The Bobbsey Twins at School | Page 6

her, he asked:
"Would you like a drink of water? I can bring it to you if you would."
"Thank you," she answered. "What a kind little boy you are! I saw you
give your sister a drink first, too. Yes, I would like a drink. I've been
wanting one some time, but I didn't dare get up to go after it."
"I'll get it!" cried Freddie, eager to show what a little man he was. He

made his way to the cooler without accident, and then, moving slowly,
taking hold of the seat on the way back, so as not to spill the water, he
brought the silver cup brimful to the fat lady.
"Oh, what a beautiful cup," she said, as she took it.
"And it cost a lot of money, too," said Flossie. "It's ours - our birthday
cup, and when I grow up I'm going to have a bracelet made from my
half."
"That will be nice," said the fat lady, as she prepared to drink.
But she never got more than a sip of the water Freddie had so kindly
brought her, for, no sooner did her lips touch the cup than there was a
grinding, shrieking sound, a jar to the railway coach, and the train came
to such a sudden stop that many passengers were thrown from their
seats.
Flossie and Freddie sat down suddenly in the aisle, but they were so fat
that they did not mind it in the least. As surprised as he was, Freddie
noticed that the fat lady was so large that she could not be thrown out
of her seat, no matter how suddenly the train stopped. The little
Bobbsey boy saw the water from the cup spill all over the fat lady, and
she held the silver vessel in her big, pudgy hand, looking curiously at it,
as though wondering what had so quickly become of the water.
"It's a wreck - the train's off the track!" a man exclaimed.
"We've hit something!" cried another.
"It's an accident, anyhow," said still a third, and then every one seemed
to be talking at once.
Mr. Bobbsey came running down the aisle to where Flossie and Freddie
still sat, dazed.
"Are you hurt?" he cried, picking them both up together, which was
rather hard to do.

"No - no," said Freddie slowly.
"Oh, papa, what is it?" asked Flossie, wondering whether she was
going to cry.
"I don't know, my dear. Nothing serious, I guess. The engineer must
have put the brakes on too quickly. I'll look out and see."
Knowing that his children were safe, Mr. Bobbsey put them down and
led them back to where his wife was anxiously waiting.
"They're all right," he called. "No one seems to be hurt."
Bert Bobbsey looked out of the window. Though darkness had fallen
there seemed to be many lights up ahead of the stopped train. And in
the light Bert could see some camels, an elephant or two, a number of
horses, and cages containing lions and tigers strung out along the track.
"Why - why, what's this - a circus?" he asked. "Look, Nan! See those
monkeys!"
"Why, it is a circus - and the train must have been wrecked!" exclaimed
his sister. "Oh mamma, what can it be?"
A brakeman came into the car where the Bobbseys were.
"There's no danger," he said. "Please keep your seats. A circus train
that was running ahead of us got off the track, and some of the animals
are loose. Our train nearly ran into an elephant, and that's why the
engineer had to stop so suddenly. We will go on I soon."
"A circus, eh?" said Mr. Bobbsey. "Well, well! This is an adventure,
children. We've run into a circus train! Let's watch them catch the
animals."
CHAPTER II
SNOOP IS GONE

"PAPA, do you think a tiger would come in here?" asked Freddie,
remembering all the stories of wild animals he had heard in his four
years.
"Or a lion?" asked Flossie.
"Of course not!" exclaimed Nan. "Can't you see that all the wild
animals are still in their cages?"
"Maybe some of 'em are loose," suggested Freddie, and he almost
hoped so, as long as his father was there to protect him.
"I guess the circus men can look after them," said Bert. "May I get off,
father, and look around?"
"I'd rather you wouldn't, son. You can't tell what may happen."
"Oh, look at that man after the monkey!" cried Nan.
"Yes, and the monkey's gone up on top of the tiger's cage," added Bert.
"Say, this is as good as a circus, anyhow!"
Some of the big, flaring lights, used in the tents at night, had been set
going so the circus and railroad men could