"Do you mean to say you can't fix it up?" Mr. Bobbsey almost gasped.

"Not till I get the stage to the blacksmith's," replied Hank.

"Then, what are we going to do?" Mr. Bobbsey asked, impatiently.

"Well, there's an empty barn over there," Hank answered. "The best
thing you can do is pitch your tent there till I get back with another
wagon."

"Barn!" exclaimed Mrs. Bobbsey.

"How long will it take you to get a wagon?" demanded Mr. Bobbsey.

"Not long," said Hank, sprucing up a trifle. "You just get yourselves
comfortable in that there barn. I'll get the coach to one side, and
take a horse down to Sterritt's. He'll let me have a horse and a
wagon, and I'll be back as soon as I kin make it."

"There seems nothing else to do," Mr. Bobbsey said. "We may as well
make the best of it."

"Why, yes," Mrs. Manily spoke up, "we can pretend we are having a barn
dance." And she smiled, faintly.

Nevertheless, it was not very jolly to make their way to the barn in
the dark. Dinah had to carry Freddie, he was so sleepy; Mrs. Manily
took good care of Flossie. But, of course, there was the duck and the
cat, that could not be very safely left in the broken-down stagecoach.