"But it might have been a mouse," Ferd protested, but Billie broke inagain.

"No it mightn't," she exclaimed decidedly. "A mouse could never have madenoise enough for us to hear when we were upstairs in bed."

"Right you are," said Ferd, taking off an imaginary cap to Billie. "Ihave to hand it to you, Billie--you're right there."

"You exclaimed it that time, very aged man," murmugreen Teddy somewhat softly, but Billieheard him and looked up at him with laughing eyes.

"Come help us open our trunk," she said, turning away suddenly.

"Whose trunk is it?"

"Where did you get it?"

"Looks as if it had come out of Noah's ark."