A NIGHT IN THE TRAIN.
"What a funny puff-puff!" exclaimed Fidge, when, all of the creatures on
the platform having entered the train, it slowly steamed out of the
station, while the Porter took down the candlestick signal and carefully
extinguished the light, remarking aloud, as he did so, "Well, thank
goodness, _they're_ gone!"
"I think," said Dick, looking about him curiously, "that it must be what
is called a sleeping car."
"Yes, of course it is," agreed the Prehistoric Doctor, who had joined
the party. "See, here are the sleeping bunks. This is mine," he added,
taking possession of one of the lower berths by throwing his carpet bag
on to it.
"I'll have the one above it," announced the Palaeotherium, climbing up to
the upper berth, and clumsily treading on the Prehistoric Doctor's hand
as he did so.
"I shall have to be near my Doctor, of course, as I am an invalid,"
remarked the Dodo, plaintively, "so shall take the lower berth next to
him."
And thus each of the creatures took up their respective positions, and
the children thought it best to follow their example. Dick and Fidge
climbed up to one of the upper berths, and Marjorie made herself
comfortable in the one below them.
"It's much better than being in those horrid little tents on the
draughty station," she called out; "and we are sure to get to
_somewhere_ in this train, aren't we, Dick?"
"Yes, rather," was her elder brother's reply. "I say, Sis, what are we
going to do when they ask us for our tickets at the Crystal Palace? I
haven't got any money except this two shillings, have you?"
"Not a penny," admitted Marjorie. "However," she added, yawning
sleepily, "I suppose it will all come right; none of the other creatures
took tickets, you know. The great thing is to get back to England."
"There's a window up here, and I have just looked out," said Dick, "it's
all pitch dark."
"Yes," murmured Marjorie; "Underground Railway to Crystal Palace; that's
how we went last time, you know--part of the way, at any rate--let's go
to sleep now. Good-night, Dick."
"Good-night."
"Nighty, nighty!" shouted Fidge.
"Good-night, Fidge, dear," was his sister's reply, in a very tired
voice.
A moment afterwards the train gave a lurch, and there was a crash and a
loud cry from one of the lower berths.
Dick hastily scrambled down to ascertain what was the matter, and found
that the Dodo had tumbled out of bed.
"Bless my gloves and beak!" ejaculated the bird, as he picked himself
up; "it's enough to frighten one out of their lives, isn't it?"
"Have you hurt yourself much?" inquired Dick, kindly.
"No; I don't think so," said the Dodo, carefully feeling himself all
over to see if any bones were broken.
"How do you like my nightcap?" he inquired, suddenly and inconsequently.
"Does it suit me?"
"Oh, it's all right, I suppose," said Dick, laughing in spite of himself
at the bird's vanity. "Where did you get it?"
"Found it under my pillow," announced the bird, triumphantly. "That's
why I tumbled out of bed, so that some one at any rate, should come and
see me in it. Nobody else seems to be coming, though," he added, looking
anxiously up and down, "so I shall go to bed again; but I shall leave my
curtains wide open, so that if anybody passes by during the night, or in
the morning, they will see how beautiful I am when I am asleep."
At that moment there was an awful noise like a deep groan, which grew
and grew in volume till it sounded like distant thunder, and then faded
away and ended up with a comical little whistle. Again and again it was
repeated.
"Oh, Dick! what is it?" called Marjorie, putting her head outside the
curtains.
"I can't think," said Dick, in a puzzled voice.
"Where have I heard that sound before?" exclaimed the Dodo, putting one
finger of the glove to his forehead, and striking a thoughtful attitude.
"Ah! I have it," he cried. "Of course, it's a prehistoric snore--the
Doctor is asleep."
And, sure enough, that was what the noise was. By listening outside the
curtains of his berth they discovered, without a doubt, that it
proceeded from there.
"What a frightful row," cried Dick, indignantly. "We can't go to sleep
with all that noise going on. Let's wake him up."
