must get home."

Flossie and Freddie, somewhat disappointed that, after all, it was not a
circus procession they had seen, started off again. They wished they
could have seen more of the gypsies, but the gay wagons rumbled on out
of sight, though this was not the last the Bobbsey twins were to see of
them. In fact, they were to meet the gypsies again, and to have quite an
adventure with them before the summer was over.

"Well, we had a good time, anyhow," said Freddie to Flossie. "And we
_almost_ saw a circus, didn't we?"

"Yep," answered his sister. "I'm going to be a gypsy when I grow up."

"Why?" asked Freddie.

"'Cause they've got so many looking glasses on their wagons."

"I'm going to be a gypsy, too," decided Freddie, after thinking it over
a bit. "'Cause they've got so many horses. I'm going to ride horseback,
and you can ride in one of the wagons, Flossie."

"No. I'm going to ride horseback, too," declared the little girl. "I'm
going to have a spangly thing in my hair and wear a dress all glittery
and stand on the horse's back and ride----"

"Gypsies don't do that," protested Bert. "It's the people in circuses
that ride standing up."

"Gypsies do too," declared Freddie, not knowing a thing about it but
feeling he must back up anything Flossie said.

"No, they don't, either."

"Well, maybe they have gypsies in a circus. They have Indians, you
know."

"I don't believe they do," put in Nan. "Gypsies wouldn't like to be in a
tent and work every afternoon and every evening. They want to live in
their wagons and be more out of doors."

"Well, maybe we'll be gypsies and maybe we'll be in a circus," said
Freddie. "We'll see, won't we, Flossie?"

"Yep."

By this time the Bobbsey twins had reached their house, or rather, they
had turned the corner of the street leading out from the lake, and were
in sight of their home. What they saw caused Bert, Nan, Flossie and
Freddie to set out on a run. In front of their house was a crowd of
people. There were men, women and children, and among them the twins
could see their mother, fat Dinah, the cook, and Sam Johnson, her
husband, who attended to the Bobbsey furnace in winter and the lawn in
summer.

"What's the matter?" asked Nan.

"Something has happened!" cried Bert.

"The house is on fire!" shouted Freddie. "I must get my fire engine that
squirts real water!" and he raced on ahead.

"Wait a minute!" called Bert.

The Bobbsey twins saw their mother