CHAPTER I
RUNAWAY HORSE
“WOW! Look at this snowdrift, Flossie!” exclaimed six-year-old Freddie Bobbsey, peering over the porch railing of their home.
“Oh, let’s play in it!” his sister suggested.
The golden-haired, six-year-old twins exchanged mischievous glances, their blue eyes dancing with excitement.
“Last one in is a turkey!” Freddie shouted, climbing onto the low railing. He stood atop it for a moment, balancing unsteadily while Flossie scrambled up. But she was too late.
With a cry of, “You’re the turkey, Floss!” he plunged feet first into the fluffy white mass and disappeared!
Flossie jumped in after her twin, holding her nose and shutting her eyes tight. Quickly Freddie scrambled out of the drift, laughing and blowing snowflakes from his face. Then Flossie followed, shaking the snow from her curls.
As Freddie packed a snowball, Flossie sneaked past him, crying, “I’ll bet I’ll beatyou this time!”
Flossie raced up the front porch steps of the comfortable, rambling house. Climbing onto the railing again, she was about to plunge into the drift when she saw that Freddie was still standing where she had left him.
“Wait, Flossie!” cried her twin, cocking his head to the right. He was listening to a jingling sound which cut through the frosty morning air.
“Oh, sleigh bells!” Flossie exclaimed.
The noise grew louder. A moment later they saw a jet-black horse drawing an old-fashioned sleigh trotting down the street. The sleigh was full of gift-wrapped packages.
An elderly man in a heavy red jacket, but no hat, sat very erect on the front seat, holding the reins to which sleigh bells were attached.
“Santa Claus!” Freddie cried, as the wind blew the man’s white hair in a cloud about his head.
The sleigh had a high, curved back and low sides. In contrast to its black body the seat upholstery and runners were a bright red.
Freddie and Flossie, curious to see where it was going, ran down the walk of their home and along the street. Halfway down the block the driver reined in and stopped before a house. He selected several packages from the rear of the sleigh and went around to the back door.
“This is really like Christmas,” said Flossie. She counted on her fingers. “And it’s only one week off !”
Freddie grinned. “Not even one whole week of school!” he said.
The little boy had not taken his eyes from the coal-black mare standing near the curb. The horse was pawing the snow and tossing her head as if she were impatient to be off. Suddenly a snowball whizzed through the air and hit the horse bang on the side of the head. She whinnied loudly, then with a jerk started off down the street.
“She’s running away!” cried Freddie excitedly.
The small twins started after the horse, yelling, “Whoa! Whoa!”
The animal paid no attention. Other children playing on their lawns and a couple of women along the street also called to the horse. But she did not stop.
“She’ll—she’ll run into somebody!” Flossie gasped worriedly.
At this very moment they saw three children coming up the street. “Bert and Nan, and Charlie Mason!” Freddie exclaimed. Bert and Nan were the twelve-year-old Bobbsey twins. Charlie Mason was Bert’s best friend.
“Oh, look!” Flossie yelled. “Oh!”
Charlie and Bert had run out into the street and were dancing around, waving their arms wildly, trying to stop the horse. The animal zigzagged from side to side and slowed down but did not stop.
Flossie, terrified now, put her hands over her eyes and refused to look. But Freddie watched the scene in fascination. Bert and Charlie separated, one going to each side of the runaway horse. Each grabbed the bridle strap near the bit and hung on. First they would run a few steps, then swing their feet up off the snow. putting their full weight on the horse’s bit.
“Whoa! Whoa!” Bert kept yelling.
The pull on the animal’s mouth hurt her very much, and it was not long before she stopped running. Bert now jumped into the sleigh, and Charlie threw him the reins, which were dragging on the ground.
“Oh, boys, that was terrific!” Nan Bobbsey exclaimed, rushing up. The slim, dark-haired, brown-eyed girl began to stroke the horse’s head, and in a short while the animal was quiet.
At that moment there was a worried shout from down the street, and the white-haired sleigh owner rushed up.
“What’s going on here?” he cried. “What happened to Daisy?”
Everyone talked at once, and the owner of the horse and sleigh looked confused. But gradually the story was pieced together.
The man nodded his head sharply, then turned to Bert, who stepped from the sleigh. “You stopped Daisy, did you?” he said.
“Charlie and I, yes, sir,” was the answer.
The elderly man hesitated a moment, his pale blue eyes staring intently at Bert. “I’ve seen you around Lakeport before,” he finally said. “Your name is—”
“Bert Bobbsey.”
“Richard Bobbsey’s son?”
Bert nodded proudly and introduced Nan and the smaller twins.
The man walked toward his sleigh, then turned again to the children. “You know,” he mused, “it’s been five years since a Bobbsey has come into my life. Yet today the Bobbseys have done me a favor for the second time.”
