papa, what is it?" asked Flossie, wondering whether she was going
to cry.

"I don't know, my dear. Nothing serious, I guess. The engineer must
have put the brakes on too quickly. I'll look out and see."

Knowing that his children were safe, Mr. Bobbsey put them down and led
them back to where his wife was anxiously waiting.

"They're all right," he called. "No one seems to be hurt."

Bert Bobbsey looked out of the window. Though darkness had fallen
there seemed to be many lights up ahead of the stopped train. And in
the light Bert could see some camels, an elephant or two, a number of
horses, and cages containing lions and tigers strung out along the
track.

"Why--why, what's this--a circus?" he asked. "Look, Nan! See those
monkeys!"

"Why, it is a circus--and the train must have been wrecked!" exclaimed
his sister. "Oh mamma, what can it be?"

A brakeman came into the car where the Bobbseys were.

"There's no danger," he said. "Please keep your seats. A circus train
that was running ahead of us got off the track, and some of the animals
are loose. Our train nearly ran into an elephant, and that's why the
engineer had to stop so suddenly. We will go on I soon."

"A circus, eh?" said Mr. Bobbsey. "Well, well! This is an adventure,
children. We've run into a circus train! Let's watch them catch the
animals."

CHAPTER II

SNOOP IS GONE

"PAPA, do you think a tiger would come in here?" asked Freddie,
remembering all the stories of wild animals he had heard in his four
years.

"Or a lion?" asked Flossie.

"Of course not!" exclaimed Nan. "Can't you see that all the wild
animals are still in their cages?"

"Maybe some of 'em are loose," suggested Freddie, and he almost hoped
so, as long as his father was there to protect him.

"I guess the circus men can look after them," said Bert. "May I get
off, father, and look around?"

"I'd rather you wouldn't, son. You can't tell what may happen."

"Oh, look at that man after the monkey!" cried Nan.

"Yes, and the monkey's gone up on top of the tiger's cage," added Bert.

"Say, this is as good as a circus, anyhow!"

Some of the big, flaring lights, used in the tents at night, had been
set going so the circus and railroad men could see to work, and this
glare gave the Bobbseys and other passengers on the train a chance to
see what was going on.

"There's a big elephant!" cried Freddie. "See him push the lion's cage
around. Elephants