Prairer City afore the baby
began to take on. The nigger run back as fast as he could, 'nd told
the young woman that she 'd have to keep that baby quiet because
Colonel 'Lijy Gates, one uv the directors uv the road, wuz in the car
'nd wunt be disturbed. The young woman caught up the baby scart-like,
'nd talked soothin' to it, 'nd covered its little face with her shawl,
'nd done all them things thet women do to make babies go to sleep.

But the baby _would_ cry, and, in spite of all the young woman 'nd the
nigger could do, Colonel Elijah Gates heard the baby cryin', and so he
waked up. First his two blue yarn socks come through the curtains, 'nd
then his long legs 'nd long body 'nd long face hove into sight. He
come down the car to the young woman, 'nd looked at her over his specs.
Did n't seem to be the least bit mad; jest solemn 'nd bizness like.

"My dear madam," sez he to the young woman, "you must do sumpin' to
keep that child quiet. These people have all paid for their bunks, 'nd
they are entitled to a good night's sleep. Of course I know how 't is
with young children--_will_ cry _sometimes_--have raised 'leven uv 'em
myself, 'nd know, all about 'em. But as a director uv the Han'-bul 'nd
St. Jo I 've got to pertect the rights of these other folks. So jist
keep the baby quiet as you kin."

Now, there war n't nothin' cross in the colonel's tone; the colonel wuz
as kind 'nd consid'rit as could be expected uv a man who hed so much
responsibility a-restin' onto him. But the young woman was kind uv
nervous, 'nd after the colonel went back 'nd got into his bunk the
young woman sniffled and worrited and seemed like she had lost her
wits, 'nd the baby kep' cryin' jist as hard as ever.

Waal, there wuz n't much sleepin' to be done in that car, for what with
the baby cryin', 'nd the young woman a-sayin', "Oh, dear!" 'nd "Oh,
my!" and the nigger a-prancin' round like the widder bewitched--with
all this goin' on, sleep wuz out uv the question. Folks began to wake
up 'nd put their heads outern their bunks to see what wuz the doggone
matter. This made things pleasanter for the young woman. The colonel
stood it as long as he could, and then he got up a second time 'nd come
down the car 'nd looked at the young woman over his specs.

"Now, as I wuz tellin' you afore," sez he, "I hain't makin' no
complaint uv myself, for I 've raised a family of 'leven children, 'nd
I know all about 'em. But these other folks here in