Chapter 5 Summary

Arriving at the depot, Billy does not have the courage to enter until he sees through a window that the stationmaster is taking good care of a caged canary. Then he enters and walks around until the stationmaster starts a conversation with him, even telling him right out that he has a pair of puppies for a boy named Billy Colman. When Billy displays the gunny sack in which he intends to carry the pups home, the stationmaster opens the box and releases two very young puppies who immediately waddle over to Billy and lick his dirty, sore feet. His heart does cartwheels. Finally he gathers the puppies to his face and cries. When he recovers, he puts the pups in the sack, with openings for them to stick out their heads, and strides through town, toward home.

Billy is amazed that the...