"I'll shut it off. Something must be the matter with the spring," said Mr. Bobbsey. He walked toward Freddie's fire engine, which was pretty large, for a toy. But before he reached it, the water hose had swung around, and, instead of sprinkling Flossie, was aimed at Mr. Bobbsey. However he did not mind. Holding the newspaper in front of his face, Freddie's father reached the fire engine, and turned off the machinery that pumped the water.
"There!" he cried. "The fire's out! The only damage is from water," and he laughed, for he was wet, and so were Mrs. Bobbsey, Flossie and Freddie; and the kitchen itself was pretty well sprinkled.
"What's it all about?" asked Bert, for he and Nan, who had been studying their lessons, had heard the noise of the excitement, and had run to the kitchen to see what had caused it.
"Oh, Freddie turned in a false alarm," said Mr. Bobbsey. "How did you come to put water in your engine, when mamma has told you not to do so in the house?" he asked the little boy.
"Be—be—cause," said Freddie slowly, "I wanted to see if it would—work. I'm going to take it on the houseboat with me."
"Well, I guess it WORKED all right," Bert said, as he looked around at the wet kitchen. Luckily there was oil cloth on the floor, and the walls were painted, so the water really did no harm.
Dinah slowly opened the door of the dish-closet, and peered out.
"Am it all done, honey lamb?" she asked, looking at Freddie.
"Yes, Dinah! It's all done squirtin'," he said. "I guess there isn't any more water, anyhow."
"No," said Mr. Bobbsey, with a smile, as he looked in the tank of the engine, "it's all pumped out."