"I saw them playing on the floor," said Nan. "Then, when Bert and I let
go the ropes and jumped in the mow, a lot of hay came down all at once,
and then I--I didn't see Flossie and Freddie any more. They surely were
under the hay!"

"Yes," agreed Bert, "they were. But they aren't here now. Maybe they
fell down through the floor!" he added hopefully. "The cow stable is
under this part of the barn."

"Yes, but there isn't any hole in the barn floor here," said Nan. "And
the cracks aren't big enough for Flossie and Freddie to slip through."

"No, dey didn't go t'rough de flo', dat's suah!" exclaimed Dinah. "It's
mighty queer! I guess yo' all had best go call Sam," she went on to Nan.
"Mebby he know something 'bout dish yeah barn dat I don't know. Go git
Sam an'--"

Just then there came a joyous shout from the big barn doors behind Nan,
Bert and Dinah.

"Here we are! Here we are! Oh, we fooled you! We fooled you!" cried two
childish voices, and there stood the missing Flossie and Freddie, hay in
their fluffy, golden hair, hay hanging down over their blue eyes, and
hay stuck over their clothes.

"Here we are!" cried Freddie. "Did you was lookin' for us?"

"I should say we did was!" cried Bert, laughing, now, at Freddie's queer
way of speaking, for, though the little fireman usually spoke quite
properly, he sometimes went wrong.