"One hour more," said Mr. Bobbsey, consulting his watch. "Let's have a game of ball, Nan?" suggested Bert, who never traveled without a tennis ball in his pocket. "How could we?" the sister inquired. "Easily," said Bert. "We'll make up a new kind of game. We will start in the middle of the car, at the two center seats, and each move a seat away at every catch. Then, whoever misses first must go back to center again, and the one that gets to the end first, wins." "All right," agreed Nan, who always enjoyed her twin brother's games. "We will call it Railroad Tennis." Just as soon as Nan and Bert took their places, the other passengers became very much interested. There is such a monotony on trains that the sports the Bobbseys introduced were welcome indeed. We do not like to seem proud, but certainly these twins did look pretty. Nan with her fine back eyes and red cheeks, and Bert just matching her; only his hair curled around, while hers fell down. Their interest in Railroad Tennis made their faces all the prettier, and no wonder the people watched them so closely. Freddie was made umpire, to keep him out of a more active part, because he might do damage with a ball in a train, his mother said; so, as Nan and Bert passed the ball, he called,--his father prompting him: "Ball one!" "Ball two!" "Ball three!" Bert jerked with a sudden jolt of the train and missed. "Striker's out!" called the umpire, while everybody laughed because the boy had missed first. Then Bert had to go all the way back to center, while Nan was four seats down. Three more balls were passed, then Nan missed. "I shouldn't have to go all the way back for the miss," protested Nan. "You went three seats back, so I'll go three back." This was agreed to by the umpire, and the game continued. A smooth stretch of road gave a good chance for catching, and both sister and brother kept moving toward the doors now, with three points "to the good" for Nan, as a big boy said. Who would miss now? Everybody waited to see. The train struck a curve! Bert threw a wild ball and Nan missed it. "Foul ball!" called the umpire, and Bert did not dispute it. Then Nan delivered the ball. "Oh, mercy me!" shrieked the old lady, who had thrown the handbag at Downy, the duck, "my glasses!" and there, upon the floor, lay the pieces. Nan's ball had hit the lady right in the glasses, and it was very lucky they did not break until they came in contact with the floor. "I'm so sorry!" Nan faltered. "The car jerked so I could not keep it." "Never mind, my dear," answered the nice old lady, "I just enjoyed that game as much as you did, and if I hadn't stuck my eyes out so, they would not have met your ball. So, it's all right. I have another pair in my bag." So the game ended with the accident, for it was now time to gather up the baggage for the last stop. CHAPTER IV NIGHT IN A BARN