Mr. Bobbsey had been out a dozen times to the police headquarters and to the lake front. A report had come in that a boy looking like Freddie had been seen on the ice early in the evening, and he did not know but what the little fellow might have wandered in that direction. When the telephone bell rang Mr. Bobbsey had just come in from another fruitless search. Both he and his wife ran to the telephone. "Hullo!" came over the wire. "Is this Mr. Bobbsey's house?" "It is," answered the gentleman quickly. "What do you want? Have you any news?" "I've found your little boy, sir," came back the reply. "He is safe and sound with me." "And who are you?" "The night watchman at the department store. He went to sleep here, that's all." At this news all were overjoyed. "Let me speak to him," said Mrs. Bobbsey eagerly. "Freddie dear, are you there?" she asked. "Yes, mamma," answered Freddie, into the telephone. "And I want to come home." "You shall, dear. Papa shall come for you at once." "Oh, he's found! He's found!" shrieked Nan. "Aren't you glad, Bert?" "Of course I am," answered Bert. "But I can't understand how he happened to go to sleep in such a lively store as that." "He must have walked around until he got tired," replied Nan. "You know Freddie can drop off to sleep very quickly when he gets tired." As soon as possible Mr. Bobbsey drove around to the department store in his sleigh. The watchman and Freddie were on the look-out for him, the little boy with the kitten still in his arms. "Oh, papa!" cried Freddie. "I am so glad you have come! I--I don't want to go to sleep here again!" The watchman's story was soon told, and Mr. Bobbsey made him happy by presenting him with a two-dollar bill. "The little chap would have been even more lonely if it hadn't been for the kitten," said the man. "He wanted to keep the thing, so I told him to do it." "And I'm going to," said Freddie proudly. "It's just the dearest kitten in the world." And keep the kitten he did. It soon grew to be a big, fat cat and was called Snoop. By the time home was reached, Freddie was sleepy again. But he speedily woke up when his mamma and the others embraced him, and then he had to tell the story of his adventure from end to end. "I do not know as I shall take you with me again," said Mrs. Bobbsey. "You have given us all a great scare." "Oh, mamma, I won't leave you like that again," cried Freddie quickly. "Don't like to be in the dark 'tall," he added. "Oh, it must have been awful," said Flossie. "Didn't you see any--any ghosts?" "Barrels of them," said Freddie, nodding his head sleepily. "But they didn't touch me. Guess they was sleepy, just like me." And then he dropped off and had to be put to bed; and that was the end of this strange happening. CHAPTER XI THE CRUISE OF THE "ICE BIRD"