"It must have come from Danny Rugg," said Bert, and he was right. It had come from Danny, but Nan never let him know that she had received it, so his hoped-for fun over it was spoilt. In the evening there was more fun than ever. All of the children went out and dropped valentines on the front piazzas of their friends' houses. As soon as a valentine was dropped the door bell would be given a sharp ring, and then everybody would run and hide and watch to see who came to the door. When the Bobbsey children went home they saw somebody on their own front piazza. It was a boy and he was on his knees, placing something under the door mat. "I really believe it is Danny Rugg!" cried Nan. "Wait, I'll go and catch him," said Bert, and started forward. But Danny saw him coming, and leaping over the side rail of the piazza, he ran to the back garden. "Stop," called Bert. "I know you, Danny Rugg!" "I ain't Danny Rugg!" shouted Danny in a rough voice. "I'm somebody else." He continued to run and Bert made after him. At last Danny reached the back fence. There was a gate there, but this was kept locked by Sam, so that tramps might be kept out. For the moment Danny did not know what to do. Then he caught hold of the top of the fence and tried to scramble over. But there was a sharp nail there and on this his jacket caught. "I've got you now!" exclaimed Bert, and made a clutch for him. But there followed the sound of ripping cloth and Danny disappeared into the darkness, wearing a jacket that had a big hole torn in it. "Was it really Danny?" questioned Nan, when Bert came back to the front piazza. "Yes, and he tore his coat--I heard it rip." "What do you think of that?" Nan pointed to an object on the piazza, half under the door mat. There lay a dead rat, and around its neck was a string to which was attached a card reading, "Nan and Bert Bobbsey's Ghost." "This is certainly awful," said Bert. The noise on the piazza had brought Mrs. Bobbsey to the door. At the sight of the dead rat, which Freddie had picked up by the tail, she gave a slight scream. "Oh, Freddie, leave it go!" she said. "It won't hurt you, mamma," said the little boy. "The real is gone out of it." "But--but--how did it get here?" "Danny Rugg brought it," said Bert. "Look at the tag." He cut the tag off with his pocket-knife and flung the rat into the garbage can. All went into the house, and Mrs. Bobbsey and her husband both read what Danny Rugg had written on the card. "This is going too far," said Mr. Bobbsey. "I must speak to Mr. Rugg about this." And he did the very next day. As a result, and for having torn his jacket, Danny received the hardest thrashing he had got in a year. This made him more angry than ever against Bert, and also angry at the whole Bobbsey family. But he did not dare to do anything to hurt them at once, for fear of getting caught. Winter was now going fast, and before long the signs of spring began to show on every hand.