CHAPTER III
SNOOP ON THE TRAIN
"I'm glad Dinah looks nice," Flossie whispered to her mother, when shesaw how beautiful the parlor car was. "And isn't Freddie good?" thelittle girl remarked anxiously, as if fearing her brother might forgethis best manners in such a grand place.
Freddie and Bert sat near their father on the big soft revolving chairsin the Pullman car, while Nan and Flossie occupied the sofa at the endnear their mother. Dinah sat up straight and dignified, and, as Flossiesaid, really looked nice, in her very clean white waist and her softblack skirt. On her carefully parted hair she wore a neat little blackturban. Bert always laughed at the number of "parts" Dinah made in herkinky hair, and declared that she ought to be a civil engineer, shecould draw such splendid maps even on the back of her head.
The grandeur of the parlor car almost overcame Freddie, but he clung toSnoop in the pasteboard box and positively refused to let the kitten gointo the baggage car. Dinah's lunch basket was so neatly done up theporter carried it very carefully to her seat when she entered thetrain, although lunch baskets are not often taken in as "Pullman carbaggage."
"I'm going to let Snoop out!" whispered Freddie suddenly, and beforeanyone had a chance to stop him, the little black kitten jumped out ofthe box, and perched himself on the window sill to look out at thefine scenery.
"Oh!" exclaimed Mrs. Bobbsey, "the porter will put him off the train!"and she tried to catch the now happy little Snoop.
"No, he won't," Mr. Bobbsey assured her. "I will watch out for that."
"Here, Snoop," coaxed Nan, also alarmed. "Come, Snoop!"
But the kitten had been captive long enough to appreciate his libertynow, and so refused to be coaxed. Flossie came down between the velvetchairs very cautiously, but as soon as Snoop saw her arm stretch outfor him, he just walked over the back of the highest seat and down intothe lap of a sleeping lady!
"Oh, mercy me!" screamed the lady, as she awoke with Snoop's tailwhisking over her face. "Goodness, gracious! what is that?" and beforeshe had fully recovered from the shock she actually jumped up on thechair, like the funny pictures of a woman and a mouse.
The people around could not help laughing, but Freddie and the otherBobbseys were frightened.
"Oh, will they kill Snoop now?" Freddie almost cried. "Dinah, pleasehelp me get him!"
By this time the much scared lady had found out it was only a littlekitten, and feeling very foolish she sat down and coaxed Snoop into herlap again. Mr. Bobbsey hurried to apologize.
"We'll have to put him back in the box," Mr. Bobbsey declared, but thatwas easier said than done, for no sooner would one of the Bobbseysapproach the cat than Snoop would walk himself off. And not on thefloor either, but up and down the velvet chairs, and in and out underthe passengers' arms. Strange to say, not one of the people minded it,but all petted Snoop until, as Bert said, "He owned the car."
"Dat cat am de worst!" Dinah exclaimed. "'Pears like it was so stuck upan' fine dar ain't no place in dis 'yere Pullin' car good 'nough ferhim."
"Oh, the porter! the porter!" Bert cried. "He'll surely throw Snoop outof the window."
"Snoop! Snoop!" the whole family called in chorus, but Snoop saw theporter himself and made up his mind the right thing to do under thecircumstances would be to make friends.
"Cat?" exclaimed the good-looking colored man. "Scat! Well, I declare!What you think of that?"
Freddie felt as if he were going to die, he was so scared, andFlossie's tears ran down her cheeks.
"Will he eat him?" Freddie blubbered, thinking of some queer stories hehad heard like that. Mr. Bobbsey, too, was a little alarmed and hurriedto reach Snoop.
The porter stooped to catch the offending kitten, while Snoop walkedright up to him, sniffed his uniform, and stepped upon the outstretchedblack hand.
"Well, you is a nice little kitten," the porter admitted, fondlingSnoop in spite of orders.
"Oh, please, Mr. Porter, give me my cat!" cried Freddie, breaking awayfrom all restraint and reaching Snoop.
"Yours, is it? Well, I don't blame you, boy, for bringing dat catalong. An' say," and the porter leaned down to the frightened Freddie,"it's against orders, but I'd jest like to take dis yer kitten back inde kitchen and treat him, for he's--he's a star!" and he fondled Snoopcloser.
"But I didn't know it was wrong, and I'll put him right back in thebox," Freddie whimpered, not quite understanding the porter's intention.
"Well, say, son!" the porter exclaimed as Mr. Bobbsey came up. "What doyou say if you papa let you come back in de kitchen wid me? Den you canjest see how I treat de kitty-cat!"
So Freddie started off after the porter, who proudly carried Snoop,while Mr. Bobbsey brought up the rear. Everybody along the aisle wantedto pet Snoop, who, from being a little stowaway was now the hero of theoccasion. More than once Freddie stumbled against the side of the bigseats as the cars swung along like a reckless automobile, but each timehis father caught him by the blouse and set him on his feet again,until at last, after passing through the big dining car, the kitchenwas reached.
"What you got dar? Somethin' fer soup?" laughed the good-natured cook,who was really fond of cats and wouldn't harm one for the world.
Soon the situation was explained, and as the porters and othersgathered around in admiration, Snoop drank soup like a gentleman, andthen took two courses, one of fish and one of meat, in splendidtraveler fashion.
"Dat's de way to drink soup on a fast train," laughed the porter. "Youmakes sure of it dat way, and saves your clothes. Ha! ha! ha!" helaughed, remembering how many men have to have their good clothescleaned of soup after a dinner on a fast train. Reluctantly the mengave Snoop back to Freddie, who, this time, to make sure of no furtheradventures, put the popular black kitten in his box in spite ofprotests from the admiring passengers.
"You have missed so much of the beautiful scenery," Nan told Freddieand her father when they joined the party again. "Just see thosemountains over there," and then they sat at the broad windows gazingfor a long time at the grand scenery as it seemed to rush by.