Jiminetty! I almost fell in a fit, I laughed so hard. "Save me," I said to Westy, "before I fall off the platform."
But Westy was laughing too hard to save anybody.
Right there in front of us in a little room, there was a man in his shirt sleeves sitting on the side of a kind of a sleeping bunk. Sitting on one of his knees was one of those big funny-looking dolls with a black face and a big, square mouth that works by a hinge. The doll was straddling the man's knee and one of its legs was dangling down on either side.
"What's the big idea?" the man said.
Both of the other men were laughing so hard, they couldn't speak, but one of them pointed at Pee-wee. Our young hero just stood there, panting, all out of breath, and gaping like an idiot.
"I—I—eh—I didn't know you were a ven—a ven——-" he blurted out. "I thought you were murdering somebody—I—I did."
The man just looked at him and smiled; then he began to laugh. He said, "I consider that a compliment, my young friend; you're welcome. Sam, tell the young gentleman he is welcome."
The big fancy doll said, "You're welcome." And, gee whiz, it sounded just as if it came out of his own throat. Pee-wee just stood there staring at Sam, and Sam sat there on the ventriloquist's lap, staring very bold at Pee-wee.
"Tell the young gentleman we were having a rehearsal," the man said; and Sam said, "We were having a rehearsal."
Pee-wee just stood there not saying a word, and gaping at Sam and at the man. All of a sudden we heard a cat meowing right near.