"My room's going to be back here, by the engine," spoke Bert, as he
picked out his sleeping place.

"And I'll come with you," said Freddie. "I'm going to be fireman!"
Gleefully the children were running about, clapping their hands, and
finding something new and strange every minute.

"Where is your room, mamma?" asked Nan. "We ought to have let you and
papa have first choice."

"Oh, there are plenty of rooms," said Mr. Bobbsey. "Let's go up on
deck and---"

He stopped suddenly, and seemed to be listening.

"What is it?" asked his wife.

"There seems to be some one on this boat beside ourselves," answered
Mr. Bobbsey. "I'll go look."




CHAPTER V

THE STRANGE BOY


The Bobbsey twins looked at one another, and then at their mother, as
Mr. Bobbsey went out of the living room of the houseboat, toward the