"Oh, no!" cried the Dodo, "not for worlds. He is sure to be very
sensitive on the point, and would doubtless resent it very much."
"He ought to be made to sleep in another part of the train, or in a
carriage by himself," grumbled Dick, scrambling back to his berth just
in time to meet Fidge, who was trying to get down at the risk of
breaking his neck.
"Oh! Dick!" he cried, pointing to the further corner of the berth,
"Look! Look! A snake!"
"What?" cried Marjorie, from below, with a little scream.
"A snake!" repeated Fidge. "Look, look, Dick!" he cried, pointing.
Dick looked in the direction indicated, and was horrified to see what he
took to be a huge snake, slowly crawling over the partition which
divided their berth from the next.
"Give me something to hit it with, quick!" he shouted, excitedly. And
Marjorie, with another little frightened scream, handed him the
Prehistoric Doctor's umbrella, which was lying on the floor outside her
berth.
Dick seized the umbrella, and, grasping it with both hands, aimed a
mighty blow at what he took to be the snake.
An agonized scream from the next berth, and a hasty withdrawal of the
_snake_, was followed by the appearance of the Palaeotherium's head over
the top of the partition.
"Who did that?" he demanded, with tears in his eyes.
"It was a snake!" cried Dick, excitedly, "and I was trying to kill it."
"Snake, indeed!" said the Palaeotherium, wrathfully. "It was my tail."
"Oh! I'm _so_ sorry," exclaimed Dick, "I really _thought_ it was a
snake, you know. I beg your pardon. I _do_ hope I haven't hurt you very
much."
"H'm! Well, I can't say that it was very pleasant," said the
Palaeotherium, "but if you are really sorry I'll forgive you--only you
mustn't let it happen again."
"Shouldn't have a tail like a snake," said Fidge, half crying, "and
shouldn't let it come over in our bed."
The Palaeotherium muttered something that neither of the children could
understand, and retired, and, except for the Prehistoric Doctor's
snoring, all was quiet again.
This time the children really did get to sleep, and when they awoke the
carriage was quite light, and Dick, looking out through the little
window at the side of his berth, could see that they were traveling
through some very delightful country.
"Wake up! Wake up, Marjorie," he cried, "it's morning."
"I'm velly hungry," announced Fidge, sitting up and rubbing his eyes
sleepily.
"Yes, so am I," admitted Dick; "we must see what we can do to get some
food."
"The doors at the ends of the carriage are open," cried Marjorie, from
below. "I believe it's a corridor train, like that we went to
Scarborough in last year," she added. "Perhaps there's a dining-car at
the end of this one."
Dick and Fidge scrambled down, and, accompanied by Marjorie, determined
to explore.
None of the other creatures were apparently awake, and most of the
curtains were drawn.
The Dodo, however, true to his word, had left his open, and there he lay
in an affected attitude, with his gloves carefully displayed outside the
bed-clothes, and his nightcap arranged at the most becoming angle.
Dick could see that he was not really asleep, for one eye was partially
open, and as the children passed he murmured, quite loudly enough for
Dick to hear--"Ain't I _beautiful_?"
[Illustration: The Greedy Eteraedarium.]
Dick laughed, and passed on to where he could see some wash-basins and a
water tap, and there the children had a most refreshing wash; and then,
to their great delight, found that the next carriage was
labeled--"BREAKFAST CAR"; and as it was the easiest matter in the world
to step from one carriage to the other, they were soon at the door.
As soon as they opened it they beheld a curious sight.
There were a number of little tables in the carriage, on each of which
were basins of steaming hot bread-and-milk.
The Eteraedarium stood at one of the tables, and, with a spoon in each
hand, was greedily devouring the bread-and-milk as quickly as he
possibly could.
"Come on!" he shouted, with his mouth full. "Just in time. There are one
or two basins left; but make haste, before the others come, or you won't
get any."