Secrets of the Andes. Foster James H.

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ man walk in the direction of the store.

      In less than fifteen minutes he was back and handed Joe a sack of groceries in return for money. In recognition for his service, the youth tipped him generously.

      “Now for a delicious meal,” said Bob, smacking his lips. “And will we eat!”

      The boys did eat, and felt much better for it. When they had scraped up the last crumb, they stretched out on the burlap sacks.

      The remainder of the day passed without incident. Darkness was just setting in when, with a slight jerk, the train started moving.

      Even though they had expected an undisturbed sleep, Bob and Joe were delighted that they were again on their way. Every mile left behind would mean that they were nearer Chicago, which was perhaps the only city at which they could hope to escape from their prison.

      “Let’s hope we make good time now,” breathed Bob, as he and his friends turned in, to get what sleep a rumbling train would allow them.

      All through the night the freight rattled on, this time much faster than before. Although several stops were made, the train made unusually good time, pulling into Cincinnati late the next morning.

      “Here’s where we’ll have to wait,” said Joe. “They might keep us switched here for several days.”

      Almost at once their box car was sidetracked, and was not moved until late the next day. About four o’clock another engine was attached, a much shorter train being formed. Then slowly it pulled off the switch and found a through track.

      Bob and Joe could hardly believe their eyes. Were they to leave Cincinnati so soon?

      An hour later this question was answered. The boys found themselves speeding along to Chicago, after having remained on the switch less than twenty-four hours.

      “I suppose we’ll stop at every town and small city in Indiana,” said Bob gloomily. “Even though this is a fast freight, a delay will be almost inevitable.”

      The youth was right. It was nearly three days later when the train entered the city limits of Chicago. Gary and other cities of the Calumet district had been left behind.

      After what seemed like hours of constant travel in the metropolis, the freight stopped at a busy switch yard, where scores of trains were moving in all directions.

      Suddenly Bob cried out in delight as he caught sight of a man walking up the track. The youth recognized this fellow as the one who had snapped the lock on the box-car door, making the young men and Spike prisoners on the train.

      Bob at once called the man, who, upon hearing, turned about in surprise.

      “Why – what – what are you doing in that car?” he demanded angrily, as he caught sight of the youth.

      “We want to get out!” Bob’s voice was cool and determined.

      “But how did you get in there? I thought I locked that door. I – ”

      “Let us out and we’ll tell you all about it,” Bob pleaded.

      The man pulled a bunch of keys out of his pocket and immediately unlocked the door. Bob hurriedly rolled it open and jumped out, followed by Joe and young Spike.

      It was good to feel their feet on the ground again. Bob and Joe could have cried out in joy. But there was little time to do this, for the trainman demanded an explanation of their presence.

      Briefly Bob narrated the circumstances that led to their boarding the train, shielding Spike as much as possible. When he had finished, the man viewed the young lad critically.

      “I think I’ll turn you over to the yard master,” he said to Spike, “and see that you get what’s coming to you.”

      He roughly caught hold of the boy’s arm and pulled him forward.

      “Wait a minute,” begged Joe. “Spike didn’t do any harm. He’s promised to quit running around and go home and go to school.”

      “Well, he ain’t gonna get no sympathy from me. I got no use for a kid that rides freights.”

      He gave the boy another pull, this time so violent that the latter slipped and fell, bruising his face on the cinders.

      Bob grew furiously angry. He stepped boldly up to the trainman.

      “Let the boy alone!” he demanded, his eyes seeming to penetrate the man.

      CHAPTER IV

      The Surly Trainman

      BEFORE the blaze in Bob’s eyes the man shrank back, hesitated a moment, and then turned in the direction of the freight station.

      “All right,” he snarled. “But don’t let me catch the kid around here again, or you either.”

      He walked up the track to the end of the train, then disappeared behind the engine.

      “Gee, that was swell of you,” said Spike to Bob. “You sure had that guy scared.”

      “He was glad enough to get out of it,” laughed Joe. “Old Bob wouldn’t have left a grease spot of him.”

      “But now,” began Bob, anxious to turn this tribute aside, “let’s figure out what to do. I suppose the only thing – ”

      “I want to get home,” Spike interrupted. “I may have something comin’ to me, but the sooner I get it over, the better.”

      “Where do you live?” Joe asked.

      “Only about a half-mile from here.”

      Joe got a piece of paper and pencil out of his pocket. He tore off one corner and wrote down the address of himself and his friend. This he gave to Spike.

      “Here,” he said. “Write us a letter some time. Now where do you live?”

      Spike told him, and then, with a warm good-bye, he left the youths and hurried down the track.

      Bob and Joe watched the lad until he disappeared from view. Even after they lost sight of him, they stood gazing in that direction until a locomotive whistle roused them.

      “He’s a good kid, all right,” smiled Bob. “Might be an aimless wanderer, but he has a lot in him.”

      “Got a keen sense of humor, too,” said Joe, and then added: “I wonder if he’ll really go to school and make something out of himself, as he said he would?”

      “Hard telling. A lot can happen to change his mind, you know.”

      For several minutes Bob and Joe watched the busy scene about the tracks. Finally a factory whistle from afar prompted Joe to glance at his watch.

      “Nearly two o’clock,” he announced. “Come on. Let’s hurry down to the freight station and see if we can send a telegram to our folks. If we hadn’t lost the car in that river, we would have been home several days ago.”

      The youths moved down to the building and went inside. After making several inquiries they finally found the main office, where they were permitted to send СКАЧАТЬ