"I didn't sneeze any more than you giggled!" cried Flossie. "And, anyhow,
I couldn't help it. That fuzzy blanket----"

"Of course, that was it!" laughed the captain. "Never mind. No harm has
been done, and you shall have a ride back home. Though I think, for the
sake of your folks, I'll send you back in a taxicab, instead of in this
patrol auto, and with an officer in plain clothes, instead of one wearing
a uniform. It will look better at the hotel," he explained to his men.

"Sure," was their answer.

And so the two little Bobbsey twins and Laddie were given a ride to the
precinct station house in the big automobile patrol, and they sat on the
laps of the kindly policemen.

Quite a crowd of children gathered around the doors of the police station
as Flossie, Freddie and Laddie were lifted out of the automobile, and
there were all sorts of stories told about them. Some believed the
children had been rescued from the fire; others that they had been taken
from a robbers' cave, and still others that these were the children, who,
playing with matches, had caused the fire.

But all these guesses were wrong, as we know, Flossie, Freddie and Laddie
had just gone for a ride, and they had one, though it did not turn out
exactly as they expected. However, they had a good time.

It did not take the police captain long to find out that what Freddie had
said was true--that the three youngsters lived at the Parkview Hotel.

"Your aunt has been looking all over for you," said the captain to Laddie,
after telephoning. "I sent word that I'd soon have you safely back, and
you mustn't run away again."

"I asked him to," said Freddie, telling the truth like a little man. "I
asked him and Flossie to come."

"Well, next time you'd better ask before you crawl into a police
automobile," said the captain, with a laugh. "You can't always tell where
it is going. However, no harm is done this time. Come and see me again,"
he added.

Then the captain called a taxicab and sent the children to the hotel in
charge of one of his policemen, who did not wear a uniform. This was done
so no crowd would gather in front of the hotel to stare at Freddie,
Flossie and Laddie, as would have happened if a policeman in uniform, with
his bright brass buttons, had gone with them.

"Oh, Laddie! how could you do it and worry me so?" cried Mrs. Whipple,
when her little nephew had come back to the hotel with the Bobbsey twins.

"I asked him," said Freddie,