"Oh, I didn't take hold of one of his tooths away back in his mouth," explained Freddie, "it was the long tooth-pick tooth that stuck out under his nose." "He means the elephant's tusk," explained Bert with a laugh. "Oh, Freddie! I hope you weren't in any danger!" his mother cried. "What an escape he had!" sighed Aunt Sarah. "Suppose an elephant had eaten him!" "Pooh! Elephants don't eat anything but hay," said Freddie, who, of course, did not mean to be impolite, speaking to his aunt that way. "Frank told me so," he went on, "and I saw them eat hay. They eat a awful lot, and one of them took all my peanuts." "Well, I'll buy you some more," said Uncle Daniel with a laugh. "You deserve it after the trouble you have had--getting lost and all that." "I--I wasn't losted!" declared Freddie again. "I knew--" "Oh, look at the balloons!" cried Flossie, as she saw a man outside the circus grounds selling the red, green and yellow gas-bags. "I want one, mamma!" cried the little girl. "And so do I!" added Freddie, forgetting what he was going to say about not being lost "I want a balloon!" They each had one, and then the children and older folks took their places in the wagon, and soon were on their way to Meadow Brook farm again, talking over the wonderful good time they had had. "I'm coming to the circus to-morrow," announced Freddie, as though going to circuses was all there was to do in this world. "The circus won't be there," said Bert. "Won't be there? Where will it go?" asked Freddie, wonderingly. "It will travel to the next town," Bert went on. "A circus stays in a town only one day, unless it's a very big place. This show will be far away by this time to-morrow." "And will Frank be away, too?" asked [Illustration: UP, UP, UP, WENT THE RED AND BLUE BALLOONS] Flossie. "I like Frank, 'cause he found Freddie." "Yes, Frank will be away, too, poor boy," said Mrs. Bobbsey, "that is, if he stays with the circus. I wish Richard could do something for him," she went on to Uncle Daniel and Aunt Sarah. "I feel sure that boy ought to be back in his guardian's home." "But he said Mr. Mason was cruel to him," declared Aunt Sarah. "Perhaps he wouldn't be any more," remarked Mrs. Bobbsey, wondering how anyone could be really cruel to children. She loved her twins very much. "Well, I'se glad mah honey lamb am safe!" murmured Dinah, as she cuddled Freddie up in her big arms. "Oh--oh, Dinah!" cried the little fellow with a laugh. "You squeeze me like an elephant's trunk!" "Dat's 'cause I lubs yo', honey lamb!" went on the dear old colored woman. Back to Meadow Brook in the cool of the evening came the Bobbseys and their friends. Tom and Mabel declared they had never had such a good time, and as for Freddie and Flossie they were too busy playing with their toy balloons to say much. But you may be sure they had enjoyed themselves, and Freddie forgot all about being lost.