“The latest style for ghosts!” Charlie gasped.
When the Bobbseys reached home, they ran to tell their mother about the latest “spooky” adventure in the Marden house, and also their failure to find the cameo and the obsidional coins.
“Perhaps you’d better give up the search,” Mrs. Bobbsey advised. “Mrs. Marden may not have hidden the things in that house at all!”
“But Mother, we have to find them!” Flossie said seriously.
At that moment the telephone rang. Nellie was calling Nan. “Mother and I would like to have you and Flossie come over to supper this evening,” she said. “Daddy is bringing home a surprise which he says you will like too!”
Nan ran to ask Mrs. Bobbsey, then came back to the phone. “We’ll be over in half an hour,” she reported. “Thanks a million.”
When she and Flossie reached the Parks home Nellie was waiting on the front porch. “Daddy hasn’t come yet,” she announced. “I can hardly wait to see what the surprise is!”
At that moment a car drove up to the curb and Mr. Parks got out. A cloth-covered package dangled from his finger. The girls ran down the walk to meet him.
“It looks like a bird cage!” Nan exclaimed.
“You’re right.” Mr. Parks grinned as he set the cage on a porch table and removed the covering.
Inside the cage was a bird a little larger than a thrush. It had brown plumage, a black-and-white head, and spots of white on its wings and tail.
“Hello there!” a harsh voice said.
“Why, it talks!” Flossie exclaimed in astonishment.
“What kind of bird is it, Daddy?” Nellie asked.
“He’s a myna bird,” Mr. Parks explained. “A friend of mine brought him from India, and his name is Rajah.”
“Hello, Rajah,” Nan said, sticking her finger into the cage.
The bird hopped up onto his perch and sat there swinging for a minute. Then he cocked his head and in the same hoarse voice declared, “Rajah eat! Rajah eat!”
“He’s hungry!” Nellie exclaimed. “What does he eat?”
Mr. Parks explained that the bird was what is known as soft-billed. “Instead of seeds he eats fruit.”
Nellie ran into the house and in a few minutes returned with her mother. Mrs. Parks carried a purple plum and several strawberries on a plate.
She greeted her husband, then poked one of the berries between the wires of the cage. Rajah hopped down from the perch and began to peck at the strawberry.
He stopped for a moment to say, “Hello there I Rajah eat!”
Flossie giggled. “He isn’t very polite. He didn’t thank you!”
Rajah must have heard her because he stopped eating and hopped over to the side of the cage. “Much obliged! Much obliged!” he croaked.
Mr. Parks threw back his head and laughed. “At least, Rajah learns quickly,” he remarked.
After the myna bird had eaten two berries and half of the plum Mrs. Parks picked up the cage.
“I think we should take Rajah inside,” she said. “Myna birds come from warm climates, and we wouldn’t want him to catch cold.”
While the girls were playing with Rajah, Freddie, lonesome, wandered about the Bobbsey house not knowing what to do with himself. Suddenly he had an idea.
“Bert,” he called, running out to the porch, “let’s go camping tonight!”
Bert put down the book he was reading and looked out the window. It was warm and sunny. “That’s a good thought,” he agreed. “We could pitch a tent down by the lake.”
When Mr. Bobbsey came home the proposal was put to him. “I don’t see why you shouldn’t camp out as long as your mother has no objection,” he said. “Why not ask Charlie to go with you?”
Charlie accepted immediately, and in a few minutes he appeared with his sleeping bag.
Freddie met him. “Dinah’s going to give us our supper to cook!” he said excitedly.
The Bobbseys loved to go camping. Each one had his own sleeping bag, and they owned several tents. From the third floor storage room Bert brought down a pup tent and sleeping bags for Freddie and himself.
Dinah added to the pile of equipment a package of frankfurters, a can of baked beans, a loaf of bread, a box of cookies, and a large thermos of milk.
When Mr. Bobbsey saw the array he laughed. “If you’re going to camp on the lake shore near the lumberyard,” he said, “Sam can drive you. He has to make a special delivery of some lumber in Dalton and can drop you on his way.”
