even Mr. Bobbsey found it hard to imagine that
such a thing could happen.

But one look up at the swaying basket dangling from the runaway balloon
showed him the faces of Flossie and Freddie looking down at the earth
which seemed to be dropping away from them.

"Oh, my children! My children! Flossie! Freddie!" cried Mrs. Bobbsey,
tears streaming down her cheeks, as she raised her hands toward the
swiftly rising balloon.

"Get them down!"

"We'll catch 'em if they jump!"

"Get a ladder!"

"Have the man in the aeroplane go after them!"

These were some of the cries--foolish cries in some cases--that sounded
on all sides as Flossie and Freddie were carried away. For how could any
ladder be long enough to reach up to the balloon?

"Oh, can't we do something?" wailed Mrs. Bobbsey, holding to her
husband.

"We'll save them! We'll save Flossie and Freddie," said Mr. Bobbsey. Nan
was crying also, and Harry and Bert looked at each other with strange
faces. They didn't know what to do or say.

Mr. Bobbsey felt the wind blowing stronger and stronger and saw the
gathering storm. As he saw how fast the balloon was moving upward and
onward, away from the fair grounds, he, too, was much frightened.

"How did those children get in there?" asked one of the balloon men.

"They must have crawled in the basket when we weren't looking," answered
Mr. Bobbsey.

"Is there any way of saving my little children?" cried Mrs. Bobbsey.

"Now don't you worry," said the balloon man kindly. "They'll be all
right if they stay in the basket. The balloon hasn't all its gas in, and
it won't blow very far. It will soon come down to the ground."

"But won't they be killed?"

"No, a balloon comes down very gently when the gas gives out." said the
man. "It's almost like a parachute. Your children will come down like
feathers. We'll get up a searching party and go after them." He knew
there was great danger but he did not want to add to Mrs. Bobbsey's
fears.

"Oh, yes! Do something!" cried Mrs. Bobbsey. "We must save them!"

While down below there was all excitement and while a searching party
was getting ready to start out to rescue Flossie and Freddie, the two
little children themselves were safe enough in the balloon basket. That
is they were safe for the time being, for they could not fall unless
they climbed over the side of the basket, and they would hardly do this.
They were also safe from banging into anything, for they were now h