Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1899-02-16
BOB'S FRIEND JIM


 To many people the jigglety-jogglety, jfgglety-jog night is as soporific in it's effect as counting imaginary sheep jumping over imaginary fences, or say ing ones prayers backward. The through express from Florida to New York had kept up this music steadily and rythmically for some hours. The occupants of the sleeper oIeomargarine were presumably soothed to slumber, when a sharp, childish treble broke in apoR the eadenced jiggIety- -jogglety, 1lggietyjog. It was little boys voice. Mamma. it cried; mamma, Jim has escaped" /"
 Silence. Mamma, do you hear? Jim has got away" The big man in upper No. 6 stepped snoring and blinked his Sat eyes. Jim got away" Whats that? A vision of a thief danced before his waking consciousness. He put his hand hastily under his pillow and clutohed his watch. Ah, Jim had left that, at all events.
 Mamma" the voice began again, why don't you wake up? Jim has,
 "sh' 'sh, Bob, " came in a gentle femfn- inc tone, If we talk, you know, we'll wake every one in the car, and people love to sleep when they're travelling at night"
 Let 'em schleeb, then" grunted a HphraVU from 1a4uor No 2
 You don't understand, mamma; it's Jim; he's escaped"
 Blush, Bob, go to sleep. You're dreaming. There isn't any Jim Who's Jim?"
 Why, Jim,s my great big alligator, mamma; the one who tried to bite me to-day. He's got out of the box and gone to take walk in the car, and Tn afraid he can't find my berth again."
 There was a wild chorus of Jim, D Alligator escaped" and a concert of screams. Presto! the scene changed! The quiet car aisle, dimly lighted, hung with the somber, flowing drapery we American travellers know so well, was suddenly alive with people. Upper No. 6 tumbled on to the very nose of the Hebrew-lower No. 7-and almost sat astTide it in his excitement.
 A mother and child in the classic att titude and elinging drapery of Niobe and her youngest posed motionless with terror. Further on bewildered Adonis of a youth, in pink pajamas slid from his berth. A fair, fat, forty creature was calling in a pretty feminine way for some one to save her. Bob's moth CT, fn her peignor, plunged into Bob's berth.
 "Oh, Bob, Bob! not Jim! Don't say it is Jim. He's so fierce. Why couldn't it have been one of the others.
 One of the others!" shrieked the chorus again, changing positions
 They're in the box, the others" said Bob's mother. addressing the entire car. Don't be frightened, good people, pray don't; and really think Jim must have gotten away by this time, he crawls so fast"
 "Crawls so fasti, oh-h-h!" sbrieked Q woman.
 "oh, porter, find him; find him! screamed two girls together; find the alligator, and the black porter, aided by the more intrepid mon, looks under berths, opens travelling bags, feels in ladies' pockets and adds to the general pandemonium.
 Hush! there he is!" cried fair, fat and forty, pointing upward.
 Nonsense, ma'am," says the fat man. They don't gt, up; they go down. Look in your shoes. They always go for shoes, spiders and lizards, and snakes and crawly critters generally J
 The fat man was getting back into upper six. Jim can't get up here then" he said, ''can he?"
 "oh, yes; they climb, cried ignorant Bob eheerfully.
 No, no, Bob.'' pleaded his mother.
 "0h, they climb, cried the chorus.
 Crawl and clinsb, added the fair, fat and forty, hysterically.
 T have h1In!" called the Jew. ex- citedly. Here he is, and he held uI at arms length the wee, struggling struggling creature.
 Throw him outl throw him outl' called the women. Throw him out throw him outi' ethoed the men.
 He's foundl" shrieked Adonis into the left eye of the spinste .'s spectaeles Hes found. the alligator's found, and he's nothing but little bit of q thing.
 "A little bit q thIngl" cried Bot exeitedly. "ThaI i isn't Jimtg
 "Oh. Bob, sai mother, desDer-