CHAPTER XVII
THE SEARCHING PARTY
Every one at the fair grounds was anxious to help Mr. and Mrs. Bobbseyget back Flossie and Freddie, who had been carried off in the runawayballoon. The men who owned the big gas bag were the first to make theright sort of plans.
"The balloon is being blown over the lake," said Mr. Trench, the ownerof the big bag. "We must go in that direction."
"Over the lake!" cried Mrs. Bobbsey. "Oh, if they should fall in!"
"The balloon will float on the water," her husband told her. "Thechildren will be all right, I'm sure."
"Yes, indeed," agreed Mr. Trench. "Don't worry, lady. We'll get yourchildren back. The first thing to do is to go to the lake, and then wecan hire a motor-boat there."
"I'm going with you!" declared Mrs. Bobbsey, as she saw the preparationsbeing made for the searching party.
"I think you had better stay with Bert and Nan," said Mr. Bobbsey.
"Oh, we'll be all right!" Nan hastened to tell her father.
"Can't Harry and I come on the searching party?" asked Bert.
"No, I would rather not," his father answered. "You stay with yourmother and Nan."
"I simply am coming with you, Dick!" said Mrs. Bobbsey, and when shespoke in that tone her husband knew there was no use trying to get herto change her mind.
"Very well," agreed Mr. Bobbsey. "We will go to the lake in my auto. Mr.Trench knows where we can hire a motor-boat."
The lake, a large one, came within a few miles of the fair grounds. Theballoon man knew in which direction the water lay, and he had seen thewind carrying the big gas bag toward the water.
"Bert, you and Nan and Harry must go back to Meadow Brook Farm,"directed Mr. Bobbsey. "I'll see if I can't hire an auto to take youthere, as it is going to storm soon. It's sprinkling now."
"We'll take them back," offered a gentleman who had come to the fairwith his wife in their auto. "I know where Meadow Brook Farm is. We'lltake these children there."
"Thank you, very much," said Mr. Bobbsey. "And tell your uncle and auntwhat has happened, Bert. Tell them we expect to be home before nightwith Flossie and Freddie."
"Oh, if we only can be!" exclaimed Mrs. Bobbsey.
"We'll find the little ones all right--never fear!" said Mr. Trench. "Ifyou're ready now, we'll start."
So while Nan, Bert and Harry remained behind in charge of Mr. Blackford,who had offered to take them home in his automobile, Mr. and Mrs.Bobbsey, with some men who had charge of the balloon, started off to goto the lake, there to hire a boat and search for Flossie and Freddie.
"They're out of sight. How far away they must be!" sighed Mrs. Bobbsey,as she entered the automobile. She looked up, but could not see theballoon, so fast had it been blown away.
"They aren't so far as it seems," declared Mr. Trench. "It's gettingfoggy, and it's going to rain hard soon."
As Bert, Nan, and Harry were getting in Mr. Blackford's automobile to goto Meadow Brook Farm, Bob Guess came hurrying up through the rain. Themerry-go-round, as well as other amusements at the fair, had shut downon account of the storm.
"Where's your father?" asked Bob of Bert. "I've something to tell him.Where is he?"
"He's gone off after the balloon. Flossie and Freddie are in it," Nananswered.
"Whew! Those little children taking a balloon ride!" cried Bob. "How didthey dare?"
"It was an accident," Harry explained. "They didn't mean to."
"Well, tell your father I want to see him when he gets back," said Bob,as he hurried back to the merry-go-round. "I have something to tell himabout Mr. Blipper."
However, Bert and Nan had other things to think about then than aboutMr. Blipper. They were worried over what might happen to Flossie andFreddie.
Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey were hastening toward the lake. Mr.Bobbsey drove his car as fast as he dared through the storm. It was nowraining hard.
"How long would the balloon stay up in the air?" asked Mr. Bobbsey ofMr. Trench.
"It all depends. On a hot day, when the sun warms the gas, it would stayup a long time. But when it is cool, like this, and rains, it will notstay up so long. It will come down gently, and I am sure the childrenwill not be hurt."
As they drove along they stopped now and then to ask people if they hadseen the runaway balloon. Many had, and all said it was sailing towardthe lake.
When the lake was reached and a motor-boat had been found which wouldtake them out on the water, several men said they had seen the big gasbag beginning to go down near Hemlock Island, the largest island in thelake.
"If they have only landed there they may be all right," Mrs. Bobbseysaid. "Oh, hurry and get there, Dick!"
"We'll hurry all we can," her husband told her, as they got into theboat to continue the search. "But this is a bad storm. We must becareful."