The man whose hand Laddie had taken hold of in the crowd, thinking it was his father's, looked down at the little fellow and smiled. And when Laddie saw the smile he felt better.  
"What was it you were asking me, little boy?" the man kindly¹ inquired.
 
"I was—I was asking you a riddle²," said Laddie.
 
"What about?" the man wanted to know.
 
"It was about a conductor punching tickets on the train," said Laddie. "But I don't know the answer."
 
"First, what is the question?" the man inquired, still smiling.
 
"It's why don't the tickets get mad when the conductor punches 'em?" Laddie repeated.
 
"Hum," mused³ the man. "I don't believe that I know the answer to that riddle. Did you think I did?"
 
"Well, I—I didn't know," said Laddie slowly. "Nobody seems to know the answer to that riddle. But, you see, I thought you were my father when I took hold of your hand."
 
"Oh, you did!" and the man laughed and gave Laddie's hand a gentle squeeze. "Well, I thought you were my little boy, for a moment. But then I happened to think that he is away down in New York City, so, you see, it couldn't be my little boy. But are you lost?"
 
"Oh, no," answered Laddie. "That is, I'm not very much lost. You see, we're going to my Grandma Bell's, and we changed cars here."
 
"How many of you are going to Grandma Bell's?" asked the man as he stopped in the crowed and began looking around.
 
"My father and my mother and six of us little Bunkers," answered Laddie.
 
"Six little Bunkers!" repeated the man. "Is that another riddle?"
 
"Oh, no. But you see there are six of us. There's Russ and Rose, and Vi and Margy, and then there's me—I'm Laddie—and Mun Bun."
 
"Mun Bun!" cried the jolly man. "Is that some pet?"
 
"No, he's my little brother," explained Laddie. "His real name is Munroe Bunker, but we call him Mun Bun for fun."
 
"Oh, I see," and the man laughed again. "Six little Bunkers, on a train arrive, one gets lost and then there are five," he chanted.
 
"Oh, that's like ten little Injuns!" laughed Laddie, and though he had picked the wrong daddy out of the crowd of railroad passengers, he didn't feel at all lost now.
 
"Yes, it is a little like 'ten little Injuns, standing⁴ in a line, one fell out and then there were nine,'" the man went on. "But are you sure you are not lost?"
 
"Oh, no. Only a little," answered Laddie. "My real daddy must be around here somewhere."
 
"With the rest of the little Bunkers?" asked the man.
 
"Yes, I—I guess so," said Laddie, looking around for his father and mother, as well as brothers and sisters. "We came on the train from Pineville," he went on, "and we're going to Grandma Bell's. I stopped to look at some pictures by the news stand and then I——"
 
"And then you picked me out of the crowd for your daddy," finished the man, as Laddie stopped, not knowing what else to say. "Well, there is no harm done. And, unless I'm much mistaken, here comes your daddy now, looking for you."
 
"Oh, yes! That is my daddy!" cried Laddie, as he saw his father pushing his way through the crowd, looking on all sides, as if hunting for something—or for somebody. Why, to be sure, for Laddie himself!
 
"Better call to him," suggested the man. "I don't believe he sees you."
 
"Here I am, Daddy!" shouted Laddie, and, letting go of the man's hand, he ran straight into Mr. Bunker's arms.
 
"Why, Laddie! where have you been?" asked his father. "Your mother thought maybe you might have been left on the express train, but I was sure I saw you get off."
 
"I did," Laddie said. "I walked along but I picked out the wrong daddy."
 
"The wrong daddy?" asked Mr. Bunker, not knowing just what to think. "Is this another riddle, Laddie?"
 
"He means me," the man said, coming up just then. "I believe I got off the same train you did. Anyhow this little boy came along behind me in the crowd and began asking something about a conductor and punching tickets."
 
"That is a riddle, but the other wasn't," Laddie explained. "Only I don't know the answer."
 
"Well, never mind. You must hurry with me," said his father, "We missed you, and I had to come back to hunt you up. The other train is almost ready to start.
 
"Thank you for taking care of the boy," went on Laddie's father to the man. "If you have ever traveled w............