The Globe-republican., 1891-04-15
,as not winkine and laughing at him.

heard were the patter OF rain on the
roof Of the motionless freight car. and
the regular breathing of its three tired
occupants
An hour later two men, carrying Ian
terms and wearing rubber coats that
! glistened with the wet. came along and
| paused before the freight car. One of
| them consulted way bill Eyes, this
is It," he said; No. pol. corn meal for
Harrisburg. Six sacks to be left at
Arden. That's all right. Shut her
up, Joe. Itwas mighty careless of those
fellows to leave the door OPEN"
Here Joe pushed the door to with a
slam. 1t fastened with spring lock.
! and the men with the lanterns walked
away to lock up the rest OF their train.
A little later an engine came rolling
softly along the wet track to where the
car stood. There was q bump, a rattle
of coupling pins and links, a swinging
OF lanterns, and the car was drawn
away, past the multitude of little red,
and green, and yellow lights twinkling
through the rain and darkness like big
fire-aies and marking the switches.
The car was hauled and pushed hither
and thither, and others were attached
to it, until at length long train was
made up. The great locomotive painted.
eager to be off. and its hot breath made
little clouds of fieecy steam that were
edged with flame by the glow from its
open-mouthed furnace. The brakemen
were at their posts on the slippery tops
of the cars: the caboose at the rear end
of the train looked warm and comfort
able. Two red lights. shining like
angry eyes, were hung in position on it's
sides near the rear end, land freight train
No. Is was in readiness for start.
The conductor came from the train
dlspatcher's office with thin sheet of
yellow paper, on which were written
his orders, in his hand.
''No tramps on board tonight, are
there, Joe?" he said to his head brake
man.
mo. sir, not sign of one. I've
looked carefully everywhere. It's too
wet for 'em to travel. reckon"
''All right. Let her CO.
Then the conductor swung his CLEAN
ing lantern, the engine-driver pulled
the throttle, and freight No. Is moved
slowly out into the darkness. Its first
stop was at Arden. where it was 10 side
track and await the passing of the New
York limited. Here, too. were to be left
six sacks of meal.
As Brakeman Joe unlocked and pushed
open the door of the car No. POI. and the
light of his lantern flashed into its dark
interior. it fell upon something that
caused him to start and eXclaim:
Great Scott. The tramps are travel
ing after all, and here they are. A dog.
too! Well, if that isn't cold cheek!''
Brakeman Joe did not love tramps.
His regular work was hard enough,
goodness knows; and when, in addition
to it. he had to make thorough exami- |
nation of the whole train at every stop |
ping place, peering by the light of his
lantern between and underneath the cars |
for tramps who might be stealinga ride. |
he felt that he had good cause to dis |
like them. Sometimes he had hard |
tussles before dislodging them from |
their perches and roosts, and many an |
ugly blow had he received while per- ,
forming this duty. He had therefore
learned to deal very promptly. not to
say roughly, with this portion of the
travelling public whenever he found
them on or in the cars under his charge
On this particular night he had made
sure as he thought before starting that
there was not tramp Oh the train, and
had in consequence been anticipating a
comparatively easy trip. And here was
a whole nest of them snugly slowed
away in car No. col. A dog, too! 1t
was aggravating, and, under the circum-
stances, it is not to be wondered at that
he hustled them out without much re-
gard to their feelings.
Both Arthur and Uncle Phin had
been suddenly awakened. and greatly
when Brakeman Joe first
and locked the door of the car
in which they had taken refuge from the
storm. They had confused idea that
they had been asleep, though for how
long they could not tell, and now they
could no longer see the lighted clock
above the railway station. 1t might
even be midnight and time for their
lralu 10 coille along, LOT all tney KNEW
They shouted and kicked against the
locked door, and Rusty barked; but all
in vain. The conductor and Brakeman
Joe had walked away before these
noises began, and there was no one else
to hear them.
Then the engine came and pushed and
pulled the car about, until they had not
the slightest idea of the direction in
which they were moving. 1t might be for
ward or backward, east or west, for all
they could tell. Nor was their situation
improved when the train. of which car
No. POI finally formed a part, pulled out of
the railway yard, and started on its long
Journey. They had no idea which way
It was going, and Arthur could have
,ried as he reflected that they might be
travelling in exactly the opposite direc-
ton from that they wished to take. and
might be carried hundreds of miles be-
lore their car door was again unlocked.
he could not do this. because he was
! Dale, he only Rugged little Rusty.
vi IN ha forfoA hr Trofo |