While these were being brought the Bobbsey twins and their relatives
drew as near to the balloon as they could get, closely looking at it. At
times the big bag, partly filled with gas, swayed until it swept the
ground. The basket, too, pulled and tugged at the ropes that held it
down.

"What does the man do when he's in the basket?" Freddie asked.

"Oh, he sits there and rides along up in the clouds," said Bert. "I wish
I could go up."

"Does he have anything to eat?" Flossie wanted to know.

"Oh, yes," said Nan. "There are things to eat in the basket. See!" And
she held Flossie up so she could look over the edge and down into the
basket. Of course Freddie had to be lifted up, also.

The basket seemed a cosy place. There were blankets in it, for it is
often very cold high up in the air where balloons go, though it may be
very warm on the earth. And there were boxes and packages containing
food and many strange things at which the Bobbsey twins wondered.

The wind kept blowing harder and harder, and the crowd grew larger as
word went around the fair grounds that the balloon was soon to go up.

"What about those ropes?" cried the man who was in charge of the
balloon.

"They're coming," another man told him. "Be here right away!"