--the usual number of loungers, a swarm of children, besides the
station agent who had come out to watch proceedings.
All the morning the private car had been an object of deep interest to
those who lived within sight, and that was everybody on the plateau; and
many and various had been the errands and excuses to go to the station
that perchance the occupants of that car might be seen, or a glimpse of
the interior of the moving palace; but the silken curtains had remained
drawn until after nine o'clock.
Within the last half hour, however, a change had taken place in the
silent inscrutable car. The curtains had parted here and there,
revealing dim flitting faces, a table spread with a snowy cloth and
flowers in a vase, wild flowers they were, too, like those that grew all
along the track, just weeds. Strange that one who could afford a private
car cared for weeds in a glass on their dining-table, but then perhaps
they didn't know.
A fat cook with ebony skin and white linen attire had appeared on the
rear platform beating eggs, and half whistling, half singing:
"Be my little baby Bumble-bee--
Buzz around, buzz around----"
He seemed in no wise affected or embarrassed by the natives who
gradually encircled the end of the car, and the audience grew.
They could dimly see the table where the inmates of the car
were--dining?--it couldn't be breakfast at that hour surely. They heard
the discussion about horses going on amid laughter and merry
conversation, and they gathered that the car was to remain here for the
day at least while some of the party went off on a horseback trip. It
was nothing very unusual of course. Such things occasionally occurred in
that region, but not often enough to lose their interest. Besides, to
watch the tourists who chanced to stop in their tiny settlement was the
only way for them to learn the fashions.
Not that all the watchers stood and stared around the car. No, indeed.
They made their headquarters around the station platform from whence
they took brief and comprehensive excursions down to the freight station
and back, going always on one side of the car and returning by way of
the other. Even the station agent felt the importance of the occasion,
and stood around with all the self-consciousness of an usher at a grand
wedding, considering himself master of ceremonies.
"Sure! They come from the East last night. Limited dropped 'em! Going
down to prospect some
|