Nan and Bert exchanged puzzled glances, as the owner added, “Wonder if this’ll be the last time, or—”
“I beg your pardon, sir?” Bert queried.
“What for?” was the blunt return.
Bert flushed. “I mean I don’t understand. You said it’s been five years—”
“Yes, yes,” the man muttered. “But forget I said that.” A sad, thoughtful look crossed his seamed face.
Nan glanced at Bert. “Why is he acting so mysterious?” she thought.
Bert shook his head, thinking, “I wonder why he drives that old-fashioned sleigh? And why does he look so sad at times?”
Freddie was more blunt and said aloud, “You’re a mystery Santa Claus. Why?”
At this the man threw back his head and laughed. “Oh, not so mysterious,” he said. “I just like to exercise Daisy, and it’s fun delivering Christmas packages this way.”
Still the old gentleman did not give his name. Instead, he put his hands on Bert’s and Charlie’s shoulders and said:
“Forgive me. I haven’t properly thanked you boys for stopping Daisy. It was a brave thing to do, and I want you to have this.”
He pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and slipped it into Bert’s hand, then turned away and climbed into his sleigh.
Opening his hand, Bert spread out the piece of paper. It was a five-dollar bill!
Charlie and the Bobbseys gasped. Quickly Bert called to the old gentleman who had gathered the reins and was about to drive away.
“Wait, sir! We can’t accept this,” he cried. “We were glad we could stop your horse.”
“That’s all right,” was the reply. A twinkle came into the man’s penetrating eyes. “If you can’t accept it for yourself, use the money for a Christmas treat for your friends.”
“Well, in that case,” Bert said, smiling, “we’ll be glad to accept it Thanks very much, Mr.—er—”
But Bert’s attempt to learn the old gentleman’s name met with no success. Either the man had not heard or did not wish to tell his name, for he shook the reins sharply and sped off.
“Well, can you beat that!” Charlie Mason exclaimed. “Does anyone know who he is?”
“I do,” said a young woman standing nearby. “That’s Jess Carford. He owns Snow Lodge, at the other end of Lake Metoka.”
Nan asked if she knew why Mr. Carford drove the old-fashioned sleigh. “Yes,” she said. “During the Christmas season Mr. Carford uses it to deliver toys and candy to certain children in Lakeport who are less fortunate than others. He has done it every year since I can remember.”
“Then he is a kind of Santa Claus,” Flossie spoke up. “But why does he look so sad sometimes?”
The young woman hesitated a moment, then replied, “I was told that there was some mystery in connection with Snow Lodge. I know Mr. Carford doesn’t live there now. But I’ve never heard why.”
At the mention of a mystery, the four Bobbseys exchanged glances. Here was exciting news!
The twins hurried home, thinking their mother could explain the mystery. Reaching the house, they learned that Mr. Bobbsey had phoned from his office that he had been called away on a business trip. The twins’ father owned a large lumberyard located on the shore of Lake Metoka. He frequently went out of town to purchase lumber.
“But Daddy will be home for Christmas next week, won’t he?” Flossie asked worriedly. “Yes, indeed,” replied the pretty mother of four children.
Bert told her about Mr. Carford, but she knew little more than they had already heard. She did say, however, that she thought the mystery in connection with Snow Lodge concerned Mr. Carford’s family.
“Perhaps he doesn’t want to talk about it,” Mrs. Bobbsey added gravely. “If you see him again, I think it would be best not to mention it unless he does.”
In a little while Dinah, the jolly woman who helped Mrs. Bobbsey with the house work, announced that lunch was ready. Dinah and Sam, her husband, who drove a truck at the lumberyard, had had rooms on the third floor ever since the twins could remember. The whole family was very fond of the couple.
“Chicken soup with rice, and biscuits to go with it,” said Dinah with a grin.
“Whoopee!” cried Freddie.
The children hurried to wash their hands, then went to the table. An hour later they asked their mother’s permission to go coasting on the park hill.
“Go ahead, but dress warmly,” she said.
A little later, the four Bobbseys were climbing King’s Hill, a long, steep slope located on the outskirts of town.
“Crowded today, isn’t it?” Nan remarked as a group of children on sleds, skis, and toboggans whizzed past them on the downward slope.
“Oh-oh, here comes Danny Rugg on that flashy new toboggan of his,” said Bert.
“He must have a million boys on that thing!” Freddie exclaimed.
“Gracious, he’s steering it this way, and all the boys are leaning to the left,” Nan said in alarm. “Let’s get out of the way!”
“And fast,” said Bert.
Freddie, several yards away, had kneeled down to refasten the buckle on his snow boot and had not heard Bert’s warning.
“Freddie! Freddie!” Nan called. “Watch out!”
The small boy looked up just in time to see the toboggan racing toward him.