Frank V. Webster

“ Nobody here to meet you?" asked one of the men, on whose hat were the words, "Station Master."
"This isn't a very convenient hour to meet any one. Where do your people live? We can direct you how to get to them."
Not having heard the words uttered by Bob, the agent's inference that the boy was disappointed at finding no one to meet him, was natural. But Bob soon disillusioned him.
"The train's gone and left me," said he, with ever so slight a shakiness in his voice, as he thought of the train speeding on its way and with it his precious pass. ”

“ Panting with excitement, Bob stood like some animal at bay, his eyes flashing defiance, one hand tightly doubled up, the other clasping his treasures in the pocket where he had thrust them.
"I mean I am going West. I won't be treated as you have treated me any longer."
For a moment, as he heard the amazing announcement of his ward, Mr. Dardus stood staring at him in silence, and then broke into a mocking laugh.
"So you're going West, are you? That is a good one. Why, you couldn't even get across the river to Jersey City. It takes money, money, my boy, to travel, and you haven't a cent. ”

“ Climb on to the seat. Good. Now, put your left hand on that lever. That's what they call the throttle. When you pull it toward you, it increases the speed; to slow down, you push it away from you."
Proud, indeed, did Bob feel as his hand clasped the smooth handle of the lever. Never had he expected to run a real, snorting locomotive, dragging a long line of cars, and the realization that he was actually controlling the speed, set him a-tingle with delight.
Crowding in behind Bob, the engineer kept watch of the track, but not so closely that he could not observe and enjoy the boy's pleasure. ”

“ By this time the two men and boy were near enough to recognize one another, and Bob's surmise was correct, for the rider was none other than Hal Thomas with Firefly.
"Hey, Ford, call off your dog," yelled the agent.
"Ain't my dog!" retorted the ranchman harshly.
"Since when?" inquired Thomas, with difficulty managing the two ponies that were plunging in fright at the antics of the snarling, snapping hound.
"About thirty minutes ago."
"Whose is it, then?"
"This boy here."
"Mine?" exclaimed Bob in amazement.
"Uhuh! I ain't no use for a dog anybody else can handle." ”

“ CHAPTER XIV AT THE THROTTLE OF A FREIGHT ENGINE
Taking Bob to the caboose, the freight conductor made him known to the brakemen who were lolling about, smoking.
"So you're the kid Miser Jenkins thought stole your pass?" exclaimed one of the trainmen, after a searching scrutiny of the boy. "He must be losing his eyesight. That face of yours ought to vouch for you, if nothing else. Crooks don't have such honest faces." ”

“ If he is mixed up in questionable dealings, that doesn't mean that the boy is necessarily a party to them. You can't tell me that a chap, with a face as honest as that boy has, is a criminal."
"When you've been doing police stations longer, Foster, you will learn that you can't judge criminals by their faces," snarled the sergeant, and as the other reporters heard this caustic comment, they laughed uproariously.
"Laugh if you want to," returned Bob's champion, "but I am going to prove the boy's innocence of any complicity in the swindle." ”

“ We want you to acknowledge you lied when you told Bob his father was insane."
"And if I refuse?"
"You go to jail, and we take the money and ranch."
"But I have no money," whimpered Dardus.
"Lying won't help you. We know every cent you have in bank and where it is. Here's the confession, sign it first."
Glancing from one to another, the storekeeper seemed to seek an avenue of escape.
"Officers, if this man does not sign this paper within two minutes, arrest him," exclaimed Mr. Perkins.
Quickly the detectives moved one to either side of Len Dardus. ”

“ Searchingly the ranchman scanned the boy's face, and the silence was becoming embarrassing when Ford broke it by demanding suddenly:
"What did you say your name was?"
"Bob Nichols."
"Where do you come from?"
"New York."
This answer caused the ranchman to sit up straight and again scrutinize the boy's features, as he asked:
"Got any folks?"
"No, sir."
"Live alone in New York?"
"No, sir. With my guardian."
"What made you come out here?"
"I wanted to be a cowboy and make my fortune."
"Cow punching ain't a paved highway to riches."
"But you are rich, aren't you?" ”

“ As the pangs of hunger were added to his general feeling of helplessness, for a moment he thought of returning to his guardian, but only for a moment. As he left the letter in his pocket and remembered the awful stigma his guardian had tried to cast upon his dead father, his pride arose.
"I will never go back there!" he told himself. "I have money in my pocket, and I can get something to eat. Then I'll go over to one of the stations in Jersey City and find some place to sleep. Perhaps there'll even be a train going out West to-night that will carry me part way to Oklahoma." ”

