But just as he spoke there came a wail from the kitchen, which, by this time, Mrs. Bobbsey had reached, disappearing within.

“That’s Flossie,” said Nan.

Again came the voice of a little child, crying either in fear or in delight at some funny happening, it could not be told which.

“There goes Freddie, letting off steam,” said Bert.  “I guess it isn’t anything very much.  Freddie always laughs in that squealing way when something tickles him.”

Mr. Bobbsey, with the two older twins, entered the kitchen soon after Mrs. Bobbsey.  There stood Flossie and Freddie before a low kitchen table, one leaf of which was down, so that whatever was under could not be seen very well, on account of the shadow cast by the electric light.  And beside Flossie and Freddie stood Dinah.

“What’s the matter?” asked Mr. Bobbsey.

“Dinah says Snoop, our cat, has caught some sort of animal and has it under the table,” said Mrs. Bobbsey.

“It’s a big animal and it’s got fur on,” declared Flossie, greatly excited.

“An’ it’s got yellow eyes and four legs an’ it’s long—­it’s as long as my arm!” added Freddie, his eyes big with wonder.  “Oh, it was awful funny!” he went on, squealing with delight.  “I saw Snoop drag it under the table and I called Dinah.  Didn’t I, Dinah?”

“Dat’s whut yo’ done, honey lamb!  Ah don’t know whut it is Snoop has, Mis’ Bobbsey,” went on the colored cook, “but it’s some sort o’ animile!”

“And Snoop growled, he did, when he dragged it under the table!” exclaimed Flossie.  “I heard Snoop growl, I did!  Listen!”

Surely enough the cat growled again, just as a lion or a tiger in the jungle would growl after catching its dinner—­only not so loud, of course.

“Oh!” murmured Flossie, making a dive for her mother’s skirts.

“There!  Look!  I saw its tail!” cried Freddie.

As he spoke just a flash of some furry animal was seen under the table where Snoop had gone to hide.

“I hope it isn’t a little skunk!” exclaimed Mrs. Bobbsey.

“Don’t worry!” advised her husband.  “If it was a young skunk that Snoop had, you’d have known it long before this.  And Snoop never would try to catch a skunk—­Snoop would know better.”

“But what is it?  He has something!” insisted Mrs. Bobbsey.

“Maybe I can coax Snoop out,” put in Nan.  “He minds me better than he does any one else.  Here, Snoop!  Come on out, nice Snoop!” she called in a gentle voice.

But Snoop only growled in answer, and seemed to be shaking, beneath the table, the unknown animal he had caught and dragged there.

“Shall I get the rake and pull him out?” asked Bert.

“No, you might hurt him,” replied Mr. Bobbsey.  “Go out to the garage and get the big flash lamp from Sam.  I can shine that under the table and we can see what it is before we do anything.  Evidently Snoop isn’t going to come out until he gets ready.  And it may be he has a large rat or——­”