"Oh, we'll have more good times," said Bert, as he and Harry walked
along with the fish they had caught. Their chum, Tom Mason, had two
smaller ones.
There were days of work and play on the farm, and Harry had his share
of tasks to perform. Bert helped him all he could. One day, when the
boys and girls had counted on going out rowing on a little lake not
far from Meadow Brook, it rained. When they arose in the morning,
ready for their fun, the big drops were splashing down.
"Oh, we can't go!" sighed Freddie. "I don't like rain!"
"I thought all firemen liked water," his father said, with a laugh.
"This is too much water!" went on the little chap. "We can't have any
fun."
"Oh, yes, we can," said Harry. "We can go out in the barn and play in
the hay. The big barn is full of new hay now, and we can slide down
the mow and play hide and go seek in it."
"That will be great!" exclaimed Bert. "Come on."
Snap, the dog, must have thought he was also invited, for he ran out
barking, with the children. Umbrellas kept the rain off them until
they reached the barn, and then began a good time.
They went to the top of the big pile of fragrant hay in the mow, and
slid down it to the barn floor, where a carpet of more hay made a soft
place on which to fall. Snap slid with the rest, barking and wagging
his tail every minute.
"Now let's play hide and go seek!" suggested Harry after a bit. "I'll
'blind' and when I say 'ready or not, I'm coming,' I'm going to start
to find you."
The game began. Harry closed his eyes, so he would not see where the
others hid, and Nan, Bert and the rest of them picked out spots in the
hay, and about the barn where they thought Harry could not see them.
But Harry knew the old barn well, and he easily found Bert. Then he
spied Nan and Flossie, hiding together. A little later he discovered
where Tom Mason and Mabel Herold were.
"Now I've only to find Freddie," said the country cousin. But Freddie
was not so easy to find. Harry looked all over but could not locate
him.
"There are so many holes in the barn," the country boy said, "and
Freddie is so small, that I guess I'd better give him up. I'll let him
come in free. Givey-up! Givey-up!" he called. "Come on in free,
Freddie."
But Freddie did not answer. They all kept quiet, but all they could
hear was the patter of rain drops on the barn roof.
"Freddie! Freddie! Freddie! Where are you?" cried Nan.
"Come on in free!" added Harry.
"Come on, little fat fireman," went on Bert. "Harry won't tag you, and
you can hide again."
But Freddie's childish voice did not reply. The boys and girls looked
anxiously at one another.
"Where's Freddie?" asked Flossie, and her lips began to tremble as
they did just before she started to cry.
"Oh, we'll find him," said Bert, easily.
"Yes, he's probably hiding so far off he can't hear us," went on
Harry.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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