CHAPTER XV--SOMETHING ABOUT WHITE MICE
Dunston Porter and the boys were to go to New York City and theretransfer to Jersey City for the train bound South. All had comfortableseats together.
"It's going to be quite a trip," said Roger, as he settled back to gazeat the swiftly-moving panorama of fields covered with snow.
"Yes, and we are going to journey from winter into summer," added Phil."It's good we remembered that when we packed our suit-cases. At first Iwas going to put in nothing but heavy clothing."
"I am glad we heard from Luke," said Dave. "That gives us a little towork on. I hope the _Emma Brown_, or whatever her name may be, hasn'tsailed yet."
"Won't Merwell and Jasniff be surprised if we do locate them?" said thesenator's son. "I suppose they think we are at home."
The car was only half-filled with passengers, so the boys and DunstonPorter had plenty of room, and they moved around from one seat toanother. So the time passed quickly enough, until they rolled into theGrand Central Station, in New York.
"Well, little old New York looks as busy as ever," was Phil's comment,as they stepped out on the street. "Are we to transfer to Jersey City atonce?"
"Yes," answered Dunston Porter. "We'll take the subway and the rivertube, and get there in no time."
Riding through the tube under the Hudson River was a new experience forthe lads and they rather enjoyed it. The train of steel cars rushedalong at a good rate of speed, and almost before they knew it, they werein New Jersey and being hoisted up in an elevator to the train-shed.
"Coast Line Express!" was the cry at one of the numerous gates to thetracks, and thither the party hurried. Willing porters took theirbaggage, and a minute later they found themselves in an elegant Pullmancar. Dunston Porter had telegraphed ahead for sleeping accommodations,and they had two double seats opposite each other, directly in themiddle of the car.
"All aboard!" sang out the conductor, about ten minutes later, and thenthe long train rolled slowly from the big train-shed, and the trip toFlorida could be said to have fairly begun.
"Do we go by the way of Philadelphia and Washington?" asked Phil, whohad not taken the time to study the route.
"Yes," answered Dunston Porter. "Here is a time-table. That will showyou the whole route and tell you just when we get to each place."
"Will we have to make any changes?" asked Roger.
"None whatever."
Soon the train had left Jersey City behind and a little later it stoppedat Newark, and then sped on towards Philadelphia. By this time it hadgrown too dark to see the landscape and the boys and Dunston Porterretired.
On and on through the long night rolled the train, keeping fairly closeto the Atlantic sea-coast. With nothing to do, the boys did not ariseuntil late in the morning. They found Dave's uncle in the lavatory aheadof them, indulging in the luxury of a shave with a safety razor.
"Well, how are you feeling?" asked Dunston Porter.
"Fine!" cried Dave.
"Couldn't feel better," added the senator's son.
"Ready for a big breakfast?"
"I am," answered Phil, promptly. "Gracious, but traveling makes mehungry!"
They had to wait a little before they could get seats together in thedining-car and they amused themselves by gazing at the settlementsthrough which they were passing. Here and there were numerous cabins,with hordes of colored children playing about.
"This is the Southland, true enough," observed Dave. "Just see how happythose pickaninnies seem to be!"
"Yes, one would almost envy their care-free dispositions," answeredDunston Porter. "Their manner shows that it doesn't take money to makeone happy."
They had passed through Richmond and were now on their way to Emporia.It was growing steadily warmer, and by noon all were glad enough toleave the car and go out on the observation platform at the end of thetrain.
The next stop was at Fayetteville and after that came Charleston. Longbefore this the snow had disappeared and the fields looked as green asin the fall at home.
"We'll be at Jacksonville when you wake up in the morning," said DunstonPorter, as they turned into their berths the second night on the train.
"Good! We can't get there any too quick for me!" answered Dave.
"You mustn't expect too much, Dave. You may be bitterly disappointed,"remarked his uncle, gravely.
"Oh, we've just got to catch Merwell and Jasniff, Uncle Dunston!"
"Yes, but they may not be guilty. You'll have to go slow about accusingthem."
"Well, I want to catch them and question them anyway. I can have themdetained on the old charge, you know--that is, if they try to get awayfrom me."
Dave and Phil slept on one side of the car, with Dunston Porter andRoger on the other. As the steam heat was still turned on, it wasuncomfortably warm, and as a consequence Dave was rather restless. Hetumbled and tossed in his berth, which was the upper one, and wishedthat the night were over and that they were in Jacksonville.
