a big, fat
cat and was called Snoop.

By the time home was reached, Freddie was sleepy again. But he speedily
woke up when his mamma and the others embraced him, and then he had to
tell the story of his adventure from end to end.

"I do not know as I shall take you with me again," said Mrs. Bobbsey.
"You have given us all a great scare."

"Oh, mamma, I won't leave you like that again," cried Freddie quickly.
"Don't like to be in the dark 'tall," he added.

"Oh, it must have been awful," said Flossie. "Didn't you see any--any
ghosts?"

"Barrels of them," said Freddie, nodding his head sleepily. "But they
didn't touch me. Guess they was sleepy, just like me." And then he
dropped off and had to be put to bed; and that was the end of this
strange happening.

CHAPTER XI

THE CRUISE OF THE "ICE BIRD"

The building of the ice boat by Bert and Charley Mason interested Nan
almost as much as it did the boys, and nearly every afternoon she went
down to the lumber yard to see how the work was getting along.

Mr. Bobbsey had given Bert just the right kind of lumber, and had a man
at the saw-mill saw the sticks and boards to a proper size. He also gave
his son some ropes and a pair of old iron runners from a discarded
sleigh, so that all Charley had to provide was the bed-sheet already
mentioned, for a sail.

The two boys worked with a will, and by Thursday evening had the ice
boat completed. They christened the craft the _Ice Bird_, and Bert
insisted upon it that his father come and see her.

"You have certainly done very well," said Mr. Bobbsey. "This looks as
if you were cut out for a builder, Bert."

"Well, I'd like to build big houses and ships first-rate," answered
Bert.

The sail was rigged with the help of an old sailor who lived down by the
lake shore, and on Friday afternoon Bert and Charley took a short trip.
The _Ice Bird_ behaved handsomely, much to the boys' satisfaction.

"She's a dandy!" cried Bert. "How she can whiz before the wind."

"You must take me out soon," said Nan.

"I will," answered Bert.

The chance to go out with Bert came sooner than expected. On Monday
morning Mrs. Mason made up her mind to pay a distant relative a visit
and asked Charley if he wished to go along. The boy wanted to see his
cousins very much and said yes; and thus the ice boat was left in Bert's
sole charge.

"I'll take you out Monday afternoon, after school," said Bert to his
twin sister.

"Good!" cri