“ During this interchange of words, the office-boy had been scanning Bob and his threadbare clothes contemptuously. And at the lad's reply, he laughed outright, adding:
"Well, if you don't know who you want to see, you can't come in here."
"But I want to get a pass for Fairfax, Oklahoma," protested Bob.
"You get a pass! Say, are you crazy? Only the general managers and the other high officers travel on passes." ”

“ Leaving the restaurant, Bob returned to the waiting-room, where he picked out a seat nearest the place where the train announcer always stood when he called out the trains that were ready for the passengers. But as he sat there, he could not get the words of the girl in the restaurant out of his mind, and kept repeating to himself: "Only just green."
The constant brooding over this remark suggested the thought to him: "If people here in the cities like New York and Chicago think that I don't know anything, and am not used to the ways of doing things, what will they think of me out in Fairfax? ”

“ For an instant the grocer glowered at the boy and the letter, and then his shrewd mind, suggesting a way out of the embarrassing predicament in which the boy had placed him, he exclaimed:
"Poor Horace! I had always hoped to keep from you the fact that he was insane at the time of his death, but this letter makes it impossible. It was while laboring under the delusion that he had money, that he wrote you of this phantom bequest. Poor Horace! ”

“ I've got a sister living out in Chicago, whose husband runs as far as Kansas City on a freight train. I'll give you a note to her, and her man will give you a lift, and probably he can arrange with some of the men he knows to carry you west from Kansas City."
"That will be very kind of you," returned Bob. "It seems as though strangers are kinder to me than people I've known all my life." ”

“ I don't want to stand here all day."
"And I can't," said Bob. "I will be more than half an hour late in getting back to the store, and I know Mr. Dardus will be very angry. I most wish I hadn't said I'd wait. It just shows that Mr. Dardus is right when he says there is no pleasure in having money that isn't earned honestly, and getting a dollar for just holding this money isn't really honest work."
"Well, if you think you ought to be delivering your groceries, why not give the envelope to me? I'll stay here and wait, though I must say I am getting tired." ”

“ I thought you were in the cab with Barney."
"I—I tried to go back over the cars," stammered Bob.
"Barney shouldn't have let you. It's too dangerous for a greenhorn."
Wincing at the words, which slipped out unconsciously as the conductor thought of what might have happened to the boy, Bob hastened to defend the engineer by saying:
"Mr. Barney didn't know I was going. I wanted to surprise you by showing you I could go back without your help. And—and then the train started, and I had to hang on to a coal car." ”

“ A man on a ranch who can't ride is about as useless as a rifle without cartridges. Let's see, you'll need a safe pony to learn on. I guess I'll let you try old Sox. He never was mean and he still has some speed. Pick up that saddle there," and he pointed to what is called a Mexican saddle, which has a high pommel and back; "the bridle is tied to it, and we'll go out to the corral. You ought to get so you can do pretty well by night. You've got to, because I need another puncher with my short-horn herd over by Red Top." ”

“ Dismissing all forebodings, therefore, Bob began to wonder if there could be any connection between Ford, the man with the scar and his father. The subject suggested so many possibilities and was, altogether, so vague, that, healthy-minded boy as he was, he decided not to ponder over it longer.
"There's no use building air castles," he told himself. "If Mr. Ford hires me and knows anything about father, I'll find it out in due time. There's one good thing, if I do land the job, Red Top will be ten miles nearer—and I can get away without exciting so much comment as from Fairfax." ”

“ Dearly did Bob love pork and beans, but only occasionally had his guardian provided them, and then in such small quantities that the boy had never been able to eat all he wanted, and often [Pg 49] times had he promised himself that some day he would have his fill. Consequently, as he read the sign, he determined to gratify his desire, and timidly entered the restaurant, where there were stools in front of a high counter and tables along the wall, upon which stood an array of food that amazed him, accustomed, as he had been, to living on almost nothing. ”

“ When Bob had finished his story, Mr. Perkins sat in silence for several minutes, evidently in deep thought.
"I think you have chosen the wisest course, Bob," he finally said. "The West is a great country, and you have qualities about you that I think will bring you success. Of course, you will probably be obliged to stand a good many hard knocks, but they won't hurt you, my boy. Hard knocks are good for any man. The only thing to be careful about is that they do not sour you [Pg 72] and cause you to feel anger and hatred against your fellows. ”

“ Nichols and taking back Bob's answers, which told of his experiences, gratitude for their assistance, and delight in his new life.
Once a week, Ford came to bring his food, a signal mark of favor, for the ranch cooks supplied the others. And as month after month passed, Bob developed wonderfully. The free, outdoor life made his muscles like steel and the responsibility and solitude matured him, so that instead of the rather timid boy who had stepped [Pg 185] from the limited that morning, he was a powerful, self-reliant young man. ”

