ith the smoke streaming out behind, and Mr. Dog
sitting up in the front seat. Mr. Crow said he would give anything in
the world to see that, and to slip over to Mr. Man's barn some time when
nobody was at home, and really examine the new object, and maybe sit in
the seats a little. And Mr. 'Possum said he would give a good deal for
all that, but that what he really wanted to do was to sit in the car and
ride, like Mr. Dog, as fast as the thing could go.

Then Mr. 'Coon and Mr. Crow both together said, "Oh, we never could do
that--never in the world!" and Mr. Dog didn't say anything at all--not
at first--but sat thinking. Then by and by he said, all at once:

"I know," he said--"I know a way that you can get to take a ride in our
new car.[4] There is quite a big space under the back seat where Mr. Man
keeps his pump and sometimes other things, but he keeps most of his
things in a tool-box on the side, and only looks into the back-seat
place when he needs the pump. When we start out for a long trip he puts
Mrs. Man's and Miss Man's extra hats and things in there, but there are
none of those articles there now. So if you should come over very
early to-morrow morning, before Mr. Man is up, and get into that place
under the back seat, you would have just about room enough, and while
you couldn't see much, except maybe a little of the road through cracks
in the bottom, you would be riding all the time, and always afterward
could tell how it felt."

Well, that was such a scary thought that at first the Hollow Tree people
couldn't do anything but just sit and shiver and think about how grand
and exciting it would be, but how awful if anything should happen.
Suppose Mr. Man should have to use his pump, what would be likely to
happen then? No one could tell. Mr. Dog said they would have to jump and
step lively then, sure enough.

[Illustration: "MR. 'POSSUM TRIED TO TURN THE CRANK A LITTLE"]

[Illustration: MR. 'COON SAT UP IN THE FRONT SEAT]

So then they talked about it and gave up the thought, and went on
talking about it and giving it up some more, until Mr. 'Possum said
that, so far, the worst had never happened to him yet, and that he would
take chances if the rest would; and Mr. 'Coon said it would probably
be the end of all of them, but he'd risk it; and Mr. Crow said he
wouldn't care to pass his life in the Hollow Tree alone, and he might as
well go with the others. Then Mr. Dog skipped home as fast as he could
go,