e
was before."

"Well, if he doesn't come back, or if we don't find him soon, I'll get
another dog," promised Mr. Bobbsey. "Now don't worry about gypsies.
Maybe this broken box was only an accident."

"But what about the shadow you saw last night. Maybe that was a----"

Just then Dinah came waddling from the cook tent toward the large one
where Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey stood. Bert could see and hear all that went
on.

"Mrs. Bobbsey, did yo' take dat big piece ob bacon I cut a few slices
off of last night?" asked the cook.

"Why, no, Dinah, I didn't," answered Mrs. Bobbsey. "Why do you ask?"

"'Cause as how dat bacon's gone. It's done gone complete! I hung it
inside de tent, up high where none ob dem chatterin' squirrels or
chipmunks could git it, an' now, when I want some fo' dinnah it's gone.
Maybe de chilluns took some fo' dere fish hooks, 'cause I done heah Bert
talk about bait."

"No, I didn't take it," answered Bert himself, stepping out of the small
tent where the poles, oars for the boats and other camp articles were
kept. "We've got worms enough for bait."

"Bacon gone, eh?" said Mr. Bobbsey. Then, as he looked at his wife and
glanced at Bert, he went on: "Well, maybe a stray dog jumped up and got
it. Some dogs can jump very high, Dinah. Snap could, I remember."

"Good land ob massy! Ef I t'ought dat 'er Snap had come back t' mah
honey lambs I'd be so glad I wouldn't mind de bacon," said the fat cook.
"But I don't reckon no dog took it, Mistah Bobbsey. I t'ink it war' a
two-legged robber dat----"

"Never mind that now, Dinah!" said Mrs. Bobbsey quickly. "Come here and
finish making the beds, I want to walk down to the lake with Mr.
Bobbsey," and she nodded to her husband. "One piece of bacon won't
matter," she went on. "We have plenty more."

"Yes, I knows _dat_," said Dinah, who was puzzled. "But if no 'count
folks is gwine t' come t' dish yeah camp an' walk off wif vittles dat
way----"

"It's time it was stopped, isn't it?" asked Bert, as he walked toward
the fat cook. "Say, Dinah," he went on as he saw his father and mother
stroll down to the shore of the lake, "did you hear a queer noise in the
night?"

"Did I heah a queer noise around de camp las' night?" repeated Dinah.
"Well, I suah _did_, honey lamb! I done heard a owl hoot, an' dat's a
suah sign ob bad luck."

"No, I don't mean that kind of noise, Dinah. Did you hear anything
else?"

"Yas. I done heah mah man Sam snore suffin' terrible!