"Surely will," replied the conductor. "But I expect we'll have to tie and muzzle the express messenger."
Bess thought this funny, too, and she giggled again. In fact, Nan declared her chum had a bad case of the "giggles" and begged her to behave herself.
"I don't believe that castaways set out to explore their island for food in any such light-minded manner as you display, Elizabeth," Nan observed.
"Oh, dear! I can't help it," Bess gasped. "That darkey is so funny. He's just as innocent as—as—"
"The man, Friday," finished Nan.
"Goody! that's who he is," agreed Bess. "He's Friday. Oh! if Laura Polk were only here, wouldn't she have lots of fun with him?"
"Seems as though those two drummers were bothering poor Friday quite enough."
They heard the little spaniel yelping the moment they opened the baggage car door.
"The poor 'ittle sing!" cooed Bess, running to the corner where the puppy was imprisoned. "Oh! how cold it is in here. It would be a little icicle, so it would be, in a little while."
"Let's see where he's going, and whom he belongs to," Mr. Carter said. "I'll have to make a note of this, and so will Jim, the baggage-man. You want to take good care of this little tyke, for the railroad is responsible for him while he is in transit."