Sam Johnson was tall and thin, and when he laughed he showed gleaming white teeth. He was very fond of the twins and often helped them with their projects.
Now he rubbed his head and grinned. “Looks like a powerful lot o’ gear for one night,” he teased. “But let’s get goin’!”
The boys carried their equipment out to the big truck. Then they all piled into the cab with Sam. He let them out on the shore of Lake Metoka and drove off.
“The first thing to do is set up the tent,” Bert said as the boys carried their supplies to a little clearing among the trees.
“We ought to find level ground,” Charlie reminded the others.
They looked around, and then Freddie ran to a spot near the water. “Here’s a good place,” he called.
The two older boys carried the tent over. They drove the two poles into the sandy ground and stretched the tent over the connecting rope. Freddie helped pound the pegs into the earth. Then they tied the tent ropes to the pegs and stood back to admire their work.
“That looks keen!” Freddie announced.
“The next thing is to build a fire so we can cook our supper,” Bert said, starting to pick up pieces of driftwood from the beach.
Freddie and Charlie helped, and in a few minutes they had a small pile of wood. Next they found some stones which they put around the wood. Charlie crumpled up a paper bag which had held the thermos, stuffed it down among the twigs, and put a match to it. In a few seconds a nice fire was burning.
“I’ll get the sticks for the hot dogs,” Bert volunteered, “and sharpen them.”
Charlie busied himself opening the can of beans. He dumped them into a saucepan which Dinah had provided. Then the boys stuck the frankfurters onto the ends of the sticks and held them over the fire.
Soon the aroma of cooking meat filled the air. “Umm! This smells good!” Freddie said, waving his stick around above the fire.
Zzzz! The piece of meat slipped from the stick and fell into the fire.
“It sure does smell good!” Bert teased, laughing at his little brother’s dismay. “Here, hold mine, and I’ll fix another one on your stick.”
When the frankfurters were sizzling and brown, Bert reached for the loaf of bread.
“Wait,” Charlie called. “I’ll show you how to make toast!”
He picked up three sticks and slit the ends with his pocketknife. Pulling the ends apart he stuck a slice of bread between them. “See! A toasting fork!” he explained.
The boys toasted their bread and put the frankfurters between the slices. Then they sat down around the fire and ate hungrily.
“This is really great!” Charlie announced as he helped himself to more beans.
By the time the boys had cleared up the remains of their meal, it was dark and they were sleepy. They crawled into their sleeping bags and soon all was quiet inside the tent.
Some time later Freddie awakened. There was a rustling noise outside. It sounded as if a person was dragging something along the ground. Cautiously Freddie raised his head and peered out the end of the tent. All he could see were two balls of white fire staring at him!
“Bert!” he whispered. “Wake up!” He pulled at his brother’s sleeping bag.
“Wh-what is it?” Bert murmured sleepily. He sat up.
Freddie pointed to the eyes, motionless at the tent entrance. Bert picked up his flashlight which he had placed near by and shone it into the darkness. The light fell directly on a little animal with brownish gray f
ur. It looked like a tiny bear with a black mask.
“A raccoon!” Bert exclaimed.
The intruder was motionless for another moment. Then as they watched, it scurried away into the darkness.
“Raccoons are supposed to be very curious,” Bert explained. “This one was probably examining our campfire to see if there was anything left to eat”
Freddie snuggled down into his sleeping bag, and he and Bert were soon fast asleep again. Charlie had slept through all the excitement.
It seemed to Bert that he had been asleep only a minute when he was awakened again. This time the tent was shaking from a strong wind and he could hear the pounding of waves on the lake shore.
“Freddie! Charlie!” he called out. “It sounds as if we’re going to have a hurricane!”
The other boys sat up quickly. Above the sound of the waves they could hear the wind howling. Through the tent opening they saw the trees bend with the force of the gale.
“The tent’s going!” Freddie screamed.
