Tweedles came just then and highly approved of the plan.
"I tell you what, Captain Leahy, if you won't mind, let us stay in your house until the early train and then we can get to Richmond in time for lunch."
"Moind! It would make me that prood! And the poosies would be overjyed."
So Tweedles hustled around and found Annie and Mary and they all scratched in the débris for their belongings and mine, and soon we started off in a procession to Captain Leahy's. I was perched in a wheelbarrow that the good old man had found in a tool house by the garden and each girl had a sheet full of clothes slung over her back.
When we got to the crossing, the Captain asked us to wait outside a moment while he put his house to rights. All he had to do was to convert his berth into seats again, and in a jiffy he was out to usher us into a ship-shape apartment. He was a singularly orderly old man to be so charming. I do not think as a rule that very orderly persons are apt to be charming.
"Dum and I have to go to the station a minute," said Dee, just as though it were not three o'clock in the morning.
"The station! What on earth for?" I demanded in amazement.
"Well, you see the train dispatcher is there and we can get Zebedee on the 'phone."
"What on earth is the use in waking him up this time of night and scaring him to death? I think to-morrow will do just as well."
"To-morrow, indeed! By to-morrow 'twill be no scoop. Don't you know that if we get this to Zebedee now he will scoop all the papers in Richmond?"