CHAPTER XVI

ON THE ISLAND


There was great excitement down on the ground when the cry of Mrs.
Bobbsey told her husband, the other children, and the big crowd that
Flossie and Freddie had been carried away in the balloon. At first some
did not believe it, and even Mr. Bobbsey found it hard to imagine that
such a thing could happen.

But one look up at the swaying basket dangling from the runaway balloon
showed him the faces of Flossie and Freddie looking down at the earth
which seemed to be dropping away from them.

"Oh, my children! My children! Flossie! Freddie!" cried Mrs. Bobbsey,
tears streaming down her cheeks, as she raised her hands toward the
swiftly rising balloon.

"Get them down!"

"We'll catch 'em if they jump!"

"Get a ladder!"

"Have the man in the aeroplane go after them!"

These were some of the cries--foolish cries in some cases--that sounded