The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-12-03
BY TERRY DONOGHUE

BY TERRY DONOGHUE
Copyright. 1882. by the New York World
Telegram Corporation
THREE women and four men
Il sat around jungle fire near
the tracks of the santa Fe at the
edge of Amarillo, Tex. We drank
coffee and waited for west
bound freight.
Nearby two other fires burned.
One was circled by dozen Ne
goes; the other by five young
men, two OF whom I had met on
the train the day before.
Two Of the women, one young
Negro, we're dressed as men. The
prettiest girl wore thin blue dress,
a dark spring coat and tight
fitting black hat. She rolled Gig
aret like man.
AS we talked to pass the hours
of waiting, I heard their stories.
The pretty girls man, a tall,
thin, CHEEKY fellow, laughed
as he told how, two weeks before,
he and the girl had left their beer
flat TO take a motor trip.
1--WE were stewed to the eye
brows one night when Ethel sug-
gested We close up the joint and
take trip to her relatives in
Texas. The next thing we know
we're driving along singing, all
our baggage in our car.
Next day Ve wake up sleeping
in a field, no car, nothin'. Now
all we got is this He pointed
to a hempen bag from which he
had previously taken food and
cooking utensils. And we
bummed that
The Negro girl made us laugh
with her story of love. Last
month I chased him out of the
house for messin' with another
gal, an now I'm sorreh an I
wants him back,
Il hear he's in San Angelo.
Len he's not there, abs gonna go
to Ell Paso. Aim not Stoppin'
until ah find my man." We
laughed.
TINE third girl was thin, faded
i and looked as if she had suf-
fered much following her COM
panion, a little, mustached man
in a wide sombrero and a leather
jacket.
She did not laugh with the rest
of us, but smiled timidly when
her man boosted of his pretty
thieveries.
It was night when we broke up.
Rain suddenly fell and all of us
headed for box cars. The dark
skinned, extremely thin man, who
had stood among us silently, in
vited me to his box car.
I've been living here for two
weeks" my host said. I'm getting
used to the climate and I'm get
ting south in easy stages.
Lungs" he explained II could
hardly walk when got here. Wife
died year ago from it. Lost my
restaurant and bakery and now
I'm trying to get to the desert.
II feel better now, Red. I'm
Cherokee Indian, and it's sort Of
natural getting back to this mode
of living if it wasn't for the pains
in my chest"
He brought out bundle of bed
clothing. You're the only fellow
I've let see these. Most of the no.
boes would steal them from me-"
He spread them out and
covered himself. Il hate to hear
the rain" he said, as he coughed.
1T makes me feel that I'll never
get south"
IRON the eastern end of the
Il yards 1 could hear the rumble
of train. The Indian looked up.
IF you are crazy enough to ride
out on night like this, Red, take
this coat" His hand fumbled
with a short, ragged army coat.
You'll never be able to make it
tonight without it"
I took the coat. I thanked him
as I jumped TO the ground. Luck,
Red" he said between coughs.
He'll be dead in a few weeks,
poor guy" I thought.
Dimly I could see other men
running beside the train. 1
reached up. My hands caught
hold of rungs; my feet found a
step and I chung to the side of
the car.
1 ran along the top of the train,
hopping over gaps between the
refrigerator cars. The train was
going fifty miles an hour and in
creasing its speed.
The train WAS going as fast as
a passenger when I stumbled as
I jumped from one car to an
other.
My foot struck the edge of the
catwalk and slipped between the
cars. Frantically, 1 threw my body
forward and sprawled out on the
top of the carl decided not to
move until the train stopped.
For hours I rode in the sleeting
rain. Wind bit at my face and