“ Chester my friend, we're more likely to play tricks on Merry Dick than he is to play any on us."
And amid the shouts of merriment this suggestion produced, the cowboy and his youthful companion galloped away.
"Ain't that Firefly you're ridin'?" asked Merry Dick, after having tried in vain to leave Bob behind by sending his own pony at a mad gallop.
"Y—yes," returned Bob. "Mr. Thomas, the station agent, bought him for me."
"Bought him?" repeated the cowboy in amazement. "You must be rollin' in money, kid. Simons said he'd never sell for less than two hundred dollars." ”

“ Nichols, and I'm glad to know you, Bob."
For a moment the official gazed earnestly at the honest face before him, then continued:
"There's no use telling you that I and every man who works for our railroad is grateful to you for enabling us to catch the would-be train-robbers. You know that. I want you to tell me how we can reward you." [Pg 138]
"I wasn't thinking of any reward, Mr. Nichols," answered Bob. "Mr. Perkins has been so kind to me that when I heard those bad men planning to stop the train, I only thought of repaying his kindness by preventing them if I could." ”

“ You can go in a plain car for about ten or eleven dollars. That is on one of the round-about railways, at cut rates. Or, you can pay between fifty and seventy-five dollars for a state-room."
"Oh, goody! If it only costs ten dollars, I can get out there all right, and still have some money left."
"I'm glad of that. Now, you sit here a few minutes, and I'll put up a lunch for you, and then you won't have to buy any food while you are on the train. They always charge a lot more on trains or in station restaurants than they ought to."
"Hadn't I better pay you now?" inquired Bob. ”

“ As Bob and his distinguished guide reached the chair car, the latter beckoned to the brakeman and said:
"I am Mr. Perkins. I presume you know that I am the president of this road. I want you to keep an eye on this boy. He isn't accustomed to travelling. He'll probably need something to eat to-morrow, so either take him into one of the railroad restaurants, or bring him some lunch into the car. Here's some money for his meals." ”

“ As they approached, Ford shouted:
"If you men will surrender, we won't hurt you! But if you fire so much as one shot, we'll kindle the prairie and roast you!"
For a moment after this terrible alternative was pronounced there was silence and the conspirators made no move. Then one by one they stood up, glowering with awful hatred at Bob.
"Hands up!" commanded Ford. "That's the way! Now, boys, take their guns and knives, then bind their hands behind their backs and each carry [Pg 195] one behind you. We're going to take them to Red Top jail." ”

“ That will is a forgery, Bob. We'll get back the property for you, never fear. Dardus may have money. But your friends Perkins and Nichols have more. I made a vow when Dardus beat me on the will that when I had one hundred thousand dollars I'd track him down and solve this mystery. But now it won't be necessary to wait.
"Right will conquer, every time, Bob!" ”

“ Whenever you turn a pony loose on the plains, whether in the day time or at night, always hobble him. You never know what may happen when you are 'punching cattle' and oftentimes by having your pony handy it will save you a lot of trouble, to put it mildly."
While he was speaking, Thomas had taken Bob's lariat, which hung from the pommel of his saddle, and drawing the noose small had slipped it over his pony's right hoof. ”

“ Evidently never thinking the lad would be astir so early, the brakeman had neglected to obey his instructions and keep close watch on Bob, so that his leaving the car was unnoticed.
Seeing a place where he could get a drink of water, Bob walked toward it.
Just as he was in the midst of drinking from the cup, he was stupefied to hear the snorting [Pg 107] of an engine, and, upon turning his head, to see the train on which he had been riding disappearing from the station.
With a cry of alarm, Bob dashed after it, shouting:
"Wait! Stop the train! The conductor's got my pass!" ”

“ Just because other men can't get along with Mr. Ford is no sign I can't. What is the nearest way to get there?"
"So long as you've got to walk, go straight down the track till you see a building with a red roof, on the left hand side," directed Higgins.
And before the others could protest, Bob uttered a hasty "thank you," and set off along the track at a dog trot.
"You'll get yours, Higgins, when Hal gets back," asserted the man who protested against Bob's being sent to Ford's. ”

“ You are the only one who overheard the conversation and can identify the ringleader."
"Don't look so unhappy," chimed in another officer. "Kansas City is a pretty good town, and we'll give you the time of your life. Theatres and picture-shows, you know. The road will probably do something handsome for you. Anyhow, you'll have good living until it is necessary to come back here to testify."
But even the prospect of going to a theatre—a treat Bob had never enjoyed while with his guardian—failed to appease him, and his usually cheerful expression gave way to one of resigned gloom. ”