The boys scrambled from their bags and dashed to the tent pegs. As they struggled to push them deeper into the sandy ground, the storm broke. The rain came down in sheets I
Back at the Bobbsey home, the storm woke Nan from her dream of talking birds. As she got up to close her window she suddenly remembered that her mother had said Bert, Freddie, and Charlie were camping out at the lake.
“Oh dear!” she thought. “The boys will get drenched. The rain will blow right into their tent!”
A streak of lightning and a loud clap of thunder sent her running from the room. “Mother! Daddy!” she called.
Mrs. Bobbsey came to the door of her bedroom. “Did the storm frighten you, Nan?”
“No, Mother, but I’m worried about the boys. Do you think they’ll be all right?”
“The wind is blowing very hard. I think perhaps your father and I should go get them.”
She went back into the bedroom and roused Mr. Bobbsey. In a few minutes the two were dressed and headed for the garage.
“I think I’ll take the back road,” Mr. Bobbsey remarked as they turned out of the driveway. “It’s a little shorter.”
“Those poor boys!” Mrs. Bobbsey sighed as she peered through the streaming windshield. “They must be frightfully wet by this time I”
Mr. Bobbsey drove carefully. The driving rain made it difficult for him to see very far ahead, and from time to time branches cracked off the trees and crashed onto the road.
Finally Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey reached the lumberyard and turned down the narrow road to the lake. “I think they’d probably pitch their tent just to the right here. Can you make it out, Mary?” Mr. Bobbsey asked.
“I can’t see a thing, Dick!” she said in a worried tone.
Mr. Bobbsey turned on the distance lights of the car. They shone onto the lake. Suddenly Mrs. Bobbsey caught her breath.
“The tent!” she cried. “It’s in the water!”
CHAPTER XII
A MIXED UP GET-TOGETHER
WHEN the rain hit the campers, Freddie, Bert, and Charlie worked frantically to steady the pegs. Fortunately the boys had decided to sleep in their clothes for extra warmth in the cool spring night. But they were soon wet through.
“Get in the tent!” Bert directed. “At least we can stay out of the rain!”
But the wind was too strong for the tent ropes. A particularly violent gust lifted the canvas high into the air. The tent sailed out over the lake!
“Our tent!” Freddie screamed. “It’s going in the water!”
The three boys dashed to the edge of the shore. “Maybe we can get it out,” Charlie cried.
But the tent was already floating away out of reach. “We can’t get it now,” Bert said. “Maybe we can rescue it tomorrow.”
“Wh-what shall we do now?” Freddie asked in a shaky voice. He was a forlorn sight as he stood there, water dripping from his hair and face and his clothes plastered to his body by the driving rain.
Bert picked up his sleeping bag. “I guess we walk home,” he said wearily.
The other two shouldered their gear and the three boys started off, slipping and sliding on the muddy path. Suddenly they found themselves in the glare of headlights.
The boys stopped, blinded by the strong light. Then a familiar voice boomed out, “Are you all walkin’ for your health, or would you like a ride?”
“Sam!” Freddie shouted, sloshing up to the big truck. “Did you come to get us?”
“Not exactly,” Sam admitted. He flung open the cab door and helped the shivering boys in. “I’m just on my way back from Dalton. When this rain came up I thought I’d better see how you were makin’ out.”
“We’re sure glad to see you, Sam,” Bert said gratefully.
“Your mother and dad are goin’ to be mighty glad to see you!” Sam said with a chuckle. “I’ll drop Charlie off first.”
As the truck rolled on through the darkness and rain, the boys peered at the deserted streets.
“There’s the school,” Bert observed.
Charlie looked past him. “Say,” he exclaimed, “isn’t that a light in the Marden house?”
“I don’t see any,” Bert replied, leaning forward to get a better look.
“Sure there is, Bert!” Freddie cried. “I think it’s in the kitchen!”
“Who do you suppose it is?” Charlie wondered. “Danny certainly wouldn’t be in there in the middle of the night.”
“Middle of the night!” Sam repeated. “Why, it’s four o’clock in the morning!” He slowed the truck, and they all gazed at the old mansion.
“You’re right, Freddie,” Charlie agreed. “There is a light in the kitchen. It flickers the way candlelight does.”
