CHAPTER V
For several minutes after the local train had got under way, the boys were inclined to be less noisy and boisterous than usual. They kept thinking over the parting from their parents.
All their previous trips had been short, seldom taking them more than a few hours' journey from home. But this trip marked an epoch in their lives. They were to travel not dozens of miles but thousands. They would be three days and more on the train, and when they finally reached their journey's end they would be as far away from Fairview as though they were in Europe. It almost took their breath away when they thought of it.
But before the train had gone ten miles they were in their usual spirits and all stirred up by the prospect of what lay before them.
"Just think of it," sighed Sammy, happily, "three whole days of railroad riding!"
"And nothing to do but to eat and sleep and look at things out of the window," added Bob.
"And the best of it is that most of the time we'll be on a splendid big train and not on such a rattlety-bang as this," put in George, looking around with some disdain at the shabby little car.
"They say there's everything on those flyers," said Frank in an awed voice. "Libraries and shower baths and barber shops and typewriters and a whole lot of things besides."
"And then the eats!" gloated Sammy, hugging himself gleefully. "Just like a big hotel with everything you can think of to eat and as much dessert and pie and ice cream as you want."
"And nobody to tell you that you've had enough and mustn't pass up your plate for more," added Bob. "Oh, cricky, we won't do a thing to those dinners!"
"You make me hungry just talking about them," put in Frank. "By the way, fellows, where are those sandwiches that our folks put up in case we got hungry before dinner time?"
"Here they are," replied Bob, producing a paper box from the rack where he had placed it. "We might as well get rid of it now, so that we'll have a better appetite when the time comes for the big eats."
"Well, you deal them out, Bob, since you've got them there," directed George. "You'll find some little papers of salt and pepper to season them with and there's a can of mustard down in the corner of the box."
"All right," responded Bob. "Leave it to me. I'll have them ready in a jiffy."
He busied himself at getting the sandwiches ready while the rest looked out of the window. If they had been less interested in the scenery they might have thought that Bob was bestowing an unusual amount of care on such a simple bit of work.
"Here you are, fellows," he sang out finally.
They turned toward him eagerly and he handed out a chicken sandwich to each.
Sammy grabbed his like a dog snatching at a bone and took a big bite out of it.
The next instant he was choking and sputtering while his eyes bulged from his head.
"What is it, Sammy?" cried George in alarm, while the others looked on with open mouths and sandwiches untasted.
"It must have gone down the wrong way!" exclaimed Frank.
Sammy shook his head vigorously at this although he could not speak.
"I'll thump him on the back," said George. "And you, Frank, run down the aisle and get a glass of water."
Frank ran to the water tank and was back in a moment. Sammy tried a swallow or two and was soon able to speak, though his eyes were streaming from coughing.
"Now tell us just what the matter was," said Bob with the greatest earnestness.
For reply Sammy glared at him.
"You're a nice one to ask that," he almost shouted.
Bob looked back at him in innocent surprise.
"What do you mean by that?" he demanded. "How is it my fault, Sammy, if you are so greedy that you bolt your food whole and almost choke yourself? You know that the teacher says you ought to take thirty-two chews with every mouthful."
"Cut that out!" exclaimed Sammy, wrathfully. "Take a look at your sandwiches, fellows, and you'll know why I choked."
Frank and George took off the upper slice of bread from their sandwiches and stared.
The layer of chicken was fairly black with pepper and yellow with mustard. No one could say that Bob had been stingy with his seasoning.
For a moment no one said a word while all three stared at Bob with accusation in their eyes.
Bob stared back, but though he called on all his nerve to help him, he at last wavered and lowered his eyes.
"That's queer," he murmured.
"Mighty queer," retorted Frank.
"I must have got too much seasoning on," said Bob, brightly.
"What a good guesser," said George, sarcastically.
"Perhaps I was a little absent-minded," went on Bob. "I get that way sometimes."
"Yes, I've noticed that," said Sammy, severely. "I suppose you were absent-minded the other day when you stung us with the putty balls."
"Let's see if he was absent-minded enough to dose his own sandwich that way," observed Frank, making a grab at the sandwich which Bob had on his lap.
Bob tried to head him off but Frank was too quick for him. He opened the sandwich and showed it to the others. There was only the faintest sprinkling of pepper and the merest little dab of mustard.
"That shows!" cried Frank, triumphantly.
"Caught with the goods," added George.
"The dear little absent-minded boy!" said Sammy.
Bob twisted uneasily.
"It's funny how those things happen sometimes," he ventured. "But say, fellows," he added briskly, "don't let's mind a little mistake like that. There are plenty of other sandwiches and you can fix them this time to suit yourself."
"Listen to him!" shouted Sammy.
"Of all the nerve!" muttered George.
"He really thinks he's going to get away with it!" cried Frank.
