The Bobbsey Twins on a Houseboat

  Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks and theOnline Distributed Proofreading Team.

  THE BOBBSEY TWINS ON A HOUSEBOAT

  BY

  LAURA LEE HOPE

  Author Of The "Bobbsey Twins," "The Outdoor Girls Of Deepdale," "TheOutdoor Girls In Florida," "The Moving Picture Girls," "The MovingPicture Girls At Rocky Ranch," Etc.

  ILLUSTRATED

  BOOKS BY LAURA LEE HOPE

  THE BOBBSEY TWINS SERIESFor Little Men and Women

  THE BOBBSEY TWINSTHE BOBBSEY TWINS IN THE COUNTRYTHE BOBBSEY TWINS AT THE SEASHORETHE BOBBSEY TWINS AT SCHOOLTHE BOBBSEY TWINS AT SNOW LODGETHE BOBBSEY TWINS ON A HOUSEBOATTHE BOBBSEY TWINS AT MEADOW BROOK

  THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS SERIES

  THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLSTHE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS AT OAK FARMTHE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS SNOWBOUNDTHE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS UNDER THE PALMSTHE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS AT ROCKY RANCHTHE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS AT SEA

  THE OUTDOOR GIRLS SERIES

  THE OUTDOOR GIRLS OF DEEPDALETHE OUTDOOR GIRLS AT RAINBOW LAKETHE OUTDOOR GIRLS IN A MOTOR CARTHE OUTDOOR GIRLS IN A WINTER CAMPTHE OUTDOOR GIRLS IN FLORIDATHE OUTDOOR GIRLS AT OCEAN VIEW

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER

  I. GOOD NEWS II. SNAP SAVES FREDDIE III. DINAH'S UPSET IV. AT THE HOUSEBOAT V. THE STRANGE BOY VI. FREDDIE'S FIRE ENGINE VII. THE TWO COUSINS VIII. OFF IN THE "BLUEBIRD" IX. SNOOP AND SNAP X. DOWN THE CREEK XI. THE MEAN MAN XII. THE WIRE FENCE XIII. THE RUNAWAY BOY XIV. OFF AGAIN XV. OVERBOARD XVI. THE MISSING SANDWICHES XVII. IN THE STORMXVIII. STRANGE NOISES XIX. SNAP'S QUEER ACTIONS XX. AT THE WATERFALL XXI. WHAT BERT SAW XXII. THE STOWAWAY

  CHAPTER I

  GOOD NEWS

  "What are you doing, Freddie?" asked Bert Bobbsey, leaning over to oilthe front wheel of his bicycle, while he glanced at his littlebrother, who was tying strings about the neck of a large, handsomedog.

  "Making a harness," answered Freddie, not taking time to look up.

  "A harness?" repeated Bert, with a little laugh. "How can you make aharness out of bits of string?"

  "I'm going to have straps, too," went on Freddie, keeping busily onwith his work. "Flossie has gone in after them. It's going to be afine, strong harness."

  "Do you mean you are going to harness up Snap?" asked Bert, and hestood his bicycle against the side of the house, and came over towhere Freddie sat near the big dog.

  "Yes. Snap is going to be my horse," explained Freddie. "I'm going tohitch him to my express wagon, and Flossie and I are going to have aride."

  "Ha! Ha!" laughed Bert. "You won't get much of a ride with THATharness," and he looked at the thin cord which the small boy waswinding about the dog's neck.

  "Why not?" asked Freddie, a little hurt at Bert's laughter. Freddie,like all small boys, did not like to be laughed at.

  "Why, Snap is so strong that he'll break that string in no time," saidBert. "Besides--"

  "Flossie's gone in for our booty straps, I tell you!" said Freddie."Then our harness will be strong enough. I'm only using string forpart of it. I wish she'd hurry up and come out!" and Freddie glancedtoward the house. But there was no sign of his little sister Flossie.

  "Maybe she can't find them," suggested Bert. "You know what you andFlossie do with your books and straps, when you come home from schoolFriday afternoons--you toss them any old place until Monday morning."

