u had sat in the auto, Shorty, instead of outside on the
step."

"Yes'm, I wish so myself," agreed the young man. "But there were so many
animals in there I thought I'd better be on the outside so I could chase
'em quicker in case any got away. And one did get away and I never saw
him! I'm terribly sorry! I'll go down the street and see if I can find
him."

"I wish you would," remarked Mr. Martin. "Just take a look, and ask
everyone you meet if he saw a white poodle with a black tip on the end of
his tail. If you find him I'll give you a dollar besides the fifty cents
for watching the auto."

"I'd like to earn that dollar!" said the young man. "I'll go look!"

"I'll come, too," offered Teddy, "but I don't want a dollar if I find
Tip. I just want to get our dog back."

"So do I," added Janet. "I'll come and look with you."

"This was a valuable dog," explained Mr. Martin, as Shorty moved off down
the street. "He could do tricks. I'd like very much to get him back."

"I'll do my best," promised the young man. "It was my fault, in a way,
that he got a chance to go away. I should have been looking on both sides
of the auto at once, but I didn't. I'll see if I can't find him."

"I think I'll take a look, myself," said Mr. Martin to his wife, who had
now gotten in the automobile with Trouble. "I don't like the way things
have happened."

"Why, do you think that young man had anything to do with Tip's going
away?" asked Mrs. Martin, as Ted and Janet went down the street one way
while Shorty took the other direction.

"I can't be sure," answered the father of the Curlytops. "He looks like
an honest young man, but if he knew what a valuable dog Tip was he might
have let some friend of his step up and take away the pet animal."

"But wouldn't he have allowed both of the dogs to be taken--Top as well
as Tip?" asked Mrs. Martin.

"Maybe there wasn't time to take but the one," her husband explained.
"And perhaps I am wrong, and Shorty is right. Tip may have seen some
other dog on the far side of the street, and have jumped out of the car
to go up to him. It's too bad, but maybe we'll get him back."

"I hope the children don't go so far away that they are lost, too,"
remarked Mrs. Martin.

"I think they'll not go far," said her husband. "Oh, no, you don't!" he
suddenly exclaimed. "Come back here! We don't want to chase _you_!" and
he made a hasty grab for Slider, the pet alligator, who seemed to want to
get out of hi