“Let’s go see who’s inside,” Bert urged.
Sam put his foot on the accelerator. “No, you don’t!” he said. “No one’s goin’ into that old house this time o’ morning while I’m drivin’ them!” He sped on toward Charlie’s home.
“I’ll call the police as soon as I get in,” Charlie promised, “and tell them about the light.”
When the truck pulled up at his home the lights were on. Mr. Mason ran down the walk to help Charlie. “I just called the Bobbsey house and Nan said her parents had gone to pick up you boys,” he said. “How did you get them, Sam?”
Sam explained about his late delivery trip. “I s’pect Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey are back home by now,” he said.
But when Sam and the boys arrived home they learned from Nan and Dinah that Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey had not returned.
“They’ll be along,” Dinah commented. “You boys get upstairs and take hot showers and get into pajamas and robes,” she advised. “Nan and I are fixin’ you some breakfast.”
In the meantime when Mrs. Bobbsey saw the tent floating on the lake, she was frantic. “Oh, Dick,” she cried, “what do you suppose has happened to the boys?”
“Maybe they’ve taken shelter among the trees,” Mr. Bobbsey replied, getting out of the car. The rain was slackening by this time. He took a flashlight from the glove compartment and shone it around.
“I hope they’re not hurt!” Mrs. Bobbsey said in a worried tone as she joined her husband.
Together they pushed through the underbrush. Mr. Bobbsey flashed his light over the ground. They examined the area around the camping spot but found nothing.
Finally Mr. Bobbsey paused. “You know, the boys may have started walking home. Let’s drive along the regular road.”
“All right,” Mrs. Bobbsey agreed. “They’re certainly not here.”
Back at the Bobbsey house Nan was getting worried. “I can’t imagine why Mother and Dad aren’t back. Do you suppose they’ve had an accident?”
“I’ll go back to the lake and tell them you boys are safe at home,” Sam volunteered. He climbed into the truck again and drove off. “I think I’ll go by the back road,” he told himself.
So while Sam was driving down the short cut, Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey went along
the main road, watching anxiously for any sign of three boyish figures.
They passed no one on the road, and by the time they reached their street Mrs. Bobbsey was more worried than ever. But as they turned into the driveway, she exclaimed hopefully, “Oh, the lights are on in the kitchen! Perhaps the boys are home!”
While all this was going on Flossie had been sleeping peacefully. Now she suddenly awoke. “Nan!” she called, looking across the room at her sister’s bed. It was empty!
“Maybe she went to get a drink of water,” Flossie decided. She waited a few minutes, but Nan did not return.
Flossie hopped out of bed and put on her robe and slippers. “I’ll tell Mother,” she thought. Tiptoeing through the hall, she knocked on the door of her mother’s and father’s bedroom. When there was no answer, she timidly pushed open the door.
No one was in the room. The little girl was bewildered. Where was everyone?
Just then she heard her father laugh. It seemed to come from downstairs. Flossie went to the top of the stairs. There was a light in the dining room.
“Oh, Daddy!” she cried, running down the stairs and into the dining room where her father sat at the table.
“What’s the matter, little sweet fairy?” Mr. Bobbsey asked in surprise. “Did you have a bad dream?”
“I can’t find Nan anywhere!” Flossie wailed. “I think she’s been kidnaped! And I can’t find Mommy either.”
At that moment Nan, followed by Mrs. Bobbsey, came in from the kitchen. They were carrying platters of bacon and eggs.
“Nan! Mommy!” Flossie exclaimed in relief. “I thought you were both lost! I thought everybody was lost—’cept me!”
“Sit down, dear, and we’ll tell you all about it,” said Mrs. Bobbsey, smiling. She had just finished describing the trip to the lake to look for the boys, when Freddie and Bert came downstairs and seated themselves.
Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey, Nan, and Flossie listened with breathless excitement as they told of the storm and the sudden end of their camping trip.
“You must have felt like real pioneers,” Mrs. Bobbsey remarked to her sons.
The Bobbsey Twins of Lakeport Page 7
