In this first story of a series of eight called the “Adventures of Nick and Knobby,” Nick rescues a dog who used to be part of an animal act. Nick plays the bass drum in the school band, and Knobby, his new dog, has a tail with a knob at the end that looks like a drumstick, and he plays the bass drum, too. Knobby’s former owner causes serious problems after being released from jail.