"

The strange man turned and hurried off down the street, and after looking
toward him for a few seconds the Curlytops and their chum again hastened
along, following Top, who grew more excited all the while.

Into the yard of the Martin house dashed Top, closely followed by the
children. But the dog did not stop at the house, nor did he run toward
the barn where the other pets were kept. When Ted, Janet and Jimmy went
over to Jimmy's house they had left the two dogs and the two cats playing
outside the barn. Now there was no sight of Snuff and Turnover, nor of
Skyrocket, the other dog.

Down past the barn and toward the brook into which Trouble had more than
once fallen, ran Top, the trick dog.

"Oh, Trouble must have come back and have fallen in!" cried Janet.

"I don't believe so," said her brother. "If Trouble was in the water
you'd hear him howling."

"Unless his head was under," suggested Jimmy.

"Yes, unless his head under," agreed Teddy. "But I don't believe it's
Trouble. If it was anything like that, Top wouldn't come all the way to
your house after us, Jimmy. He'd have barked and have gotten someone
around here to come to the rescue."

"There isn't anybody home at our house but us, and we weren't home,"
explained Janet. "Mother and Trouble are down town, and Susan, our new
girl, has gone out."

"I guess that's why Top came to us," Teddy said. "But where is he going,
anyhow, and what is the matter?"

Barking and still wagging his tail, to show how glad he was that the
children were coming where he wanted them, Top led the way down along the
brook. The Curlytops passed the place where they had played ships the day
Trouble was sent afloat in the box--the day Uncle Toby's letter came,
telling about the pets he was leaving.

"What is it, Top? What's the matter, old fellow?" asked Teddy.

A bark was the dog's answer. But a moment later, as the children turned a
bend in the stream, they heard a howl coming from a bunch of tall
cat-tail plants growing on the edge of a swamp not far from the brook. It
was the mournful howl of a dog in pain.

"That's Skyrocket!" cried Teddy.

"And he's in trouble!" added Janet.

"And that's why Top came to get us," declared Jimmy.

Top was barking louder than ever now, and as the Curlytops and their
friend hurried along they could hear, more plainly, the howls of the dog
they felt sure was their own, dear Skyrocket.

And a moment later, as they parted the green spea