the same," declared Pope, throwing
back the trunk cover and delving in the heap of burlap. "Murder! Help!"

Peter Pope uttered a fearful yell. He backed from the trunk suddenly, A
sinuous, hissing form had risen up before his face.

This was an enormous cobra, and, under the circumstances, very frightful
to see. The Cardysville express agent made a headlong bolt for the door.
He slid clear outside across the platform, and landed in the mud of the
road.

"Prt! prt! Caesar, so--so!" spoke Professor Rigoletto in a peculiar,
purring tone, approaching the serpent.

He coaxed and forced the big snake back into its warm coverings, and
shut down the trunk cover and clasped it. Bart, highly edified at the
unique incident, followed him outside.

"I'm the Cingalese snake-charmer," explained Professor Rigoletto.
"Sorry, my friend," he observed to the wry-faced Pope, who was busy
scraping the mud from his clothing, "but I told you so."

"Ugh!" shuddered the agent. "You get that trunk out of here
double-quick, or I'll have you arrested."

"Sure, I will," answered the Professor with alacrity, "and I promise you
that I will bring or send you the express charges by the time the show
is over."

Professor Rigoletto dragged the trunk to the platform. It was not a
heavy burden, now. Bart good-humoredly assisted him in getting it
balanced properly on his shoulder. The professor courteously thanked him
and asked him to come and see the show free, and marched off quite
contented with the result of his daring deadhead experiment.

The Cardysville express agent was greatly worked up over the incident of
the hour. It was some time before he could get his mind sufficiently
calmed down to discuss business affairs coherently.

Bart, however, handled the man in a pleasant, politic manner, and soon
had results working.

He let Peter Pope imagine that he was the originator of every idea that
he, Bart himself, suggested. He very deftly introduced the system in
vogue at the Pleasantville express office.

In fact, at the end of two hours Bart had accomplished all he had been
sent to do. He had got Pope's records into sensible shape, had opened a
small set of books for him, and knew that the inspector must be pleased
with the results.

Bart had missed the early afternoon train. There was no other running to
Pleasantville direct until eleven o'clock that night.

He had planned to put in the time strolling about town, when Professor
Rigole