"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 on the
front porch, "I wish, Richard, that you would see if you can locate 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. 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