Part 21 (1/2)

Flossie and Freddie still thought the big baskets would be best, but their mother told them to do as Bert said, and finally the four twins started off down the road, each one carrying a cloth salt bag.

About a mile from the Bobbsey home was a patch of woodland, in which were a number of chestnut trees.

”Oh, look! There goes Charley Mason!” called Nan to Bert as they were walking along the road. ”I believe he's going chestnutting, too.”

”It looks so,” returned Bert. ”I say, Charley!” he called, ”are you going to the woods?”

”Yes,” came the answer.

”Come along with us,” cried Bert.

”All right,” Charley answered. ”I promised to call for Nellie Parks and her brother George, though.”

”We'll stop and get them on our way past their house,” said Nan, ”and then we'll all go on together.”

”It will be a regular party; won't it?” cried Freddie.

”It surely will,” laughed Nan.

”Only we haven't anything to eat,” said Flossie.

”We can eat chestnuts,” declared Freddie.

”Too many of them, raw, before they are boiled or roasted, aren't good for you,” said Nan. ”So be careful.”

Charley Mason crossed the street to join the Bobbsey twins, and a little later they reached the house where Nellie Parks and her brother lived.

These two were on the steps waiting.

”Oh, h.e.l.lo, Nan!” cried Nellie. ”I didn't expect to see you. Charley said he'd stop for us, but I'm glad you did, too. The Bobbseys are going with us, Mother,” Nellie called back to her mother who was looking out of a window.

”It's a regular chestnutting party,” said Flossie.

”Only we haven't anything to eat,” added Freddie, and all the others laughed.

”That's so!” exclaimed Nellie's brother George, who was older than any of the others. ”It isn't much of a party, even to go after chestnuts, unless you have something to eat. Wait a minute.”

He hurried back into the house, and soon came out with a pasteboard box.

”What's in there?” asked his sister.

”Lunch for the chestnutting party,” George answered. ”Now you won't have to worry, Flossie and Freddie.”

”That's nice!” said the two little twins in a chorus.

Together the children walked down the street, past Mr. Bobbsey's lumber yard, and then they were out in a part of the city where there were very few houses. It was almost like the country. A little later they came to the woods. The woods were on both sides of a broad road, and before the children reached the clump of trees they could see other boys and girls scurrying around, poking in among the leaves on the ground to get the nuts which had fallen down when the frost cracked open the burrs.

”I hope they'll leave some for us,” said Nellie Parks.

”Oh, I guess there will be plenty,” returned her brother.

The Bobbsey twins and their friends hurried into the woods. Flossie and Freddie were the first to begin poking among the leaves with sticks which they picked up.