d her brother. "They tumbled out when we did. I can see
some of 'em mixed up with the blankets and other things."

When the bumping of the balloon basket had spilled out Flossie and
Freddie it had also toppled out the supply of food and the tools and
instruments the balloon men had intended using on their sail through the
air.

"Let's get 'em before the rain soaks 'em all up," suggested Flossie, for
the rain was now pouring down on everything.

"I guess that balloon won't be any good any more," said Freddie, as he
looked at the big gas bag, now almost empty and tangled in the trees and
bushes.

"No, I guess we won't ever get another ride in it," agreed Flossie.

That part was true enough; but, later, the balloon men took the bag from
the island, mended the holes in it, and went up in many a flight from
other fair grounds.

Gathering up some of the spilled food gave Flossie and Freddie something
to do, and, for a time, they forgot about the rain pouring down. But it
was the kind of rain one could not easily forget for very long, and
after putting some tin boxes of crackers under an overhanging stump,
to keep the food dry, and after eating some, Flossie exclaimed:

"Oh, I don't like it to be so wet!" Then she wept a little.

Freddie did not like it, either, but he made up his mind he must be
brave and not cry. Not that Flossie could not be brave, too, but she
didn't just then happen to think of it.

"I know what we can do!" Freddie exclaimed. "We can wrap the rubber
blanket around us, and that will be like an umbrella--almost!"

"Oh, yes!" cried Flossie! "That will keep us from getting wet!"

And the rubber blanket turned out to be a fairly good umbrella. It was
large enough for Flossie and Freddie to put over their shoulders and
walk under. And it was while they were thus walking through the woods,
wondering what would happen next and if their father and mother would
ever find them, that Freddie saw something.

"Oh, Flossie! There's a house!" he shouted.

"Where?" demanded the little girl.

"Right over there! Among the trees! Down near the shore!"

Freddie pointed and Flossie, looking, saw dimly through the fog the
outlines of some sort of building.

"Let's go there and they can telephone to daddy that we're here," said
Flossie. "I guess we're all right now. And maybe Bert and Nan will wish
they'd come on a balloon ride with us."

"Maybe," agreed Freddie, as he tramped along with his sister under the