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 Rigoletto appeared.  He was accompanied by a friend.

The latter ascertained the express charges on the trunk, paid them, and handed both Bart and Pope a free ticket to the evening’s entertainment.

Bart took a stroll by himself, got his supper at a neat little restaurant, and met Pope as agreed at the door of the main show tent at seven o’clock.

They were given good seats, and they had the pleasure of seeing Professor Rigoletto and his big snake under more agreeable conditions than those of their first introduction to them.

The show was a very good one, and at half-past ten they left the tent.  The Cardysville express agent accompanied Bart to the depot, where the east bound train was due to arrive in thirty minutes.

As they walked up and down the platform, a horse and wagon drove up to the little express shed.  Pope went over to it.  Bart accompanied him.

The driver of the wagon was a brisk, smart-looking farmery individual.  Pope knew him, and nodded to him in a friendly fashion.