The other passengers were very kind and all helped in the hunt. The old lady who had thrown her hand bag at Downy thought she had seen a boy come in the door at the far end of the car, and go out again quickly, but otherwise no one could give any information that would lead to the discovery of the person or parties who had stolen Snoop.
All kinds of traveling necessities were upset in the search. Some jelly got spilled, some fresh country eggs were cracked, but everybody was good-natured and no one complained.
Yet, after a thorough overhauling of the entire car there was no Snoop to be found!
"He's gone!" they all admitted, the children falling into tears, while the older people looked troubled.
"They could hardly have stolen him," Mr. Bobbsey reflected, "and the conductor is sure not one of those boys went in another car, for they all left the train at Ramsley's."
"I don't care!" cried Freddie, aloud, "I'll just have every one of them arrested when we get to Auntie's. I knowed they had Snoop in their boxes."
How Snoop could be "in boxes" and how the boys could be found at Auntie's were two much mixed points, but no one bothered Freddie about such trifles in his present grief.
"Why doan you call dat kitty cat?" suggested Dinah, for all this time no one had thought of that.
"I couldn't," answered Freddie, "'cause he ain't here to call." And he went on crying.
"Snoop! Snoop! Snoop Cat!" called Dinah, but there was no familiar "me-ow" to answer her.