But the fireman came in to see us, because he knew how to climb all over the engine. He told us that those fellows had handcuffs on, and he got all our names and addresses, because he said we'd have to come back and be witnesses. But we never did, because the fellows confessed. Gee whiz, I would have liked to go back again. Maybe it wouldn't have been so much fun though, hey? I guess maybe I wouldn't have liked to. It's no fun seeing people sent to jail. But anyway, one sure thing, they had no right to steal a Pierce-Arrow. Even they wouldn'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 sleep," Wig said.