Shorty to watch our auto. But it is too late, now, to be sorry."

The Curlytops reached their home just before supper, and there was so
much to do, making places in the barn for Uncle Toby's pets, seeing that
they were comfortable, and that they could not get out during the night,
that, for a time, Ted and Janet forgot about the loss of Tip. If he had
been the only pet, of course they would have missed him very much. But
they had so many now that they were kept busy. Still, they wished, very
much, that Tip could be found.

"For if we don't find him, we can't have half so many tricks in our
circus show," said Teddy.

In due time the pets were put away for the night. The barn was a good
place for them, and after they had been fed and given fresh water, which
all pets need as much as they do food, the children left the animals to
themselves.

"In the morning we'll start getting ready for the circus," declared Ted.

"Will dey be han'-ordan music?" asked Trouble.

"Well, we'll have some kind of music, if I have to toot on some tissue
paper over a comb," answered Teddy.

Tired out with their two days' automobile trip, the Curlytops were soon
ready for bed. Trouble went to sleep earlier than did Ted or Janet, but
soon they, too, were ready to go to their rooms.

"Let us feed the animals--don't you do it, please," Ted begged of his
father and mother. "Janet and I want to make believe we are keepers in a
circus, feeding lions and tigers."

"All right, you may feed them," agreed their mother.

How long they had been asleep neither Ted nor Janet knew, but they were
suddenly awakened in the night by hearing screams. The screams came from
the open window of the house next door, where Mrs. Blake, a very nice
lady, lived with her two servants. Her husband was dead, and her children
had married and gone away. Mrs. Blake's bedroom was opposite the
adjoining sleeping rooms of Ted and Janet, and often the Curlytops would
call "good morning" across to Mrs. Blake.

But this time it was Mrs. Blake who called, and she did not exactly call,
she screamed in the middle of the night.

"Help! Help!" cried the lady from her open window. "Mr. Martin! Mary Ann!
Patrick!" (these were her servants) "come and get him. A little fuzzy
burglar is in my room! Come and get the fuzzy burglar!"

CHAPTER VIII

SLIDER GOES SLIDING

Teddy and Janet, sleeping in their rooms on the side of their house
nearest to the home of Mrs. Blake, we