"Come on, Bert, can't you show us over the boat now?" asked Danny Rugg
one afternoon, on his way home from school, with Nan's brother, and
some other boys.

"I can't to-day, but perhaps I can to-morrow," said Bert. "I'll ask my
father."

"He'll never know about it," tempted Danny again, but Bert could not
be influenced that way.

"Never mind, I'll fix you!" threatened Danny, which was what he
usually said, when he could not have his own way.

Bert thought little of the threat at the time, though later he
recalled it vividly.

It was that night, just as the smaller twins were getting ready for
bed, that the telephone in the Bobbsey house rang out a call.

"I'll answer it," said Mr. Bobbsey, as he went to the instrument.
"Hello!" he called. Then his wife and children heard him cry:

"What! Is that so! That's too bad! Yes, I'll attend to it right away.
I wonder how it happened?"

"Oh, what has happened?" cried Mrs. Bobbsey, in alarm.

"Is the lumber yard on fire again?" asked Freddie, thinking of his toy
engine.