CHAPTER VI
DANNY RUGG IS MEAN
That afternoon a small fire broke out in Mr. Bobbsey's lumber yard.The alarm bell rang, and Mrs. Bobbsey, hearing it, and knowingby the number that the blaze must be near her husband's place ofbusiness, came hurrying down stairs.
"Oh, I must go and see how dangerous it is," she said to Dinah."It is too bad to have it happen just after Mr. Bobbsey comes backfrom his summer vacation."
"'Deed it am!" cried the fat, colored cook. "But maybe it am onlya little fire, Mrs. Bobbsey."
"I'm sure I hope so," was the answer.
As Mrs. Bobbsey was hurrying down the front walk Flossie and Freddiesaw her.
"Where are you going, mamma?" they called.
"Down to papa's office," she answered "There's a fire near hisplace, and--"
"Oh, a fire! Then I'm going!" cried Freddie. "Fire! Fire! Ding,dong! Turn on the water!" and he raced about quite excitedly.
"Oh, I don't know," said Mrs. Bobbsey, in doubt. "Where are Nanand Bert?" she asked.
"They went down to the lake," said Flossie. "Oh, mamma, do takeus to the fire with you. We'll bring Snap along."
"Sure," said Freddie. "Hi, Snap!" he called.
The trick dog came rushing from the stable, barking and wagginghis tail.
"Well, I suppose I might as well take you," said Mrs. Bobbsey. "Butyou must stay near me. We'll leave Snap home, though."
"Oh, no!" cried Freddie.
"He might get lost," said Mrs. Bobbsey.
That was enough for Freddie. He did not want the new pet to getlost, so he did not make a fuss when Sam came hurrying up to lockSnap in the stable. Poor Snap howled, for he wanted very much togo with the children.
The fire was, as I have said, a small one, in part of the planingmill. But the engines puffed away, and spurted water, and thispleased Freddie. Flossie stayed close to her mother, and Mrs.Bobbsey, once she found out that the main lumber yard was not indanger, was ready to come back home. But Freddie wanted to stayuntil the fire was wholly out.
Mr. Bobbsey came from his office to give some directions to thefiremen, and saw his wife and the two twins. Then he took chargeof them, and led them as close to the blaze as was safe.
"It will soon be out," he said. "It was only some sawdust that goton fire."
"I wish I could squirt some water!" sighed Freddie.
"What's that? Do you want to be a fireman?" asked one of the menin a rubber coat and a big helmet. He smiled at Mr. Bobbsey, whomhe knew quite well.
"Yes, I do," said Freddie.
"Then come with me, and I'll let you help hold the hose," said thefireman. "I'll look after him," he went on, to Mrs. Bobbsey, andshe nodded to show that Freddie could go.
What a good time the little fellow had, standing beside a realfireman, and helping throw real water on a real fire! Freddie neverforgot that. Of course the fire was almost out, and it was onlyone of the small hose lines that the fireman let the little fellowhelp hold, but, for all that, Freddie was very happy.
"Did you write to the circus people to-day about our silver cup,and that trick dog?" asked Mrs. Bobbsey of her husband that night.
"I declare, I didn't!" he exclaimed. "The fire upset me so that itslipped my mind. I'll do it the first thing to-morrow. There is nospecial hurry. How is the dog, by the way?"
"Oh, he's just lovely!" cried Flossie.
"And I do hope we can keep him forever!" exclaimed Freddie."'Specially since Snoop is gone."
"Did you hear anything about our cat?" asked Nan, of her father.
"No. I sent a man to the railroad company, but no stray cat hadbeen found. I am afraid Snoop is lost, children."
"Oh dear!" cried Flossie.
The next day, having learned from the railroad company where thecircus had gone after the wreck, Mr. Bobbsey sent a letter to themanager, explaining about the lost silver cup, and the found circusdog. He asked that the fat lady be requested to write to him, tolet him know if she had taken the cup by accident, and Mr. Bobbseyalso wanted to know if the circus had lost a trick dog.
