"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.