“Aw, a alligator isn’t an animal!” declared Sammy. “Anyhow, I wouldn’t be cruel to him. Why, I keep feedin’ him meat all the while. He has it easy!”
And certainly the alligator from Palm Island did seem to fare very well in Sammy’s care. After he had eaten some of the meat, Snapper was hitched to the little cart and drew it about the porch. Dot was finally persuaded to entrust her Alice-doll to the small wagon, and the girls and Sammy laughed in delight as they saw the alligator pulling her about the porch.
“This is what we came over about,” explained Tess, when Snapper was allowed to eat some meat scraps in peace. “There’s going to be a party over at our Corner House to-night. There’s going to be ice cream and cake and lemonade.”
“Oh, boy!” murmured Sammy, rubbing his stomach. “Am I coming?” he suddenly demanded, realizing that, so far, he had not been invited.
“Of course you are,” declared Tess. “And we want you to make some fun. Can you do something exciting, Sammy, when that girl from Boston is there, and her fellah?”
“I love to hear her scream,” said Dot. “To-day she screamed when she saw a caterpillar on the walk.”
“What can you do exciting, Sammy?” eagerly asked Tess.
“He could make a tic-tac and put it on the window,” suggested Dot.
“That isn’t exciting!” scoffed the boy. “It wouldn’t scare even your Aunt Sarah.”
“It used to scare me,” confessed Dot.