  "I didn't this time!" said sturdy little Freddie, looking up quickly."I--I put 'em--I put 'em--oh, well, I guess Flossie can find 'em!" heended, for trying to remember where he had left his books was morethan he could do this bright, beautiful, Saturday morning, when therewas no school.

  "I thought so!" laughed Bert, as he turned to go back to his bicycle,for he intended to go for a ride, and had just cleaned, and was nowoiling, his wheel.

  "Well, Flossie can find 'em, so she can," went on Freddie, as he heldhis head on one side and looked at a knotted string around the neck ofSnap, the big dog.

  "I wonder how Snap is going to like it?" asked Bert. "Did you everhitch him to your express wagon before, Freddie?"

  "Yes. But he couldn't pull us."

  "Why not?"

  "'Cause I only had him tied with strings, and they broke. But I'mgoing to use our book straps now, and they'll hold."

  "Maybe they will--if you can find 'em--or if Flossie can," Bert wenton with a laugh.

  Freddie said nothing. He was too busy tying more strings about Snap'sneck. These strings were to serve as reins for the dog-horse. SinceSnap would not keep them in his mouth, as a horse does a bit, they hadto go around his neck, as oxen wear their yokes.

  Snap stretched out comfortably on the grass, his big red tonguehanging out of his mouth. He was panting, and breathing hard, for heand Freddie had had a romping play in the grass, before quieting downfor the horse-game.

  "There, Snap!" Freddie exclaimed, after a bit. "Now you're almosthitched up. I wish Flossie would hurry up with those straps."

  Freddie Bobbsey stood up to look once more toward the house, which hislittle twin sister had entered a few minutes before, having offered togo in and look for the book straps. She had not come back, and Freddiewas getting Impatient.

  At last the little girl appeared on the side porch. Her yellow hairblew in the gentle June breeze, making sort of a golden light abouther head.

  "Freddie! Freddie!" she cried. "I can't find 'em! I can't find thebook straps anywhere!"

  "Why, I put 'em--I put 'em--" said Freddie helplessly, trying toremember where he had put them, when he came in from school the daybefore.

  "You've got to come and help me hunt for 'em!" Flossie went on. "Mammasays she can't find the straps."

  "All right. I'll come," spoke Freddie. "Snap, you stay here!" heordered, but the big dog only blinked, and stuck out his tonguefarther than ever. Perhaps he had already made up his mind what hewould do when Freddie let him alone.

  Off toward the house went the little fat Freddie. He was prettyplump--so much so that his father often called him a little "fatfireman." Freddie was very fond of playing fireman, ever since thetime he had owned a toy fire engine. But to-day he had other ideas.

  "I'll find those straps," he said, as he toddled off. "Then we'llhitch Snap to my express wagon, and Flossie and I'll have a fine ride.Don't you run away, Snap."

  Snap did not say whether he would or not. Flossie, standing on theside porch, waited for her little brother. She was just his age, andonly a little smaller in height. She was just about as fat and plumpas was Freddie, and both had light curly hair. They made a prettypicture together, and if Freddie was a "fat fireman" Flossie was a"fat fairy," which pet name her father often called her.

  "Did you look under the sofa for the straps?" asked Freddie when hehad joined his sister.

  "Yes. I looked there, and--and--everywhere," she answered. "I can'tfind 'em."

  "Maybe Snap hid 'em," suggested Freddie.

  "Maybe," agreed Flossie. "He would, if he knew you were going to hitchhim up with 'em."

  "Pooh. He couldn't know that," said Freddie. "I didn't know it myselfuntil a little while ago, and I didn't tell anybody but you."

  "Well, maybe Snap heard us talking about it," went on Flossie. "He'sawful smart, you know, Freddie, from having been in a circus."

  "But he isn't smart enough for that, even if he can do lots oftricks," Freddie went on. "There's Snoop!" he exclaimed, as a big,black cat ran across the lawn. "Maybe SHE took our book straps."

  "She couldn't," said Flossie. "Our books were in 'em, and they'd betoo heavy for Snoop to drag."

