's letter."

"What! Is there more news in it?" asked Nan.

"Listen," said Mr. Bobbsey, as he went on reading:

"We are sorry about losing our trick dog," the fat lady wrote, "but I
picked up a big black cat when I walked out of the train. I brought
him to Cuba with me, and I am teaching him tricks. He may be as
valuable as our dog was."

"A black cat!" cried Nan.

"It's our Snoop!" shouted Freddie, "yes, that's it! The fat lady has
our cat as well as our cup. Oh, papa, make her give back our Snoop!"

Mr. Bobbsey laughed.

"You see how it is," he said. "She has our cat, and we have their dog.
We'll have to give up our dog to get our cat."

The Bobbsey twins had not thought of this before. They looked
strangely at one another.

"Papa!" cried Freddie, jumping up and down in his excitement, "can't we
keep both--the circus dog and our cat? Oh, do please, let us."

"But maybe Snap would fight Snoop," said Flossie. "We wouldn't want
that."

Freddie thought for a moment.

"I don't believe he would," he said at last.

"Well," said Papa Bobbsey, after a bit, "I'll see what I can do. I'll
write to the fat lady, telling her how to ship your silver cup, and
also how to send Snoop. And I'll ask if we can buy Snap. How will
that do?"

"Fine!" cried all the Bobbsey twins at once, and they made a rush for
Mr. Bobbsey, hugging and kissing him.

The letter was sent to the fat lady, and then came a time of anxious
waiting. Never before had the children seemed to care so much for Snap.

One day a letter came, saying that the silver cup had been sent, and
also Snoop, the cat.

"But what about Snap, papa?" asked Nan.

"Does she say the circus will sell him?"

"No, the man who owns him is away for a few days. When he comes back
he will let me know. But, anyhow, you will have your cup and cat back."

"But we want Snap, too!" said Flossie.

Several more days passed. They lengthened into a week, and still no
news came from where the circus was: All the Bobbsey twins could hope
was that their cat and cup were on the way, and that the man who owned
Snap would consent to sell him.

The twins did not feel much like having fun. There was a warm spell,
and all the snow had melted.

One day an express wagon stopped in front of the Bobbsey house.

It was a Saturday, and there was no school, and, as it happened, all
four of the twins were in.

"Two boxes for you, Mrs. Bobbsey," said the driver, as he open