was not in danger, was ready to
come back home. But Freddie wanted to stay until the fire was wholly
out.

Mr. Bobbsey came from his office to give some directions to the
firemen, and saw his wife and the two twins. Then he took charge of
them, and led them as close to the blaze as was safe.

"It will soon be out," he said. "It was only some sawdust that got on
fire."

"I wish I could squirt some water!" sighed Freddie.

"What's that? Do you want to be a fireman?" asked one of the men in a
rubber coat and a big helmet. He smiled at Mr. Bobbsey, whom he knew
quite well.

"Yes, I do," said Freddie.

"Then come with me, and I'll let you help hold the hose," said the
fireman. "I'll look after him," he went on, to Mrs. Bobbsey, and she
nodded to show that Freddie could go.

What a good time the little fellow had, standing beside a real fireman,
and helping throw real water on a real fire! Freddie never forgot
that. Of course the fire was almost out, and it was only one of the
small hose lines that the fireman let the little fellow help hold, but,
for all that, Freddie was very happy.

"Did you write to the circus people today about our silver cup, and
that trick dog?" asked Mrs. Bobbsey of her husband, that night.

"I declare, I didn't!" he exclaimed. "The fire upset me so that it
slipped my mind. I'll do it the first thing tomorrow. There is no
special hurry. How is the dog, by the way?"

"Oh, he's just lovely!" cried Flossie.

"And I do hope we can keep him forever!" exclaimed Freddie.
"'Specially since Snoop is gone."

"Did you hear anything about our cat?" asked Nan, of her father.

"No. I sent a man to the railroad company, but no stray cat had been
found. I am afraid Snoop is lost, children."

"Oh dear!" cried Flossie.

The next day, having learned from the railroad company where the circus
had gone after the wreck, Mr. Bobbsey sent a letter to the manager,
explaining about the lost silver cup, and the found circus dog. He
asked that the fat lady be requested to write to him, to let him know
if she had taken the cup by accident, and Mr. Bobbsey also wanted to
know if the circus had lost a trick dog.

"There!" he exclaimed as he sent the letter to be mailed, "now we'll
just have to wait for an answer."

Nan and Bert, and Flossie and Freddie were soon having almost as much
fun as they had had at the seashore and in the country. Their town
playmates, who had come back from their vacati