“Where’s Jumbo?” suddenly asked Sue. “I don’t see him!”
“Maybe he got out!” said Bunny, for the largest of the pet alligators was not in sight. Not that Jumbo was very large, for though he was the biggest in the tank he was not more than ten inches long.
“Oh, here he comes!” cried Sue, as Jumbo swam up from the bottom of the tank. “I guess he was asleep.”
“I guess so,” agreed her brother. “Here, Jumbo!” he went on. “Here’s some meat for you!”
“Jumbo’s getting real big,” said Sue, as she watched the largest of the pets.
“And Judy is growing,” added Bunny. “I wish we had had these ’gators when we gave our show.”
“Yes,” agreed his sister. “Well, maybe we can have another show. Or we could put the alligators in a store the next time we play.”
“Yes,” said Bunny. “Only maybe you couldn’t wrap up a ’gator in a piece of paper. He might bite his way out.”
“That’s so,” said Sue. “Well, we could——”
But she did not finish what she was saying, for a loud barking suddenly sounded outside the barn. At this noise Bunny and Sue started on a run for the door.
CHAPTER III
SOMETHING IN A DESK
Splash, the dog, was barking loudly at something up in a tree near the barn. Bunny and Sue could not see what it was, but it was something that had caused Splash to get very much excited. He leaped up and down and ran in circles about the tree, barking loudly all the while.
“It’s a cat!” exclaimed Sue.
“Can’t be a cat,” Bunny answered. “Splash likes all the cats around here.”
“Maybe it’s a strange cat,” went on Sue.
“That’s so,” agreed Bunny Brown. “Here, Splash!” he called. “What you barking at a cat for?”
The only answer the dog made was to bark again.
Bunny and his sister, forgetting all about their pet alligators, ran to the foot of the tree, up in which was something that had caused Splash to cease his play in another part of the yard and run toward the barn. The rain had now stopped, and the sun was getting ready to shine.
“What is it, Splash? What is it?” asked Bunny, trying to peer up among the leaves of the tree.
“I see it!” suddenly cried Sue. “It’s Wango, Mr. Winkler’s pet monkey!”
“Oh, yes! I see it now!” called Bunny. “Here, Splash! Stop barking at Wango!” ordered the little boy. “Don’t you know he’s a friend of yours? Stop it, Splash!”
Splash finally ceased barking and sat down to look eagerly up into the tree. He would not have hurt the monkey, for the two animals were good friends. I suppose Splash had seen the monkey leaping from the branches of one tree into another, and, not realizing that it was his friend Wango, had given chase. Wango was a bit frightened at first, even by the barking of his dog friend Splash, and had taken refuge in the tree near the barn.