Ah learns de porter business."
The Wildcat began to absorb the free ice-water.

Zing! The annunciator rang again with an impatient note.

"Put dis white coat on you whilst I sees who wants whut." The Backslid
Baptist handed the Wildcat a white linen coat. The Wildcat removed his
long parade-leading Prince Albert with the red plush sash and the
yellow epaulets and donned the white jacket.

The Backslid Baptist returned from the far end of the car. "Fat boy in
Loweh 7 wid de alcohol snorts craves ice-wateh. Fill a papeh cup an'
carry it back to him."

The Wildcat filled a paper cup with ice-water and started down the
aisle of the car. He returned presently.

"Kain't find whah at is 'at boy."

"You looks till you sees '7' on de curtains. 'At's whah he is."

The Wildcat essayed a second attempt with his life-saving ice-water. He
had proceeded half the length of the car when, above the muffled
rattles and creaks of its fabric, there lifted a wild shrieking
laughter.

The paper cup in the Wildcat's clutching hand was crushed flat. From
the cup there gushed a geyser of ice-water straight for the parted
curtains of Lower 7.

CHAPTER V

The wild laughter from somewhere across the aisle continued, but now it
was punctuated by three voices.

"F'r Gawd's sake, dearie, be quiet!"

"Spluff! What th' hell--"

"Lady Luck, whah at is you?"

The Wildcat galloped back along the swaying aisle to the protection of
the Backslid Baptist.

The high-pitched laughter pursued him.

"Pull de stoppin' string, Baptis'! Ah craves to git off dis train."

"Ca'm yo'se'f. Whut ails you?"

"Heah dat laffin'? Heah dat crazy--"

Zing! Zing! ZING!

"Doggone 'at Loweh 7. Did you wateh dat boy?"

The Wildcat looked at the crushed cup in his hand. "Ah'll say so.
Missed 'at boy's neck, but de ol' ice-wateh sho' baptized him."

"See whut he wants again."

"You betteh see, Baptis'. I's just learnin'."

"Dearie, be quiet before I wring your neck!" A strident feminine voice
addressed the author of the laughter. "Shut up! There, there,
dearie.... Oh, you feen, leggo! My gawd, he bit me!"

"Purty purty burd. Purty purty burd."

"You feen!"

"Quawk!"

Down the length of the car, from between the berth curtains there began
to appear an assortment of human heads.

Above the scene there sounded the flutter of beating wings.

The Backslid Baptist dived into the centre of the Pullman.

"What is it, porter?"

"Jes' gittin'