“Are you sick, or is it the auto?” asked George.
“I’m going to see a sick old man,” went on Bunker. “He’s the one who came to your house the night you got the trick dog, Bunny,” explained the dock boy. “Your father is sending him some nice fresh fish, for he is better now and can sit up and eat. If I wasn’t going to the hospital I’d ride you boys home,” said Bunker.
“Oh, that’s all right,” said Bunny.
“Hospitals come first,” said Harry.
“Maybe we could go to see the old man and take Patter along and have him do some tricks,” suggested Charlie Star. “It would cheer the old man up.”
“I’ll ask him if he wants to see you,” promised Bunker Blue, as he kept on in the automobile.
The boys went to the barn and there Patter was dressed up in the clown suit of red, white and blue that he wore when he first did tricks for Bunny and Sue. The boys had some trouble putting it on Patter, but finally managed to do it.
“He looks just like a circus dog,” said Charlie.
“Yes,” agreed Bunny, “I guess maybe he was in a circus before the Frenchman had him.”
Patter did not object to being dressed in his clown suit, nor did he mind jumping up on the trapeze board and swinging there. In fact he was a very good-natured dog, doing all the tricks he knew cheerfully, and as many times as he was asked.