Hardly had he spoken than the wind howled louder than ever, and to the ears of the Bobbsey twins came the sound of a great crash. It was the noise of breaking wood and shattered glass.
“What’s that?” cried Nan.
CHAPTER XVII
BERT FALLS OFF
Bert Bobbsey did not know what had caused that crashing sound any more than did Nan. For a few moments he was frightened, as was his sister. Certainly that crash was enough to scare any one, coming as it did in the midst of the storm. And when you take four children, none of them very old, and put them in a house all alone, except for Aunt Sallie Pry, ill in bed, there is some reason for them to be afraid.
“Oh, what was it?” cried Nan again. “There it goes some more!” she went on, as the banging, crashing sound repeated itself. “What is it, Bert?”
“I don’t know,” he answered. “But I’ll soon find out.”
By this time Flossie and Freddie had been awakened. They, too, heard the terrifying noise and the banging which jarred the house.
“Maybe that’s Santa Claus coming down the chimney,” suggested Flossie.
“It’s too early for Santa Claus,” called Freddie as he quickly began to dress. “But maybe it’s an airship, Bert, and it banged into our chimney. It sounds like a chimney, doesn’t it?”