out in the yard
playing. If you don't see him let me know. Meanwhile, I'll be searching
around here for him, and I'll get some of the men to look with me."

"All right," agreed James, hurrying off. While he was gone Mr. Bobbsey
looked around the many lumber piles near the bundles of shingles where
Freddie had last been seen. But no little boy was in sight, being, as we
know, fast asleep, with the big yard cat, under the pile of boards which
had fallen in the shape of a little play-house.

"This is queer," thought Mr. Bobbsey. "Freddie never goes home by
himself after he has come to see me without telling me that he is going.
I wonder where he is."

Mr. Bobbsey looked and called Freddie's name, but the little fellow,
being sound asleep, did not hear.

Then Mr. Bobbsey told several of his men about the little lost boy, and
they began searching for him. No one thought of looking under the pile
of boards, for there were many such in the yard. And so Freddie remained
hidden.

When he was not to be found Mr. Bobbsey grew more and more anxious, and
he hoped that James would come back to say that Freddie was safe at
home.

But when the watchman came back he said:

"Your other children are playing in the yard of your house, Mr. Bobbsey.
Bert, Nan and Flossie are there. But Freddie isn't with them."

"Maybe he is in the house, getting something to eat," said Mr. Bobbsey.

"No, I hardly think so," answered James, "for when I was going past the
house, on the other side of the street so they wouldn't see me, a little
boy, who plays with Freddie, came running along. He called to Nan, this
other little boy did, to know where Freddie was."

"And what did Nan say?"

"She said Freddie was down at the lumber yard."

"Then he can't have gone home, or Nan would know it. He must be around
here somewhere. I--I hope he didn't go near the lake. And yet he might,
with his idea of boats."

"Oh, I don't believe he would do _that_, Mr. Bobbsey," said James.
"We'll find him."

Mr. Bobbsey and the men scattered through the lumber yard, looking on
all sides of the many piles. But still no one thought of looking under
the boards that had slid off the stack upon which Freddie had climbed.
For it did not seem as though any one could be beneath them.

"Well, I don't know what to do," said Mr. Bobbsey, after a bit. "I guess
I'll blow the big fire whistle, and get all the men from the shops and
every place to help us look. This is too bad