"Yep. I tore my pants that day. But we had a nice ride. We'll have a nice
ride now," he went on. "We can get in when they don't see us."
"But when the policemans comes back from the fire they'll see us and maybe
arrest us," said Laddie in a whisper.
"They won't if we hide under the seats," returned Freddie. "See, there are
long side seats in the police automobile wagon, and we can lie down under
'em and make believe we're in a boat."
"Oh, if it's a make-believe game, I'll do it," said Laddie. "I guess my
aunt won't care, as long as it isn't goin' to a fire."
"Then come on," answered Freddie.
One of the police patrol wagons, or, to be more correct, automobiles,
stood near the curb not far from the front entrance to the hotel. It had
brought several policemen to the scene of the fire, and was waiting to
take them back.
As Freddie had said, the chauffeur on the front seat could not see what
went on in the back of the wagon, for there was a high board against which
he leaned. And there were two long seats, one on each side of the auto
patrol, under which three children could easily hide if the police were
not too particular in looking inside their wagon as they rode back to the
station house.
The three children hurried out into the hall and got in the elevator,
which Laddie called to the floor by pressing the electric signal button.
"Am yo' all gwine far?" asked George, the colored elevator boy, as he shot
up to the tenth floor and opened the door.
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