The boys finally made their preparations for bed. Izzy paraded the length of the car in his big robe and bed slippers, for a drink of ice water.
Before he could return, Heavy and Ann bounced out in their woolen kimonas and seized him. By this time the train had come in, the engine had switched to the siding, picked up their sleeper, and was now backing down to couple on to the train again.
The two girls ran Izzy out into the vestibule, Heavy's hand over his mouth so that he could not shout to his friends for help. The door of the vestibule on the off side was unlocked. Ann pushed it open.
The snow was falling heavily—it was impossible to see even the fence that bounded the railroad line on this side. The cars came together with a slight shock and the three were thrown into a giggling, struggling heap on the platform.
"Lemme go!" gasped Izzy.
"Sure we will!" giggled Heavy, and with a final push she sent him flying down the steps. Then she shut the door.
She did not know that every other door on that side of the long train was locked. Almost immediately the train began to move forward. It swept away from the Lumberton platform, and it was fully a minute before Heavy and Ann realized what they had done.
"Oh, oh, oh!" shrieked the plump girl, running down the aisle. "Busy Izzy is left behind."
"Stop your joking," exclaimed Tom, peering out of his berth, which was an upper. "He's nothing of the kind."
"He is! He is!"