The kitten turned around in surprise. He hardly knew from whence the voice came, but he evidently knew Bert was calling, for he soon came in that direction.
As the barn was an old one and not fit to use, Bert felt it would do no harm to knock a shingle or two from the roof. Looking around, he espied a stout stick of wood lying on the floor and with this he began an attack on the shingles and soon had two of them broken away.
"Come, Snoop!" he called, looking out of the hole. "Come here!"
But the sound of the blows had frightened the kitten, and Snoop had fled to the slope of the roof on the opposite side of the barn.
"Where is he?" called the boy, to the twins below.
"Gone to the other side," said Freddie. "Don't like the noise, I guess."
"Chase him over here," returned Bert.
Both Freddie and Flossie tried to do so. But Snoop would not budge, but stood on the very edge of the roof, as if meditating a spring to the ground.
"Don't jump, please don't jump, Snoop!" pleaded Flossie. "If you jump you'll surely break a leg, or maybe your back!"
Whether Snoop understood this or not, it would be hard to say. But he did not jump, only stayed where he was and meowed louder than ever.