The next day, having learned from the railroad company where the circus had gone after the wreck, Mr.Bobbsey sent a letter to the manager, explaining about the lost silver cup, and the found circus dog.He asked that the fat lady be requested to write to him, to let him know if she had taken the cup by accident, and Mr.Bobbsey also wanted to know if the circus had lost a trick dog.
"There!" he exclaimed as he sent the letter to be mailed, "now we'll just have to wait for an answer."Nan and Bert, and Flossie and Freddie were soon having almost as much fun as they had had at the seashore and in the country.Their town playmates, who had come back from their vacations, called at the Bobbsey home, and made up games and all sorts of sports.
"For," said Grace Lavine, with whom Nan sometimes played, "school will soon begin, and we want to have all the fun we can until then.""Let's jump rope," proposed Nan.
"All right," agreed Grace."Here comes Nellie Parks, and we'll see who can jump the most.""No, you mustn't do that," said Nan."Don't you remember how you once tried to jump a hundred, and you fainted?""Indeed I do," said Grace."I'm not going to be so silly as to try that again.We'll only jump a little."Soon Nan and her chums were having good time in the yard.
Charley Mason, with whom Bert sometimes played, came over, and the two boys went for a row on the lake, in Bert's boat.Some little friends of Flossie and Freddie came over, and they had fun watching Snap do tricks.
For the circus dog, as he had come to be called, seemed to be able to do some new trick each day.He could "play dead," and "say his prayers," besides turning a back somersault.The little twins, who seemed to claim more share in Snap than did Nan and Bert, did not really know how many tricks their pet could do.
"Maybe you'll have to give him back to the circus," said Willie Flood, one of Freddie's chums.
"Well, if we do, papa may buy him, or get another dog like him," spoke Flossie.
A few days after this, when Bert was out in the front yard, watering the grass with a hose, along came Danny Rugg.Now Danny went to the same school that Bert did, but few of the boys and none of the girls, liked Danny, because he was often rough, and would hit them or want to fight, or would play mean tricks on them.Still, sometimes Danny behaved himself, and then the boys were glad to have him on their baseball nine as he was a good hitter and thrower, and he could run fast.
"Hello, Bert!" exclaimed Danny, leaning on the fence."I hear you have a trick circus dog here.""Who told you?" asked Bert, wondering what Danny would say next."Oh, Jack Parker.He says you found him.""I didn't," spoke Bert, spraying a bed of geranium flowers."He followed us the night of the circus wreck.""Well, you took him all the same.I know who owns him, too; and I'm going to tell that you've got him.""Oh, are you?" asked Bert."Well, we think he belongs to the circus, and my father has written about it, so you needn't trouble yourself.""He doesn't belong to any circus," went on Danny."That dog belongs to Mr.Peterson, who lives over in Millville.He lost a trick dog, and he adverstised for it.He's going to give a reward.I'm going to tell him, and get the money.""You can't take our dog away!" cried Freddie, coming up just then."Don't you dare do it, Danny Rugg.""Yes, I will!" exclaimed the mean boy, who often teased the smaller Bobbsey twins."You won't have that dog after today.""Don't mind him, Freddie," said Bert in a low voice."He's trying to scare you.""Oh, I am eh?" cried Danny."I'll show you what I'm trying to do.I'll tell on you for keeping a dog that don't belong to you, and you'll be arrested - all of you."Freddie looked worried, and tears came into his eyes.Bert saw this, and was angry at Danny for being so mean.
"Don't be afraid, Freddie," said Bert, "Look, I'll let you squirt the hose, and you can pretend to be a fireman.""Oh, fine!" cried Freddie, in delight, as he took the nozzle from his older brother.
Just how it happened neither of them could tell, but the stream of watershot right at Danny Rugg, and wet him all over in a second.
"Hi there!" he cried."Stop that!I'll pay you back for that, Fred Bobbsey," and he jumped over the fence and ran toward the little fellow.
