"That's quite a fair. Lots of attractions I hear. A merry-go-round, a balloon, airships, and auto races. I'd go myself if I had time." As Bert and his father reached the hotel a little later they heard loud talking coming from the sitting room where they had left Mrs. Bobbsey and the children. The voice of an angry man was saying: "Well, I tell you I'm going to have that boy back! He ran away from me! I'm his legally appointed guardian, and I want him back! You come along with me, Bob Guess!" Then Mrs. Bobbsey said firmly: "Mr. Blipper, you shall not take this boy away until my husband comes back. Mr. Bobbsey wants to see you. You can't take Bob away like this. I won't let you. If necessary I'll call a policeman. You must wait until my husband comes back!" "I'm not going to wait! I'm going to take that boy now!" cried the angry man, as Bert and his father hurried in. CHAPTER IX THE BIG SWING Mr. Bobbsey and Bert now looked on a rather sad scene in the hotel sitting room. On one side of the apartment stood Mr. Blipper, having hold of the coat collar of Bob Guess. And Bob was crying again. On the other side of the room stood Mrs. Bobbsey with Nan, Flossie, and Freddie close to her. At one end of the room, looking in through the door, was the good-natured but easy-going proprietor of the hotel and some of the servants. "What is going on here?" asked Mr. Bobbsey. "I'm going away, if that's what you mean!" snapped out Mr. Blipper in angry tones. "I traced this runaway adopted son of mine here, and I'm taking him back with me. This lady says I can't!" "I told him to wait until you came back," said Mrs. Bobbsey. "I didn't want him to take poor Bob away. I don't believe he has any right to take him." "I don't know who you are!" spluttered the angry Mr. Blipper. "But you haven't any right to stop me." "This lady is my wife," said Mr. Bobbsey, and he spoke in such a way that Mr. Blipper at once lost some of his bluster. "She has the same right that any one has to inquire into something he thinks is wrong." "But this isn't wrong!" cried Mr. Blipper. "I have a right to this boy. I adopted him legally, I did! I gave him a name when he didn't have any before. Bob Guess I call him, 'cause I had to guess at his name. I took him out of an orphan asylum and give him a good home!" "Home!" cried Bob Guess. "You didn't give me any _home_! You keep dragging me all over the country with that merry-go-round! I haven't any home except sleepin' in a truck." "You were glad enough to come with me!" sneered Mr. Blipper. "Anyway, I'm sick of it. That's why I ran away." "Well, you're going to run back again!" said Mr. Blipper, grimly, as he gave the boy a shake. "Wait a minute," said Mr. Bobbsey. "Have you a legal right to this boy?" "That's what I have. I expected some such question would be asked of me, and I brought along my papers. There they are. You can look 'em over for yourself."