"There isn't any engine," replied his father. "Don't you remember the elevated train has no engine, either? Both kinds of trains are run by electricity. If Mother doesn't mind, we'll go up in the first car and watch from the front door."
Mrs. Horton didn't mind, even though they had to walk almost the length of the train to reach the first car. There were plenty of seats in this car, and Mrs. Horton sat down to rest while Sunny Boy and his father stood at the door and peered through the glass panel. They could see the tracks stretching ahead of them, and as they watched the train flashed through a station without stopping.
Sunny Boy was delighted.
"Let's ride all day," he suggested. "Don't get off, Daddy. See the blue light! What's that for?"
Mr. Horton didn't know. It was some sort of signal for the engineer. The engineer was shut away from them in a little enclosed corner space where it was dark and he could see the lights ahead of him plainly.
When they stopped at a station, many people always got off, but seemingly as many crowded on.
"Where are we going, Daddy?" Sunny Boy thought to ask at one of these stops.
"A long way," Daddy assured him. "Up to Bronx Park and the Zoological Garden. I thought you'd like to see the animals."
Sunny Boy was fond of animals, but he was sure that he would never again have as much fun as he was having watching the train speed along those dark shining rails.
"You can go and sit down, if you're tired, Daddy," he told his father. "I can stay here alone."