The Winslow mail., 1898-05-28

just like a tramp? The folks fed me
all I could eat-oh! but it was good
and they let me have some more to
eat on the road, When I showed it to
Rusty and told him I'd had mine he
gobbled up every bit of it.
"'Purty fair fer kid he said, as he
finished the pie in about two bites.
You'll do, Polly, I knowed We could
work it. Now I'm goin' ter use We fair
an give ye jest leetle of this. Most
fellers wouldn't divyy, bein' as We
didn't turn in no money, but / amt
mean, an it'll do We good
He had got some beer in an old tin
can. I took just one smell; I guess it
was mostly the can 1 smelt. 1t was a
salmon can--one. I thought he'd be
mad, but he didn't seem to mind.
"'Haf ter git over that sorter fool
ishpess, Polly was all he said, and he
gulped the stuff down at one swallow.
Then he fixed himself up a kind of
coat out of some burlaps he found tied
round a peach tree, He cut holes for
his arms, and fastened the thing on
with pieces Of string. After awhile we
went back near the depot, and. waited
behir1 the fence till o. freight train
came along. He'd got a board that
was a little longer than 1 am. I amt
in nc shape ter go long with ye jist
yit,' he said, but bein' ye're in sich a
KILN resh, I'll git ye started right.
So we crawled under a car, and he laid
the board lengthwise on one of the,
trucks. 1 was awfully scared, but he
said it was easy as sliding down hill.
"'Jist hump up yer back agin the
bottom of the car, eff she goes ter wob-
blir', he said, AN ye bettew keep yer
eyes stet, mostly Ar don't we try ter
git out till she's dead sure stopped
$50 1 squeezed in, and lay along the
board, fat on my stomach. Pretty
soon the engine started, and for about
d minute [ thought twas going to be
picnic. The tics just under me looked
like a smooth plank walk, and when l
looked out sideways the fields and
fences and houses slid by like regular
panorama. Then we get togoing faster
and the dust began to blow up in my
face, and I couldn't see thing shut
my eyes tight, but itdreve into my nose
till I couldn't breath, and when I
opened my mouth I thought I'd be
choked anyhow. It wasn't all Just dust
either. When we got TO roaring along
at full speed, and the wheels were hurl-
ming close by my ears, and the iron
things were rafting all round me, the
gravel began TO fly UP, too, ard it pound
ed me; like big hailstones. You haven't
the least idea, Sammy, how fast a
freight train really goes. And it
doesn't run steady; it swings ahead,
and sl2cl1s, and starts up again with q
yank that almost sends you eff back
wards. Then you strike a curve, and
your board slides round under you till
you just grit your teeth and say your
prayers. When I tried to brace by
hunching up the way.Rusty told me, it
seemed as if the whole car was iounc-
ing up ard down on my back. Thought
I was dead boy go times that day,
Sammy.
81 must have been a sight when did
crawl out, but it was night by that
time. ] could hardly see or hear or
taste or smell, 1 was so full of dirt, and
! ached all over. It seemed as if the
grit had worked into my joints till I
could hardly move, and filed up my
head till it felt as big as pumpkin
and about as much good. I don't see
what any tramp is thinking Of when he
steals rides under the cars. He'd bet
ter feed a thrashing machine and done
with it.
'How did / get the rest Of the way
to New York? It would take too long
to tell all that tonight. I promised I'd
come home early, Sanmy-and I'm not
playing any low-down tramp tricks
now, you better believe. But part cf
the way I got a ride on canal boat
and part of the way I walked. I get
things to eat easy enough, and orce
pr twice I got bed; but I was just q
miserable little beggar, and 1 felt like
a yellow deg all the time. And the real
yellow dogs-they chase me, Sammy.
when l got to the city it wasn't ST.
easy. I sneaked up and down the
streets ever SO long, and pretty near
starved to death before could find out
where those Cuban folks were. And
when I did find them they wculdn' t
even listen to me.
''What you want here, boy?' little
| blacll-looling man said to me. When
/ told him he got mad right away.
More as 10O fool boys do come here
each day. he growled. What we want
of fool boys? You get out, quick
"Then L went down to the dock and
hid ON a ship that was going to Key
| West, but they caught me just as she
was starting; and after they'd half
killed me they turned me over to po-
liceman, and he dragged Ine off to the
station house. was sore and dirty
and hungry and ashamed, and 1 guess
/ cried pretty much all the way, They
were going to commit ne to some kind
Of a society, when all at orce a tall man
stepped up and showed them photo
graph. That's the boy he said. I've
been after him for more than week,
and his people are almost crazy about
him. III see that he gets home all
right
''You see, he was detective that IA
ther had set to watch for me. There
! isn't any more that you don't know
about already. And now I'm going
home, as I promised would. Homes
an awfully good place TO be, Sammy"
LAWRENCE BOONE.
when You Write 20 the Queen.