"All right," spoke Freddie."Now, Snap, lie down and roll over!" he called.At once the fine animal did so, and then sprang up with a bark, 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 taught him those tricks?""Let's see if he can do any more," said Freddie."There's a barrel hoop 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.Snap barked at the sight of it, and capered about as though he knew just what it was for, and was pleased at the chance to do more of his tricks.The hoop was a large one, and Freddie alone could not hold it very steady.So Flossie took hold of one side.As soon as they were in position, Freddie called:
"Come on now, Snap.Jump!"
Snap barked, ran back a little way, turned around and came racing straight 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 chillers alone, dog! Go 'way, I tells yo'!""That's all right, Sam," said Freddie."Don't scare him.He's our new dog Snap, and he's going to do a trick," for the colored gardener had supposed the dog was running at Flossie and Freddie to bite them.
Snap paid no attention to Sam, but raced on.When a short distance from where Flosxie and Freddie held the hoop, Snap jumped up into the air, and shot straight through the wooden circle, landing quite a way off.
"Mah gracious sakes alive!" gasped Sam."Dat's a reg'lar circustrick`-at's what it am!"
He scratched his head in surprise, and the stick he had picked up, intending to drive away the dog with, stuck straight out.In a 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 doing tricks.
"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 to what the little twins had to tell them about Snap, who lay on the lawn, 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 out just then to see how his pigeons were getting along.
"That's it!" cried Mr.Bobbsey."I wonder I did not think of it before.The dog must have escaped from the wrecked circus train, and he followed us, not knowing what else to do.That accounts for his 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 be valuable.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 one of my men go down to the place where the wreck was, today, and inquire 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 onthefront porch, "I wish, Richard, that you would see if you can locate thatfat 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.Though I don't believe the fat lady meant to keep it.""Oh, no," said Mrs.Bobbsey."Probably she just held it, in the excitement 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, while the twins gathered about the new dog, who seemed ready to do more tricks.
