“Well, if they’re not train robbers why have they guns and false faces on?” asked Bert.

“Maybe they’re just making believe—­same as when we have pretend-plays,” put in Flossie.

“Do you pretend, and make believe?” asked Tommy Todd, of the two younger twins.

“Oh, yes, lots of times,” Freddie said.  “We have heaps of fun that way; don’t you?”

“Sometimes,” answered Tommy in a low voice.  “Sometimes I pretend I have gone off in a ship, and that I’ve found my father.  I make believe that he and I are sailing together.  And oh! how I wish it would come true!”

“Maybe it will—­some day,” said Flossie softly, as she patted Tommy’s hand which was on the back of the seat in front of her.

“I must go out and see what is keeping your father,” said Mrs. Bobbsey at last.  “Something must have happened.  You children stay here with Dinah.  Nan and Bert, you look after Flossie and Freddie.”

But there was no need for Mrs. Bobbsey to leave the car for, just then, her husband came in.  He was smiling, and that seemed to show that nothing very serious was the matter.

“What is it?” asked Bert.

“Are the men playing a game?” Freddie demanded.

“Is the train off the track?” asked one of the fresh air boys.  “I hopes it is—­that is, if nobody is hurt, ’cause then we won’t have to go home, and maybe we can go back to the country.”

“No, the train isn’t off the track,” answered Mr. Bobbsey.  “It’s a hold-up by masked robbers.”

“There!  What’d I tell you?” cried Bert to his brother and sisters.  “I knew they were masked robbers.”

“But only make-believe,” went on Mr. Bobbsey, still smiling.  “This is a hold-up, or stopping of the train, and a pretend robbery for moving pictures.”

“Moving pictures!” cried Mrs. Bobbsey.

“Yes.  There is a man up front, near the engine, with a moving picture camera.  With him are some men and women, actors and actresses, dressed up—­some like passengers, such as we are, and others like robbers, with false faces on.  They wanted the train to stop so they could get a picture of that, for it would be a funny movie of a train robbery without a train to be seen.”

“And did they actually stop the train?” asked Mrs. Bobbsey.

“Yes.  They held up a red flag and the engineer stopped.  But it was all right, for he knew it was going to be done.  It was all arranged for ahead of time.  Now, if you like, you may come out and see them take moving pictures.”

“Well, who would have thought that!” cried Bert.  “I was sure the men with masks on were robbers.  And they’re only taking a moving picture.”

“I’d like to see it in a theatre afterward,” said Nan.  “Don’t you remember what fun it was when we were in the movies this Summer?”

“Were you in them, really?” asked Tommy as he followed the twins out of the car.

“Yes, we acted a little,” said Bert.  “There was a make-believe battle being taken near our uncle’s farm.  We went to watch.  They fired cannon and guns, and had horses——­”