The Railway Cat

***The Railway Cat*** is the second book in the *The Nine Lives of Furry Purry Beancat* series.

## Plot

Furry Purry Beancat awakes atop a stack of boxes, and discovers that she's actually on a train platform. She witnesses a young boy, named Charlie Gruff, stealing Eileen Fitzapatrick's handbag, but he is arrested by Tom and later Jim Graves, and Beancat notices the man who returns the handbag, Brown Bowler, steal something from the bag. Jack Robinson arrives, and Beancat recognizes that he's likely her owner in this life. He persuades Mrs. Fitzapatrick to let Charlie go without pressing charges, and takes the boy back to the station along with Beancat.

Charlie enjoys some tea and biscuits, and Beancat overhears him mention that he was working for another, which Beancat knows is Brown Bowler. Before they get too far, Mrs. Fitzapatrick returns with Constable Franklin, and Charlie is ultimately arrested for theft.

Later, Beancat snoozes on the platform, and Tom playfully tips a bit of water over her head with his watering can. A crow named Caw descends and Beancat mistakes him for an enemy, but soon realizes that they're friends. She hears that Polly will be arriving on a train soon, and as people get off the train, notices her particularly as she refers to Beancat's human owner as her grandfather. Beancat also meets Yorkie, who antagonizes Beancat.

They return to the stationmaster's home, where his wife, Martha Robinson, fixes up tea for everyone. Caw arrives, and the evening flies by quickly, with Purry learning some more information on her home. Mr. Robinson and Beancat then return to the station, where they hear from Barnes that Major Fitzapatrick wishes to speak with him. It turns out that some dynamite has gone missing.

The next day, Beancat notices Bowler Man returning to the platform, this time in new apparel. She follows him onto a train, but Polly chases after her. On the train, Beancat and Polly both notice Bowler Man slip something to a seemingly elderly gentleman opposite, whom Beancat dubs Blue Eyes. When Blue Eyes leaves the train, Beancat and Polly pursue him at a safe distance. They witness him change clothing to reveal a much younger man, who they follow past an old church and to an abandoned engine shed. Caw arrives and sneaks a peek for them, and reports to Beancat that the man is speaking to a Thin Man on the other side.

When Blue Eyes leaves, Beancat and Polly sneak in. They discover the engine shed, and Beancat accidentally unlocks a secret cavern leading down. They follow the path with caution, and emerge on a train track. Polly slips and injures her ankle on the track, and Beancat notices the missing dynamite nearby. Beancat exits the tunnel and finds that Caw has brought Yorkie to the area, and Beancat, knowing that Yorkie can speak a little human, asks him to repeat "girl in tunnel" and to warn the oncoming train about Polly. Yorkie does so with difficulty, and flies off.

He dives into the train, where Muscles Mason and Jon Tucker find him, noticing something strange. They then see Furry Purry Beancat laying on the track ahead, feigning injury, and halt the train. When they disembark, they realize that Polly is in the tunnel, and warn the next train to stop. Polly is helped out of the cave and the dynamite is reported.

Polly is taken to hospital for a broken ankle and later released. Major Fitzapatrick informs Mr. Robinson that the dynamite was a fault on his part, and that Charlie has been given a second chance as a drummer boy. It is said that the three men that Beancat had followed were spies.

Beancat thanks Caw and Yorkie for their help, and although Yorkie states that Polly will never forget what he did for her, Beancat knows that she herself will when she arrives in her next life. She goes to sleep, wondering where she'll wake up next.

## Characters

* Furry Purry Beancat
* Jack Robinson
* Caw
* Yorkie
* Polly Robinson
* Martha Robinson
* Tom
* Charlie Gruff
* Jim Graves
* Barnes
* Brown Bowler
* Blue Eyes
* Thin Man
* Constable Franklin
* Jon Tucker
* Muscles Mason
* James Fitzapatrick
* Eileen Fitzapatrick