddie.
"We'll just sit down for a minute and then get out," agreed Flossie.
The crowd was so excited, trying to get out of the way of the men with the coils of rope, that no one noticed what the small Bobbsey twins did. And so Freddie and Flossie climbed into the balloon basket and snuggled down in the blankets.
"Quick now with those ropes!" cried the head man. "She's going to tear loose! Feel that wind!"
There came a heavy blow, causing the balloon to sway back and forth.
"Look out!" cried another voice. "There she goes!"
Almost as he spoke there was a further scramble on the part of the crowd, and the balloon tore loose from the holding ropes before the men had time to put on the new ones.