"Oh, don't bother," said Mr. Martin. "We'll find him all right." But
Mrs. Newton insisted on joining the search.

There was a barn on the Newton place--a barn in which Bob was
counting on keeping Nicknack--and this place was first searched lest,
perchance, Trouble might have slipped in there with the goat without
anyone having seen him, having come up through a back alley.

But there was no goat inside; and Bob, the Curlytops, Mr. Martin and
Mrs. Newton came out again, and looked up and down the street.

"I'll tell you what we'd better do," said Bob's mother. "Ted, you
come with Bob and me. You know Trouble's ways, and where he would be
most likely to go. Let Janet go with her father, and we'll go up and
down the street, inquiring in all the houses we come to. Your little
brother is sure to be near one of them."

"That's a good idea," said Mr. Martin. "Jan, you come with me. I
expect your mother will be along any minute now. She won't wait at
home long for us if we don't come back with Trouble."

So the two parties started on the search, one up and the other down
the street. Bob, Teddy and Mrs. Newton inquired at a number of
houses, but no one in them had seen Trouble and Nicknack that day.
Nor did Janet and her father get any trace of the missing ones.

"I wonder where he is," murmured Teddy, and he was beginning to feel
afraid that something had happened to Trouble.

"Let's go down the back street," suggested Bob. "You know there's