The Bobbsey Twins at the Seashore | Page 5

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Nan, Flossie, and their mamma. Freddie told them at once about his
promised excursion to the cattle car, and, of course, the others wanted
to see, too.
"If we stop for a few minutes you may all come out," Mr. Bobbsey said.
"But it is always risky to get off and have to scramble to get back again.
Sometimes they promise us five minutes and give us two, taking the
other three to make up for lost time."
The train gave a jerk, and the next minute they drew up to a little way
station.
"Here we are, come now," called Mr. Bobbsey, picking Freddie up in

his arms, and telling the others to hurry after him.
"Oh, there go the boys from our car!" called Bert, as quite a party of
youngsters alighted. "They must be going on a picnic; see their lunch
boxes."
"I hope Snoop is all right," Freddie reflected, seeing all the lunch boxes
that looked so much like Snoop's cage.
"Come on, little fellow," called the baggage man, "we only have a few
minutes."
Then they took Freddie to the rear car and showed him a big cage of
cows--it was a cage made of slates, with openings between, and
through the openings could be seen the crowded cattle.
"Oh, I would never put Frisky in a place like that," declared Freddie;
"he wouldn't have room to move."
"There is not much room, that's a fact," agreed the man. "But you see
cows are not first-class passengers."
"But they are good, and know how to play, and they give milk," said
Freddie, speaking up bravely for his country friends. "What are you
going to do with all of these cows'"
"I don't know," replied the man, not just wanting to talk about beefsteak.
"Maybe they're going out to the pasture."
One pretty little cow tried to put her head out through the bars, and Bert
managed to give her a couple of crackers from his pocket. She nibbled
them up and bobbed her head as if to say:
"Thank you, I was very hungry."
"They are awfully crowded," Nan ventured, "and it must be dreadful to
be packed in so. How do they manage to get a drink?"
"They will be watered to-night," replied the man, and then the

Bobbseys had to all hurry to get on the train again, for the locomotive
whistle had blown and the bell was ringing.
They found Dinah with her face pressed close to the window pane,
enjoying the sights on the platform.
"I specked you was clean gone and left me," she laughed. "S'pose you
saw lots of circuses, Freddie?"
"A whole carful," he answered, "but, Dinah," he went on, looking
scared, "where's Snoop?"
The box was gone!
"Right where you left him," she declared. "I nebber left dis yeah spot,
and nobody doan come ter steal de Snoopy kitty cat."
Dinah was crawling around much excited, looking for the missing box.
Bert, Nan, and Flossie, of course, all rummaged about, and even Mr.
and Mrs. Bobbsey joined in the search. But there was no box to be
found.
"Oh, the boys have stoled my cat!" wailed Freddie. "I dust knowed they
would!" and he cried outright, for Snoop was a dear companion of the
little fellow, and why should he not cry at losing his pet?
"Now wait," commanded his father, "we must not give up so easily.
Perhaps the boys hid him some place."
"But suah's you lib I nebber did leab dis yeah seat," insisted Dinah,
which was very true. But how could she watch those boys and keep her
face so close to the window? Besides, a train makes lots of noise to
hide boys' pranks.
"Now, we will begin a systematic search," said Mr. Bobbsey, who had
already found out from the conductor and brakeman that they knew
nothing about the lost box. "We will look in and under every seat. Then
we will go through all the baggage in the hangers" (meaning the

overhead wire baskets), "and see if we cannot find Snoop."
The other passengers were very kind and all helped in the hunt. The old
lady who had thrown her hand bag at Downy thought she had seen a
boy come in the door at the far end of the car, and go out again quickly,
but otherwise no one could give any information that would lead to the
discovery of the person or parties who had stolen Snoop.
All kinds of traveling necessities were upset in the search. Some jelly
got spilled, some fresh country eggs were cracked, but everybody was
good-natured and no one complained.
Yet, after a thorough overhauling of the entire car there was no Snoop
to be found!
"He's gone!" they all admitted, the children falling into