because he got shut by accident in
places where he couldn't get out."

"Maybe that's what's happened this time," suggested Nan. "We ought to
look around the island."

"We will--to-morrow," declared Bert.

"And look in the cave Flossie and I found," urged Freddie. "Maybe Snoop
is there."

"We'll look," promised his brother.

When Flossie and Freddie were taken to their cots by their mother,
Flossie, when she had finished her regular prayers, added:

"An' please don't let 'em take Whisker."

"What do you mean by that, Flossie?" asked her mother.

"I mean I was prayin' that they shouldn't take our goat," said the
little girl.

"I want to pray that, too!" cried Freddie, who had hopped into bed. "Why
didn't you tell me you were going to pray that, Flossie?"

"'Cause it just popped into my head. But you stay in bed, an' I'll pray
it for you," and she added: "Please, Freddie says the same thing!"

Then she covered herself up and almost before Mrs. Bobbsey had left the
sides of the cots both children were fast asleep.

"Poor little tykes!" said the mother softly. "They do miss their pets
so! I hope the cat and dog can be found, and Helen's doll, too. It's
strange that so many things are missing. I wonder who Flossie meant by
'they,' I must ask her."

And the next morning the little girl, when reminded of her petition the
night before and asked who she thought might take the goat, said:

"They is the gypsies, of course! They take everything! Blueberry Tom
said so. And I didn't want them to get Whisker too."

"Who in the world is Blueberry Tom?" asked Mrs. Bobbsey.

"He's the boy who was so hungry," explained Freddie. "He came to the
island to pick early blueberries only there wasn't any."

"Oh, now I remember," Mrs. Bobbsey said with a laugh. "Well, I don't
believe there are any gypsies on this island to take anything. Snoop
must have just wandered off."

"Then we'll find him!" exclaimed Nan.

During the next few days a search was made for the missing black cat.
The twins, sometimes riding in their goat wagon, and again going on
foot, went over a good part of the island, calling for Snoop. But he did
not answer. Sam, too, wandered about getting firewood, and also calling
for the lost pet. Mr. Bobbsey made inquiries of the boatmen and the man
who kept the soda-water stand, but none of them had seen the children's
pet.

Bert printed, with a lead pencil, paper signs, offering a reward for any
news of Snoop