CHAPTER V
SNAP'S ESCAPE
Nan found Flossie and Freddie, standing one on either side of thewooden crate in which Snoop made his journeys. The twins each had holdof the black cat, who did not seem to be enjoying life very much justthen.
"He goes in this way, I tell you!" shouted Freddie.
"No, he goes in the other way!" cried Flossie, and then they bothtried, at the same time, to thrust poor Snoop into his cage.
The cat cried out, and scrambled to get away.
"What's the matter?" asked Nan. "What does all this mean, Flossie andFreddie? Don't you know the automobile is waiting to take us to thestation?"
"Well, I want to put Snoop in his cage!" insisted Freddie.
"And so do I!" cried Flossie.
"But she--she--Flossie wants to put him in, tail end first!" went onthe excited little boy.
"Course--'cause that's right!" went on the little girl. "Freddie sayshe ought to go in head first," she exclaimed, "and you know, Nan, ifyou stand Snoop on his head he'll get dizzy, like I did when I hungdingle-dangle by my legs from the swing."
"And if he goes in tail first he'll get all tangled up!" retortedFreddie, who was almost crying now.
"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Nan. "I guess I'll have to call papa or mamma,and they have enough to look after as it is, with the auto here, andalmost train time. I never saw such children! What am I to do?"
"Let me put Snoop in tail first!" cried Flossie.
"No, he ought to go in his box head first!" declared her brother, andneither one of them would let go of the black cat. Snoop looked sadlyat Nan, as though he wished she would rescue him, and put him in thetraveling box either end first, if only he might be left in peace andquietness.
"Oh, dear!" Nan exclaimed again. "I really don't know what to do! Iguess we'll leave Snoop home altogether!"
"Oh, no!" cried Flossie and Freddie.
"Here! What's all the trouble?" asked Bert, running around to the sideporch. "Hurry up! The auto is waiting."
"It's these twins!" said Nan, hopelessly.
"It's Flossie!" accused Freddie. "She wants Snoop to go in tail endfirst, and he'll get all tangled up, 'cause he's got an awful longtail."
"And Freddie wants to put him in head first, and he'll get dizzy sameas I did in the swing!" accused Flossie.
"Here! I'll settle this!" cried Bert, like a manly little chap. "Giveme that cat!"
He took Snoop from Flossie and Freddie, who let go willingly enough.If Snoop could have talked he would have said, "Thank you, Bert!" I amsure he would have.
"There, we'll put him in feet first," Bert went on, carefully loweringthe black cat into the box that way. "A cat always likes to land feetfirst," he explained, "then he won't get tangled up in his tail, nordizzy. Now, Flossie and Freddie, hustle around front and get into theauto. I'll bring Snoop" he continued, as he fastened down the lid ofthe traveling cage.
"That's right! Feet first!" cried Freddie, a happy smile on his face.
"Of course! Why didn't we think of putting Snoop in that way?" askedFlossie, as she put her chubby hand in her brother's and ran with himaround to the front porch.
"Oh, such children!" sighed Nan as she followed Bert, who carriedSnoop in his cage. The black cat curled up and went to sleep. He wasused to traveling this way.
"My! What was the trouble?" asked Mrs. Bobbsey. Nan and Bertexplained, while Flossie and Freddie took their places in the gasolinemachine.
"Are you all ready?" asked Mr. Bobbsey. "How about you, Dinah?" forthe colored cook was being taken to the country to help look after thesmaller twins.
"Oh, indeedy I'se all right, Mrs. Bobbsey," was Dinah's answer. "Heah,Freddie, let ole Dinah carry dat cat-box," for Bert had given Snoop inhis cage to the small twin boy.
"No, I want to hold him," Freddie insisted, and he was allowed to havehis way.
Sam, Dinah's husband, was to stay home to look after the Bobbsey cityhouse, and he waved a good-bye as the automobile started off.
"Where's Snap?" asked Flossie, as they were rolling down the street.
"He's coming," reported Nan, for the big dog was running alongside thecar. There would have been room for him to ride in it, but hepreferred racing along the street, and he would be at the depotwaiting for the family when they arrived.