"There!" he exclaimed as he sent the letter to be mailed, "nowwe'll just have to wait for an answer."
Nan and Bert, and Flossie and Freddie were soon having almost asmuch fun as they had had at the seashore and in the country. Theirtown playmates, who had come back from their vacations, called atthe Bobbsey home, and made up games and all sorts of sports.
"For," said Grace Lavine, with whom Nan sometimes played, "schoolwill soon begin, and we want to have all the fun we can until then."
"Let's jump rope," proposed Nan.
"All right," agreed Grace. "Here comes Nellie Parks, and we'll seewho can jump the most."
"No, you mustn't do that," said Nan, "Don't you remember how youonce tried to jump a hundred, and you fainted?"
"Indeed I do," said Grace. "I'm not going to be so silly as to trythat again. We'll only jump a little."
Soon Nan and her chums were having a good time in the yard.
Charley Mason, with whom Bert sometimes played, came over, and thetwo boys went for a row on the lake, in Bert's boat. Some littlefriends of Flossie and Freddie came over, and they had fun watchingSnap do tricks.
For the circus dog, as he had come to be called, seemed to be ableto do some new trick each day. He could "play dead," and "say hisprayers," besides turning a back somersault. The little twins,who seemed to claim more share in Snap than did Nan and Bert, didnot really know how many tricks their pet could do.
"Maybe you'll have to give him back to the circus," said WillieFlood, one of Freddie's chums.
"Well, if we do, papa may buy him, or get another dog like him,"spoke Flossie.
A few days after this, when Bert was out in the front yard,watering the grass with a hose, along came Danny Rugg. Now Dannywent to the same school that Bert did, but few of the boys and noneof the girls, liked Danny, because he was often rough, and wouldhit them or want to fight, or would play mean tricks on them. Still,sometimes Danny behaved himself, and then the boys were glad tohave him on their baseball nine as he was a good hitter and thrower,and he could run fast.
"Hello, Bert!" exclaimed Danny, leaning on the fence. "I hear youhave a trick circus dog here."
"Who told you?" asked Bert, wondering what Danny would say next.
"Oh, Jack Parker. He says you found him."
"I didn't," spoke Bert, spraying a bed of geranium flowers. "Hefollowed us the night of the circus wreck."
"Well, you took him all the same. I know who owns him, too; andI'm going to tell that you've got him."
"Oh, are you?" asked Bert. "Well, we think he belongs to the circus,and my father has written about it, so you needn't trouble yourself."
"He doesn't belong to any circus," went on Danny. "That dog belongsto Mr. Peterson, who lives over in Millville. He lost a trick dog,and he advertised for it. He's going to give a reward. I'm goingto tell him, and get the money."
"You can't take our dog away!" cried Freddie, coming up just then."Don't you dare do it, Danny Rugg."
"Yes, I will!" exclaimed the mean boy, who often teased the smallerBobbsey twins. "You won't have that dog after to-day."
"Don't mind him, Freddie," said Bert in a low voice. "He's tryingto scare you."
"Oh, I am eh?" cried Danny. "I'll show you what I'm trying to do.I'll tell on you for keeping a dog that don't belong to you, andyou'll be arrested--all of you."
Freddie looked worried, and tears came into his eyes. Bert sawthis, and was angry at Danny for being so mean.
"Don't be afraid, Freddie," said Bert. "Look, I'll let you squirtthe hose, and you can pretend to be a fireman."
"Oh, fine!" cried Freddie, in delight, as he took the nozzle fromhis older brother.
Just how it happened neither of them could tell, but the stream ofwater shot right at Danny Rugg, and wet him all over in a second.
"Hi there!" he cried. "Stop that! I'll pay you back for that, FredBobbsey," and he jumped over the fenc
e and ran toward the littlefellow.