The Bobbsey twins, with Harry, were out in the cornfield gathering ears of corn to feed to the hogs and chickens. The corn had been cut and stacked into piles called "shocks," and it was from the stalks in these shocks that the ears of yellow corn were broken off and placed in baskets to be taken to the house. "Let's play hide and go seek for a while," suggested Nan to her brother and Harry. "Flossie and Freddie are over there by themselves, shelling corn." The smaller twins had been given a little basket, and they were now busy breaking off kernels of corn from some small ears, and dropping the corn into their basket. "For the chickies," Flossie had explained. So while the smaller twins were thus "kept out of mischief," as Nan said, she, with Bert and Harry, began a game of hide and go seek. It was lots of fun, dodging in and out among the tall corn shocks, which rose above the children's heads. The game went on for some time, until even Bert and Harry said they were tired. "Well, we'll take the corn up to the house," announced Nan. "Come, Flossie and Freddie," she called. Freddie came up, carrying the basket of shelled corn, but Flossie was not with him. "Where's your sister?" asked Harry. "Who, Flossie? Oh, she went away. She said she was going home," Freddie answered. "She went home a good while ago!" "Went home!" echoed Nan, with a gasping breath. "Why, she never could find the way all by herself. Oh, maybe she's lost!" CHAPTER XIV FREDDIE AND THE PUMPKIN The cornfield where the Bobbsey twins and Harry had gone to work and play was a long distance from the farmhouse. Nan knew this, and that is why she was frightened when Freddie said that Flossie had "gone home." "Maybe she could find her way," said Bert. "She's a smart little girl," added Harry. "I wish I had a sister like her." "How long ago did she leave you, Freddie?" asked Nan. "Oh, 'bout maybe three four hours," answered the little boy. "We haven't been here an hour!" exclaimed Bert. "Well, maybe it was minutes, then," admitted Freddie. He did not have a very good idea of time, you see. "If it was only a little while ago she can't have gone very far," said Nan. "Flossie! Flossie!" she called. "Where are you?" But there was no answer. Bert and Harry then took up the call, as they had louder voices than had Nan, and even Freddie added his shout, but it was of no use. Flossie did not answer. "I guess she's too far away," Harry stated. "We'd better hurry after her!" said Bert. "Oh, come on!" cried Nan, half sobbing. "Mother told me to keep good watch over her, and I didn't! I shouldn't have played hide and go seek!" "It wasn't your fault!" her brother consoled her. "It was as much mine as yours. But we'll find Flossie all right. I guess she's home by this time." But when they had hurried to the farmhouse there was no sign of the little girl. Mrs. Bobbsey became much frightened when told what had happened.