't have had any right to
steal a Ford.

But anyway, who'd want to steal a Ford?

FOOTNOTE:

[Footnote B: Phenomenal is probably what the man said.]

CHAPTER XXX

OUR PATROL "SING"

So you have to admit that there were two thieves that really got caught
in the movies. Mr. Ellsworth says that movies with thieves and robbers
and pistols and things are no good. But if it hadn't been for that movie
outfit, good night, where would we have been, I'd like to know? And
where would those thieves have been?

Anyway, pretty soon the excitement was all over, except that Pee-wee
kept things going. Nothing but an earthquake would stop _him_. It was
pretty bright in our car on account of the headlight from the engine. We
moved along so slowly that I guess I could walk just as fast. The
fireman paid us a good visit. He was an awful nice fellow. He could bend
his left thumb way back. He said he would be an engineer pretty soon.
Jiminy, I hope he's one by now.

He told us that the engineer was going to push us as far as Flimdunk
Siding and leave us there and that another train would pick us up the
next day. He said both our couplings were rusted out and no good and one
of them would have to be fixed before we could be taken on.

He said, "We can't push you far like this; 'tisn't safe and we have to
just crawl."

"Flimdunk suits _us_ all right," I told him; "we're not particular.
Columbus didn't know where he was going anyway, and to-morrow's Columbus
Day. We should worry."

He said he guessed Number 23 would pick us up.

"_Good night!_" I told him, "that means more adventures. I suppose
that's the skiddo special. Probably we'll be dumped off a cliff. All in
the game."

He laughed and said that probably we wouldn't have any more trouble,
because Number 23 made a quick run straight to Jersey City.

"What does it want to go to Jersey City for?" Wig asked him.

He said, "Well, it doesn't stay there long."

"I don't blame it," Connie piped up.

He told us that when we got to Jersey City a Northern local would pick
us up and drop us at Bridgeboro.

"All right, just as you say," I told him.

Anyway, we weren't going to worry about it. When we got home we'd get
home, that was all. And when we didn't, we wouldn't.

After the fireman went away, we fixed two seats facing each other and
sprawled all over them. I guess we were getting pretty sleepy.

"Shout to the engineer to turn off that headlight and we'll go to