n he laughed so loudly that
Nan knew it must be all right and she said:

"Come on, Flossie and Alice. We'll go and see what Bert has found."

They found Bert looking at the strange dog, who was standing in front of
Snoop. And Snoop had her back arched up round; her tail was as large as
a sausage, and her fur stuck out all sorts of ways, while she made a
hissing sound like a steam radiator.

"What's the matter, Bert?" asked Nan.

"Why, I guess the strange dog was running through our yard with
Flossie's doll in his mouth when Snoop saw him and ran at him," said
Bert. "Snoop doesn't like strange dogs, and she must have made quite a
fuss at this one, for he dropped the doll. I'll get her for you,
Flossie."

The little twin's doll lay on the grass where the dog had dropped it
when the cat chased after him. For all I know he may have thought it was
a bone and have wanted to bury it.

Bert picked up the doll from the grass.

"There she is, Flossie," he said. "Not hurt a bit, and as good as ever."

"Thank you," Flossie answered, hugging her doll close in her arms. "Now
we can go on playing, Alice."

They went back on the porch, and the strange dog gave a bark. This
seemed to make Snoop angry, for she hissed louder than ever and made her
tail even larger than before. Then she walked toward the dog. But he did
not wait even to rub noses with her, as Snap did. With a howl the dog
ran back and jumped over the fence.

"Snoop drove him away," laughed Nan. "She is as good at driving strange
dogs away as Snap would be. Wasn't it funny the dog should go up on the
porch, and take Flossie's doll?"

"It was better to do that than bite her," said Bert.

When Freddie came back from the lumber yard that day he told of Tommy's
visit, and Mrs. Bobbsey told of having helped his grandmother. Mrs.
Bobbsey also told what Mrs. Todd had said of her missing son, who was
shipwrecked.

"Bert, please hand me down my bank," said Freddie to his brother after
supper.

"What for?" Bert asked.

"I must count my money and see if I have enough to help buy a ship for
Tommy Todd. He and I are going off in a ship to look for his father."

"Now look here, Freddie," said Mr. Bobbsey. "I want you to have all the
fun you can, and play with Tommy whenever you can, and I want you to be
kind and to help people. I also wish, as much as you, that we could find
Tommy's father, if he is still alive. But you must not run off to sea
without telling us."