ose mouths were just ready for the ice
cream.

"Well, I'm going to have a look, anyhow," said Bert. "Come on,
Charley. Maybe, after all, that Danny Rugg is up to some of his tricks."

"I'm with you, Bert!" cried Charley. "But we ought to have some sort
of a light. It's dark out."

"I'll get my little pocket electric light," said Bert. He had one, and
it gave a good light. He went to his room for it.

Flossie and Freddie did not know what to do. That their lovely party
should be spoiled by the missing ice cream seemed too bad to be true.

"Mamma, if we can't find this ice cream, can't we buy more?" Flossie
wanted to know. "The girls just want some--so bad!"

"And the boys, too," added Freddie.

"Oh, I guess we'll manage to get some fo you, if we can't find this,"
answered Mrs. Bobbsey. "We may have to wait a little while for it,
though."

"Well, we'll have a look," said Bert, as he came down with his little
electric lamp. Some of his own particular chums, including Charley
Mason, followed him out to the back porch, Dinah was in her kitchen,
looking behind tables, under the sink, in the pantry and all about,
hoping that, somehow or other, the freezer might have gotten in there.
But it was not to be found.

"Well, here's where it stood," said Bert, as he looked at the round,
wet mark on the porch where the freezer had set. He flashed his torch
on it, and then cried out:

"And look, boys, here are some spots of water that must have leaked
from the wooden tub that holds the tin freezer. See, the water has
dripped down on each step! This is the way they carried off our ice
cream."

The others could see a trail of water drops leading from the stoop down
the steps and along the stone walk at the side of the Bobbsey house.

"Now we can follow and see just where they took our cream!" cried Bert.
"This is the way Indians used to trail the white settlers."

"Let me come!" cried Freddie, hearing this. "I want to help hunt
whoever took our ice cream."

"No, you'd better stay back there," said Bert.

"Why?" his little brother wanted to know.

"Because it might be--tramps--who have it, and there'd be trouble,"
said Bert.

"Wait until I get my cap pistol!" cried Freddie. "I can scare a tramp
with that."

"No, you go back there, and stay in the house," went on Bert. "If we
find tramps have it, we'll get a policeman."

"It might be that a tramp did steal up on the steps, and lift off the
freezer,"