CHAPTER V
SNAP DOES TRICKS
"We'll have to carry them in," said Mr. Bobbsey, as he looked inthe rear of the auto, and saw his two little twins fast asleep onthe dog's back.
"I'll take 'em," said Sam kindly. "Many a time I'se carried 'em inoffen de porch when dey falled asleep. I'll carry 'em in."
And he did, first taking Flossie, and then Freddie. Then he andDinah brought in the bundles and valises, while Nan and Bert and Mr.and Mrs. Bobbsey followed, having bidden good-night to Mr. Blake,and thanking him for the ride.
"Where--where are we?" asked Flossie, rubbing her eyes and lookingaround the room which she had not seen in some months.
"An'--an' where's our dog?" demanded Freddie.
"Oh, bless your hearts--that dog!" cried Mamma Bobbsey. "Sam tookhim out in the barn. You may see him in the morning, if he doesn'trun away in the night."
The twins looked worried over this suggestion, until Sam said:
"Oh, I locked him up good an' proper in a box stall; 'deed an' Idid, Mrs. Bobbsey. He won't get away to-night."
"That's--good," murmured Freddie, and then he fell asleep again.
Soon the little twins were undressed and put to bed. Nan and Bertsoon followed, but Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey stayed up a little laterto talk over certain matters.
"It's good to be home again," said Mr. Bobbsey, as he looked aboutthe rooms of the town house.
"Yes, but we had a delightful summer," spoke his wife, "and thechildren are so well. The country was delightful, and so was theseashore. But I think I, too, am glad to be back. It will be quitea task, though, to get the children ready for school. Flossie andFreddie will go regularly now, I suppose, and with Nan and Bertin a higher class, it means plenty of work."
"I suppose so," said her husband.
"But Dinah is a great help," went on Mrs. Bobbsey, for she did notmean to complain. Flossie and Freddie had tried a few days in thekindergarten class at school, but Flossie said she did not like it,and, as Freddie would not go without her, their parents had takenthem both out in the Spring.
"There will be plenty of time to start them in the Fall," said Mrs.Bobbsey, and so it had been arranged. And now the four twins wereall to attend the same school, which would open in about a week.
Flossie and Freddie were both up early the next morning, and,scarcely half-dressed, they hurried out to the barn.
"Whar yo' chillens gwine?" demanded Dinah, as she prepared to getbreakfast.
"Out to see our dog," answered Freddie. "Is Sam around?"
"Yes, he's out dere somewheres, washin' de carriage. But don'tyo' let 'at dog bite yo'."
"We won't," said Freddie.
"He wouldn't bite anyhow," declared Flossie.
Sam opened the box stall for them, and out bounced the big whitedog, barking in delight, and almost knocking down the twins, soglad was he to see them.
"What shall we call him?" asked Freddie. "Maybe we'd better namehim Snoop, like our cat. I guess Snoop is gone forever."
"No, we mustn't call him Snoop," said Flossie, "for some day ourcat might come back, and he'd want his own name again. We'll callour dog Snap, 'cause see how bright his eyes snap. Then if our catcomes back we'll have Snoop and Snap."
"That's a good name," decided Freddie, after thinking it over."Snoop and Snap. I wonder how we can make this dog stand on hishind legs like he did before?"
"Bert snapped his fingers and he did it," suggested Flossie. "Butmaybe he'll do it now if you just ask him to."
Freddie tried to snap his fingers, but they were too short and fat.Then he patted the dog on the head and said:
"Stand up!"
At once the dog, with a bark, did so. He sat up on his hind legsand then walked around. Both the children laughed.
"I wonder if he can do any other tricks?" asked Flossie.
"I'm going to try," said her brother. "What trick do you want himto do?"
"Make him lie down and roll over."
"All right," spoke Freddie "Now, Snap, lie down and roll over!" hecalled. At once the fine animal did so, and then sprang up with abark, and a wag of his tail, as much as to ask:
"What shall I do next?"
"Oh, isn't he a fine dog!" cried Flossie. "I wonder who taughthim those tricks?"
"Let's see if he can do any more," said Freddie. "There's a barrelhoop over there. Maybe he'll jump through it if we hold it up."
"Oh, let's do it!" cried Flossie, as she ran to get the hoop. Snapbarked at the sight of it, and capered about as though he knewjust what it was for, and was pleased at the chance to do more ofhis tricks. The hoop was a large one, and Freddie alone could nothold it very steady. So Flossie took hold of one side. As soon asthey were in position. Freddie called:
"Come on now, Snap. Jump!"
Snap barked, ran back a little way, turned around and came racingstraight for the twins. At that moment Sam Johnson came up running,a stick in his hand.
"Heah! heah!" shouted the colored man. "You let dem chillens alone,dog! Go 'way, I tells yo'!"
"That's all right, Sam," said Freddie. "Don't scare him. He'sour new dog Snap, and he's going to do a trick," for the coloredgardener had supposed the dog was running at Flossie and Freddieto bite them.
Snap paid no attention to Sam, but raced on. When a short distancefrom where Flossie and Freddie held the hoop, Snap jumped up intothe air, and shot straight through the wooden circle, landing quitea way off.
"Mah gracious sakes alive!" gasped Sam, "Dat's a reg'lar circustrick--dat's what it am!"
He scratched his head in surprise, and the stick he had pickedup, intending to drive away the dog with, stuck straight out. Ina moment Snap raced up, and jumped over the stick.
"Oh, look!" cried Flossie.
"Another trick!" exclaimed Freddie.
"Mah gracious goodness!" cried Sam. "Dat suah am wonderful!"
Snap ran about barking in delight. He seemed happy to be doingtricks.
"Let's go tell papa," said Freddie. "He'll want to know about this."
"Oh, I do hope he lets us keep him," said Flossie.
Mr. Bobbsey had not yet gone to his lumber office. He listened towhat the little twins had to tell them about Snap, who lay on thelawn, seeming to listen to his own praises.
"A trick dog; eh?" exclaimed Mr. Bobbsey. "I wonder who owns him?"
"Maybe he escaped from the circus," suggested Bert, who came outjust then to see how his pigeons were getting along.
"That's it!" cried Mr. Bobbsey. "I wonder I did not think of itbefore. The dog must have escaped from the wrecked circus train,and he followed us, not knowing what else to do. That accounts forhis tricks."
"But we can keep him; can't we?" begged Flossie.
"Hum! I'll have to see about that," said Mr. Bobbsey slowly."I suppose the circus people will want him back, for he must bevaluable. Perhaps some clown trained him."
"But if we can't have Snoop, our cat, we ought to have a dog,"asserted Freddie.
"I'll try to get Snoop back," said Mr. Bobbsey. "I'll have oneof my men go down to the place where the wreck was, to-day, andinquire of the railroad men. He may be wandering about there."
"Poor Snoop!" said Nan, coming out to feed some of her pet chickens,that Sam had looked after all summer.
"And while you are about it," suggested Mrs. Bobbsey, who was onthe front porch, "I wish, Richard, that you would see if you canlocate that fat lady, and get back the children's silver cup."
"I will," replied Mr. Bobbsey. "I will have to write to them anyhow,about the dog, and at the same time I'll ask about the cup. ThoughI don't believe the fat lady meant to keep it."
"Oh, no," said Mrs. Bobbsey. "Probably she just held it, in theexcitement over the wreck, and she may have left it in the car.But please write about it."
"I will," promised Mr. Bobbsey, as he started for the office, whilethe twins gathered about the new dog, who seemed ready to do moretricks.
The Bobbsey Twins at School Page 5