"The train will be here in about five minutes," said Mr. Bobbsey,after they had reached the depot, and he had purchased the tickets.Then, while Flossie and Freddie took turns looking in at black Snoopthrough the slats of the box, Nan and Bert helped gather the valisesinto one pile. Mr. Bobbsey went to see about getting the trunkschecked, and also about sending Snap in the baggage car, for the dogwould have to ride that way to Meadow Brook.
At last, with a toot of the whistle, and a ringing of the bell, theengine, drawing the train, puffed into the station.
"All aboard!" called the conductor.
Many persons were getting on, while others were getting off. Mr.Bobbsey gathered his little family down toward the parlor, or chair,car.
"Heah you am, sah!" exclaimed the colored porter as he swung Flossieand Freddie up the steps, and helped Mrs. Bobbsey and Dinah. Nan andBert felt big enough not to need any help.
"Hello! What's dish yeah?" cried the porter, as he picked up the boxcontaining Snoop. "Am dish good to eat?" he asked, looking in at theblack cat. "What am it?"
"Oh, it's our Snoop!" cried Flossie. "Don't hurt him!"
"'Deed an' I won't, little Missie!" laughed the colored porter. "Ithought maybe it was a watermelon yo' all had in dat box."
"All aboard!" called the conductor again, and then, with the Bobbseyssafely in their chair car, the train puffed away again, going fasterand faster.
"The engine can hardly get its breath," remarked Freddie, as helistened to the puffing of the locomotive.
"I guess it's going up hill," said Bert, with a laugh.
The ride to Meadow Brook would take nearly all day, and Mrs. Bobbseysettled herself comfortably in the easy chair to look out of thewindow, after she had seen that Flossie and Freddie were all right.Nan and Bert looked after themselves, and Mr. Bobbsey, having seenthat his family was comfortable, began to read his paper. Dinah took achair in one corner where she could doze off. It always made hersleepy to ride in a train, she said.
Nan and Bert looked out at the passing scenery, as did Flossie andFreddie, when they were not taking turns peeking in at Snoop. As forthe black cat himself, he had curled up into a little round ball, andwas fast asleep.
He had become a traveler by this time, for once he had been to Cuba,when the circus lady took him, as I told you in one of the otherbooks.
"I wonder how Snap is getting along in the baggage car?" said Bert toNan, after a bit. "I think I'll go in and see."
"Oh, will papa let you?" inquired his sister.
"I don't know. I'll ask him."
Mr. Bobbsey was a little doubtful about letting Bert pass from one carto another when the train was moving.
"But it's a vestibule train, papa," said the boy. "It's like one bigcar. I can't fall off."
"Well, I don't know," said Mr. Bobbsey, slowly.
"I'll take him up front, if he wants to see about the dog," said abrakeman who had heard Bert's talk.
"Oh, thank you," said Mr. Bobbsey. "Be careful, Bert."
But, as it turned out, there was no danger at all. As Bert had said,the cars were joined together with "vestibules," that made the trainlike one big railway coach. And as it was slowing up to stop at astation, when Bert went forward to the baggage car, he had no troubleat all in walking along with the brake-man.
Bert found Snap very glad indeed to see him, and as the train was thenat a standstill the boy took the chain off the dog's collar, and lethim run about the car a little, for he had to be kept chained fastwhile the cars were in motion.
"I guess you want to run about a bit, eh, Snap?" said Bert.
"Bow wow!" barked the dog, and that was the best answer he could make.The man in the baggage car h
ad seen to it that Snap had plenty ofwater to drink, for the day was very hot.
"Better chain him up again, my boy," suggested the baggage man, aftera bit. "We'll start pretty soon now."
Bert led Snap over to the side of the car, where the collar-chaindangled, but, just then, Snap, looking out of the door of the baggagecar, saw a strange dog on the depot platform. Whether Snap knew thisdog, or thought he did, Bert could not tell.
But, an instant later, with a bark, Snap pulled away from Bert's graspon his collar, and leaped out of the open car door. At the same momentthe train started off.
"Snap! Snap!" cried Bert. "Come back here!"