"Do you mean to say that my little
boy started a fire?"
"Oh, nothing as bad as that!" said the captain, and he smiled down on
Freddie who smiled up at him in return. "No, all your little boy did was
to ring the fire alarm bell and then call out 'Fire!' But of course that
was enough to start things going, and we had quite a good deal of
excitement for a time. But it's all right now, and I think he won't do
it again."
"Just what did he do?" asked Mrs. Bobbsey, as Freddie came over to stand
beside his mother. He looked rather ashamed.
"Well, on the deck, back of the wheel-house, which is the little place
where I or my men stand to steer the boat, there is a fire alarm bell.
It's there for any one to ring who finds the boat on fire, and when the
bell is rung all my firemen hurry to put out the blaze," said the
captain.
"Now this little chap of yours went up and rang that bell, and then he
cried out 'Fire,' as I've told you. Then--well, lots of things happened.
But I couldn't help laughing when I found out it was a false alarm, and
learned just why Freddie, as he tells me his name is, rang the bell."
"And why was that?" asked Mr.
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