"Oh, pshaw! I really must get some sleep!" he told himself. "If I don't,I'll be as sleepy as an owl to-morrow and not fit to hunt up thoserascals. Yes, I must go to sleep," and he did what he could to settlehimself.
He had just closed his eyes when a peculiar noise below him made himstart up. Phil was thrashing around wildly.
"What's the matter, Phil?" he asked, in a low tone.
"Something is in my berth, some animal, or something!" answered theshipowner's son. "I can't go to sleep for it. Every time I lie down itbegins to move."
"Maybe it's a rat."
"Whoever heard of a rat in a sleeping-car?" snorted Phil.
"Perhaps you were dreaming. I didn't hear anything," went on Dave.
"No, I wasn't dreaming--I heard it as plain as day."
"Better go to bed and forget it, Phil," and then Dave lay down again.The shipowner's son grumbled a little under his breath, then turned offhis electric light, and sank on his pillow once more.
Dave remained quiet for several minutes and then sat bolt upright andgave a low cry. There was no mistake about it, something had moved overhis feet and given him a slight nip in the toe.
"Phil!" he called, softly. "Did you do that? Come, no fooling now. Thisis no place for jokes."
"Do what?"
"Pinch me in the toe."
"I haven't touched your toe. How can I from the lower berth?"
"Well, something nipped me."
"Maybe it's you who are dreaming this trip, Dave," returned theshipowner's son, with pardonable sarcasm.
Dave did not reply, for just then he felt something moving in theblanket. He made a clutch for it. A little squeak followed.
"I've got it, Phil!"
"What is it?"
"I don't know yet--it's in the blanket."
"Oh, what a noise!" came from the berth beyond. "Cannot you young men bequiet?" It was a woman who was speaking. She was an elderly person andDave had noticed, during the day, that she was rather sour-looking.
"Sorry, madam, but I've just caught something in my berth," answeredDave. "I'll turn up the light and see what it is," he added, as he heldon to the object in the blanket with one hand and turned on the electricillumination with the other.
The cries and talking had awakened half a dozen people and the sleepyporter came down the aisle to find out what was wrong.
"It's a mouse--a white mouse!" cried Dave, as the little creature wasuncovered.
"Wot's dat, a mouse!" exclaimed the porter. "Nebber heard of sech at'ing! How did he git yeah?"
"Don't ask me," replied Dave. "Ugh! he nipped me in the toe, too!"
"Here's another one!" roared Phil. "Ran right across my arm! Take that,you little imp!" he added, and bang! one of his shoes hit the woodworkof the car.
"A mouse!" shrieked the elderly woman. "Did you say a mouse, young man?"
"I did--and there is more than one, too," answered Dave, for he had feltanother movement at his feet. He lost no time in scrambling up, and Philfollowed.
By this time the whole sleeping-car was in an uproar. Everybody whoheard the word "mouse" felt certain one of the creatures must be in hisor her berth.
"Porter! porter! save me!" screamed the elderly lady. "Oh, mice, justthink of it!" And wrapping her dressing-gown around her, she leaped fromher berth and sped for the ladies' room. Others also got up, includingDunston Porter and Roger.
"What am I going to do with this fellow?" asked Dave, as he held themouse up in his vest.
"Better throw it out of a window," suggested his uncle. "Mice in asleeper! This is certainly the limit!" he muttered. "The railroadcompany better get a new system of cleaning."
"Mice!" screamed a young lady. "Oh, I shall die!" she shrieked, andlooked ready to faint.
"Shoot 'em, why don't you?" suggested a fat man, who came forth from hisberth wearing a blanket, Indian fashion.
By this time Phil had caught one of the creatures. Both he and Davestarted for the rear of the car, to throw the mice off the train.
"Stop! stop! I beg of you, don't kill those mice!" came suddenly from atall, thin young man who had been sleeping in a berth at the end of thecar. Dave had noticed him during the day and had put him down as apreacher or actor.
"Why not?" asked our hero.
"They are mine, that's why," said the man. "I would not have them killedfor a thousand dollars!"
"Say, wot yo'-all talkin' about?" demanded the porter. "Dem mice yours?"
"Yes! yes! Oh, please do not kill them!" pleaded the tall, thin man."They won't hurt anybody, really they won't."
"Say, are them white mice educated?" demanded the fat man.
"Indeed they are--I educated them myself," answered the other man. "Ispent months in doing it, too. They are the best-educated white mice inthe United States," he added, proudly.