"Oh, can't we see if; whatever it is?" begged Nan.
"First I'll have to make sure there is a fire," replied Mr. Bobbsey. "I hope there isn't. But, if there should be a small one, and the firemen on the boat are putting it out, and if they let us get near enough to see, and if the smoke isn't too thick———"
"Oh, Daddy! Not so many 'ifs,' please!" laughed Nan.
The Bobbseys all laughed at this, as did Nell and Billy.
"Freddie would like to see the fire, if there is one," remarked Nell Martin.
"Oh, that's sol Where is Freddie?" cried Bert.
Then, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey noticed that the little blue-eyed and light-haired boy was not with them.
But at that moment around the corner of a deck cabin came a man wearing a cap with gold braid around the edge. He was smiling and leading by the hand a little boy. And the little boy was Freddie!
"Oh, there he is!" crieil Flossie. "Freddie,
