.

"Oh, I'm so afraid he'll go in the pond!" Nan told Aunt Sarah almost in
tears.

"Bill would sit down first," declared Aunt Sarah, who knew her horse to
be an intelligent animal.

"Oh! oh! oh!" screamed everybody, for the horse had crossed from the
road into the little field that lay next the water.

"Whoa, Bill!" shouted Aunt Sarah at the top of her voice, and instantly
the horse stood still.

The next minute both Bert and Harry were in the wagon beside Sandy.

"Can't I drive?" asked the little fellow innocently, while Harry was
backing out of the swamp.

"You certainly made Bill go," Harry admitted, all out of breath from
running.

"And you gave us a good run too," added Bert, who was red in the face
from his violent exercise.

"Bill knew ma meant it when she said whoa!" Harry remarked to Bert. "I
tell you, he stopped just in time, for a few feet further would have
sunk horse, wagon, and all in the swamp."

Of course it was all an accident, for Sandy had no idea of starting the
horse off, so no one blamed him when they got back to the road.

"We'll all get in this time," laughed Aunt Sarah to the matron. "And
I'll send the boys over Sunday to let you know how Sandy is."

"Oh, he will be all right with Freddie!" Bert said, patting the little
stranger on the shoulders. "We will take good care of him."

It was a pleasant ride back to the Bobbsey farm, and all enjoyed
it--especially Sandy, who had gotten the idea he was a first-class
driver and knew all about horses, old Bill, in particular.

"Hurrah! hurrah!" shouted Freddie, when the wagon turned in the drive.
"I knowed you would come, Sandy!" and the next minute the two little
boys were hand in hand running up to the barn to see Frisky, Snoop, the
chickens, ducks, pigeons, and everything at once.

Sandy was a little city boy and knew nothing about real live country
life, so that everything seemed quite wonderful to him, especially the
chickens and ducks. He was rather afraid of anything as big as Frisky.

Snoop and Fluffy were put through their circus tricks for the
stranger's benefit, and then Freddie let Sandy turn on his trapeze up
under the apple tree and showed him all the different kinds of turns
Bert and Harry had taught the younger twin how to perform on the swing.

"How long can you stay?" Freddie asked his little friend, while they
were swinging.

"I don't know," Sandy replied vaguely.

"Maybe you could go to the seashore with us," F