mp on one of the many islands in the lake. Now they were on their way
home.

"Well, here you are, safe on shore!" announced Jack, as the twins called
Mr. Henderson, the man whom their father had sent with them to manage
the boat.

"Yes, and there goes Freddie--falling overboard!" cried Bert with a
laugh, as his little fat brother stumbled over a coil of rope on the
dock and tumbled down. "It's a good thing you didn't do that in the
boat, little fat fireman."

"I didn't hurt myself, anyhow," said Freddie, as he got up. "Come on,
Flossie, let's run home. I'm terrible hungry."

"So'm I," added his sister, who was as fat as he, and just the same
size. The two smaller Bobbsey twins started on ahead, while Bert, after
seeing that the boat was well tied, followed on more slowly with his
sister Nan.

"It was a nice ride we had," Nan said, "wasn't it, Bert?"

"Yes, it's great out on the lake. I wonder if we'll ever go camping as
we talked of when we were in New York?"

"Maybe. Let's tease mother to let us!"

"All right. You ask her and I'll ask father. There's one island in the
lake where----"

But Bert did not have a chance to finish what he was going to say, for
just then Flossie and Freddie, who had hurried on ahead, came running
back, surprise showing on their faces.

"Oh, Bert!" cried Freddie. "It's here! It's come!"

"Can we go to see it?" added Flossie. "Oh, I just want to!"

"What's here? What do you want to see? What is it?" asked Bert and Nan
together, taking turns at the questions.

"The circus is here!" answered Freddie.

"Circus?" asked Bert in surprise.

"Yep! We saw the wagons!" went on Flossie. "They're all red and yellow,
and they've got lookin' glasses all over the sides, and they have rumbly
wheels, like thunder, and horses with bells on and--and----"

"You'd better save a little of your breath to eat some of the good
things you think Dinah is going to cook for you," said Nan with a laugh,
as she put her arms around her small sister. "Now what is it all about?"

"It's a circus!" cried Freddie.

"We saw the wagons going along the street where our house is," added
Flossie. "All red and yellow and---- Oh, look!" she suddenly cried.
"There they are now!"

She pointed excitedly down the side street, on which the Bobbsey twins
then were, toward the main street of Lakeport, where the Bobbsey family
lived. Nan and Bert, as well as Flossie and Freddie, saw three or four
big wagons, gaily painte