loon of mine as soon as any one, I guess," said Mr.
Trench. "This isn't the first time I've hunted for it. You never can
tell exactly where a balloon will come down."

Through the underbrush, between trees, and in the dripping rain and
swirling fog, the searching party tramped on. Suddenly one of the men
gave a cry.

"I see something!" he shouted.

"Is it my children?" Mrs. Bobbsey asked, her voice trembling with
eagerness.

"No, I think it's the balloon," was the answer.

And the balloon it was. Draped over bushes and trees was the big gas
bag, now almost emptied of the vapor that had lifted it and carried it
away from the fair grounds with Flossie and Freddie in the basket.

"Oh, but where are my little ones--my Bobbsey twins?" cried the mother.

"They must be somewhere around here," said Captain Craig.

And then, thrilling the hearts of all, came two young voices, calling:

"Daddy! Mother! Here we are! Oh, we're so glad you came! Here we are!"

Out of the woods rushed Flossie and Freddie, to be caught up in the arms
of Mother and Daddy Bobbsey.

"We--we were in the hut!" breathlessly explained Flossie. "And I heard a
noise, and I said for Freddie to hark, and he harked, and then we heard
talking and we ran out and--and here we are!"

"Yes, darlings, here you are!" cried Mrs. Bobbsey, tears running down
her cheeks. "But, oh, why did you ever do it? Why did you get into the
balloon?"

"Oh, jest 'cause," answered Freddie. And they all laughed at his
answer.

CHAPTER XXI

BERT, NAN, AND BOB

While this happy meeting and reunion was taking place on Hemlock Island
and while the smaller Bobbsey twins were thus made happy by finding
their father and mother again, Bert and Nan were very unhappy back at
Meadow Brook Farm. They had safely reached the home of their uncle and
aunt, being taken there in Mr. Blackford's automobile.

"Oh, dear me, what dreadful news!" exclaimed Aunt Sarah, when told about
Flossie and Freddie having been carried away in the balloon. "Shall we
ever see those dear children again?"

"Of course we shall, Mother!" said Uncle Daniel, with a laugh. "Don't
worry, Flossie and Freddie will be all right."

And of course Flossie and Freddie were, in the end, only Bert and Nan
and their uncle, aunt, and cousin did not know that then, so of course
they worried.

The storm which had been only threatening when Bert and his sister had
been sent home from the fair grounds now broke, a