"Well, he's got another think coming," said George. "What will we do to him, fellows?"
"He ought to be hung by the neck until he's dead," declared Sammy, whose eyes were still watering and throat smarting.
"Killing's too good for him," put in Frank.
"I'll tell you what we'll do," declared George. "We'll give him a dose of his own medicine. Each of you grab one of his arms and I'll get the pepper and the mustard."
In a flash they had pounced upon Bob and held him powerless. Then George took a part of Bob's sandwich and fairly plastered it with mustard and added a liberal share of pepper.
Despite Bob's struggles, his mouth was forced open and the food thrust in. George held his hand over his mouth, and though the stuff was like so much fire Bob had to gulp it down or choke. He chose to do the first, and then when his chums released him he made a wild dash for the water cooler, where he drank half a dozen glasses of water before he came slowly and sheepishly back to his seat.
The other boys were grinning from ear to ear, and Bob, after moping a minute or two, was forced to laugh, too. He was sportsmanlike enough to know that he deserved what he had got and to take it in good part. He knew that those who danced must pay the fiddler.
They all attacked the remaining sandwiches and had cleared up every crumb before they reached the junction where they were to transfer to the flyer.
They were in ample time. In fact, they had to wait ten minutes before the long through train came thundering into the little depot. To the boys the splendid train seemed almost endless, with its smoking car and day cars and big Pullman coaches.
The special Pullman car for which their tickets called was named theNiagaraand was placed half-way down the train. By the time they had found it and climbed aboard the bell was clanging, and a moment later the monster train started slowly out of the station, but gathered speed with every yard until it was tearing along at a rate of nearly sixty miles an hour.
The speed was a revelation to the boys, who had rarely traveled at a rate exceeding thirty miles an hour, and their faces were glued in fascination to the windows.
"Talk about traveling!" exclaimed Frank, gleefully.
"It isn't riding, it's flying," declared Sammy.
"I'd hate to be in front of it," observed Bob.
"Well, there'd be one comfort if it struck you," said Frank. "You'd never know what hit you."
"Back of the locomotive is plenty good enough for me," said George with a grin.
"Just suppose the thing should run off the track," suggested Frank with a half shiver.
"We won't suppose anything of the kind," said Bob. "We've got lots of pleasanter things than that to think about."
They made a pilgrimage through the great train, investigating every nook and corner with ever increasing interest and delight. To their young eager minds it was a revelation. The chief thing they regretted was that they could not climb over the tender and get into the cab with the fireman and engineer.
They would have liked, too, to investigate the mysteries of the baggage car which always figured so largely in what they had read of train hold-ups in the West.
"I suppose that baggageman has millions of dollars worth of gold in his safe," remarked Frank.
"Well, hardly that much," replied George, whose mind on that point was better informed; "but there isn't any doubt that he's got a good many thousands."
"Maybe there are men on the train now who are planning to rob him," suggested Sammy.
"It isn't likely," answered George. "For every train that's held up, there are a thousand that get through without any trouble."
"That doesn't prove that this isn't the one train that won't get through," persisted Sammy.
"Just listen to him," gibed Bob. "Any one would think that Sammy washopingthat the train would be held up."
"Nothing of the kind," persisted Sammy. "But if any train were going to be robbed, anyway, you wouldn't mind being along and seeing the hold-up, would you?"
"But how about yourself?" put in Frank. "Sometimes they're not satisfied with just robbing the safe, but they go through the train and take all the jewelry and money that the passengers have. Maybe you wouldn't be so glad then that you happened to be on the train."
Sammy had to admit that this would be a different thing and that it would not be quite so interesting. But he still craved mystery and excitement, and was inclined to think that he would be cheated if things ran along in the usual way.
He was in this mood when they returned to their own car and dropped into their seats.
The train had made one stop at a large city and several passengers had come into theNiagara. Two men had taken the seat just in front of that in which Sammy sat.
The boys were the least bit tired after all the stir and movement of the day, and were snuggled up in their seats without doing much talking. But Sammy's imagination was running riot with what might happen if fate chanced to be good to him, and he sat bolt upright and very wide awake.
He amused himself by studying the men in front of him. He could get only an occasional side view of their faces, and from what he saw they looked pleasant enough. But then, Sammy reflected, you never can tell. He had seen a picture of a murderer in a New York paper not long before, and the man looked so frank and smiling that one would not think he could harm a mouse. Sometimes a good face was a bad man's stock in trade.
Suddenly Sammy heard a remark from one of the men that made him prick up his ears.
"Yes," he said, "he tried to make it, but Billy was too quick for him. He killed him right then and there."
"Good work," said the other approvingly.
"You ought to have seen him kick," continued the first man. "I had to laugh when I saw his face."
Sammy was horror stricken!