“Yes, poor Uncle Jack doesn’t have a very happy life,” said Mr. Bobbsey.  “I must see what we can do to help him.”

Little was talked of in the Bobbsey home that afternoon and evening but the adventure with the ice-boat, and what had happened to Flossie and Freddie when it ran away with them.

The next day Bert and Tommy Todd got the Bird back and had fine times sailing in it.  Flossie and Freddie, as well as some of their friends, were also given rides, but Bert cut the sail smaller so his boat would not go so fast, making it safer.

When the Bobbsey twins were not ice-boating they were skating, or building snow forts or snow men.  Once Flossie and Freddie built a little snow house and got inside it with Snoop, the black cat, and Snap, the dog.

Everything was very nice, but the house was so small that, when they were all in it, there was not room for Snap to wag his tail.  And as there never was a dog yet, with a tail, who did not want to wag it, you can easily guess what happened.

Either Snap wagged his tail in the faces of Flossie and Freddie or he whacked Snoop with it, and as the cat did not like that she ran out of the snow house.

But Snap kept on wagging his tail, and as Flossie and Freddie made him get to one side when he did it the only other place he had to wag it was against the sides of the snow house.

Now these snow sides were not very thick or strong—­they were not made to be wagged against by a big dog’s tail, and, all of a sudden, Snap wagged his tail right through the snow house.

Then, with a swish and a swush, down the snow house toppled right on the heads of Flossie, Freddie and Snap.  Snap gave a howl and dug his way out.  But the two small twins were laughing so hard that it took them a little longer to dig their way out.

They were not hurt in the least, however, and they thought it great fun to have the snow house fall on them when Snap’s tail wagged too hard.

It was about a week after the funny ice-boat ride that Mr. Bobbsey came home from his office a little earlier than usual.  He was smiling, and when his wife saw him she asked: 

“Did it come?”

“Did what come?” asked Nan.  “Are we going to have a new automobile, Mother?”

“Not yet, Nan.”

“Then what came?”

“Glorious news!” cried her father, catching her up and kissing her.  “Glorious news came in a letter.  We are all going to a great city!”

“To live?”

“No, just on a visit,” said Mrs. Bobbsey.  “Oh, it is good news!  I have been wanting to go for a long while.  Come in, Bert—­and you too, Flossie and Freddie—­and hear the good news!” she called to the other twins.  “Daddy has glorious news for us!”

CHAPTER VI

ON TO NEW YORK

“Are we going?” cried Flossie, when she heard that the family was about to make some sort of a journey.