  "That's so," admitted Freddie. "Well, come on, we'll find 'em!"

  The twins went into the house and began searching for the straps. Highand
low they looked, in all the usual, and unusual, places, where theysometimes tossed their books when they came in from school Fridayafternoons, with the joyous cry of:

  "No more lessons until Monday! Hurray!"

  But this time they seemed to have tossed their books and straps intosome very much out-of-the-way place, indeed.

  "We can't find 'em," said Flossie. "Can't you take some strong string,to tie Snap to the wagon, instead of the straps, Freddie?"

  "I don't think so," he answered. "I know what to do. Let's ask Dinah.Maybe she's seen 'em."

  "Oh, yes, let's!" agreed Flossie, and together they hurried to thekitchen where Dinah, the big, good-natured, colored cook, was rattlingthe pots and pans.

  "Dinah! Dinah!" cried Flossie and Freddie in a twins' chorus.

  "Yep-um, honey-lambs! What yo' all want?" asked Dinah, opening theoven door, to let out a little whiff of a most delicious smell, andthen quickly closing it again. "Ef yo' wants a piece ob cake, it ain'tdone yit!"

  "Oh, Dinah! We don't want any cake!" said Freddie.

  "What's dat? Yo' don't want cake?" and Dinah quickly straightened up,put her fat hands on her fat hips, and looked at the two children insurprise. "Yo--don't--want--no cake!" gasped Dinah. "What's de mattah?Yo' all ain't sick, is yo'?"

  For that was the only reason she could think of why Flossie andFreddie should not want cake--as they generally did Saturday morning.

  "No, we're not sick," said Flossie, "and we'd like a piece of cake alittle later, please Dinah. But just now we want our book straps. Haveyou seen 'em?"

  "Book straps! Book straps!" exclaimed Dinah in great surprise. "Go'long wif yo' now! I ain't got no time to be bodderin' wif bookstraps, when dey's pies an' puddin's an' cakes t' bake. Trot alongnow, an' let ole Dinah be! Book straps! Huh!"

  Flossie and Freddie knew there was little use in "bodderin'" Dinah anymore, especially when she was in the midst of her baking.

  "Come on, Flossie," spoke Freddie. "We'll have another look for thosestraps. Next time I'll put our books where we can find 'em."

  Once more the children started through the different rooms. Theylooked everywhere. But no straps could they find.

  "You see what a lot of trouble it makes, not only for you, but forothers as well, when you don't take care of your books," said Mrs.Bobbsey gently. She knew it would be a good lesson for the twins tosearch for their things. Next time they might remember.

  Suddenly, from out in the yard, came a shout.

  "Freddie! Freddie! Come out here, quick!"

  "That's Bert!" exclaimed Freddie.

  "Oh, maybe he's found the straps, so we can harness up Snap," criedFlossie.

  But Bert's next words soon told the younger twins that it was no suchgood luck as that, for he cried:

  "Snap's running away, Freddie! He's running away. If you're going toharness him up you'll have to catch him!"

  "Oh dear!" cried Flossie.

  "Come on, help me catch him!" called Freddie.

  Together they ran into the yard. As Bert had said, Snap, getting tiredof being tied to a post with a thin string, had broken the cord, andnow was racing over the fields after another dog with whom he oftenplayed.

  "Come back, Snap! Come back!" cried Freddie.

  Snap paid no heed.

  Just then, through the front gate, came a girl. She looked so muchlike Bert, with his dark hair and eyes, with his slimness and histallness, that you could tell at once she was his sister. As soon asFlossie saw her, she cried:

  "Oh, Nan! We were going to hitch Snap to the express wagon, butFreddie and I can't find our straps, and Snap ran away, and--and--"

  "Never mind, Flossie dear," said Nan. "Wait until you hear the goodnews I have for you!"

  "Good news?" exclaimed Bert, coming away from his bicycle, toward histwin sister.

  "Yes, the very best!" Nan went on. "It's about a houseboat! Now,Flossie and Freddie, sit down on the grass and I'll tell you all aboutthe good news!"