Boy from the Ranch; Or, Roy Bradner's City Experiences

by Frank V. Webster

  CHAPTER VI

  A SUDDEN AWAKENING

  Stretching out in the comfortable berth Roy thought he would soon fallasleep, as he was quite tired. But the novelty of his ride, thestrange sensation of being whirled along many miles an hour while lyingin bed, proved too much for him, and he found himself still wide-awake,though he had been in the berth an hour or more.

  The noise of the wheels, the rumble of the train, the click-clack asthe wheels passed over rail joints or switches, the bumping and swayingmotion, all served to drive sleep away from Roy's eyes.

  He thought of many things, of what he would do when he got to New York,of his father, of Caleb Annister, and what he should say to the NewYorker. Finally, however, the very monotony of the noises began tomake him feel drowsy. In a little while he found his eyes closing, andthen, almost before he knew it, he was asleep.

  Meanwhile, back in the smoking room, the three men and Mr. Baker weretalking over their cigars. One of them produced a pack of cards, andthey began to play.

  "Maybe if Isaac's game doesn't work, we can get him with these,"suggested Mr. Baker, as he dealt the pasteboards to his companions.

  "Maybe," agreed Hynard. "What time is Ike going to try it?"

  "About two o'clock. He'll be sure to be asleep then."

  Back in his berth, some hours after this, Roy was dreaming that he wasbeing shaken in his bunk at the ranch house. He thought Billy Carewwas urging him to get up early to go off on a round-up, and Roy wastrying to drive the sleep away from his eyes, and comply.

  Suddenly he knew it was not a dream, but that some one was moving him,though very gently. Then he became aware that a hand was beingcautiously thrust under his pillow.

  Roy did not stop to think--he acted. His instant impression was ofthieves, and he did the most natural thing under the circumstances. Hegrabbed the hand that was being gently shoved under his pillow.

  Instantly the wrist, which his fingers clasped, was snatched away,withdrawn from the curtains, and a voice exclaimed:

  "Beg pardon. I was looking for your ticket. I'm the conductor. It'sall right."

  Roy thought the voice did not sound a bit like the voice of theconductor, who had spoken to him some time before. Nor could the boyunderstand why a conductor should be feeling under his pillow for histicket, when Roy had, as was the custom, given him the bits ofpasteboard, including his berth check, earlier in the evening. Theconductor had said he would keep them until morning, to avoid thenecessity of waking Roy up to look at them during the night.

  "That's queer," thought the boy.

  He sat up in bed, and thrust his head through the curtains that hungdown in front of his berth. Down the aisle, which was dimly lighted,he saw a man hurrying toward the end of the car--the end where thesmoking apartment was.

  "That wasn't the conductor," said Roy to himself. "He has two brassbuttons on the back of coat, and this chap hasn't any. I believe hewas a thief, after my money. Lucky I didn't put it under my pillow, orhe'd have it now. I must be on the watch. No wonder Billy Carewwarned me to be careful. I wonder who that fellow was?"

  Roy had half a notion to get up and inform a porter or the conductorwhat had happened, but he did not like to dress in the middle of thenight, and go hunting through the sleeping car for someone to speak toabout the matter.

  "I'll just be on the watch," thought Roy, "and if he comes back I'll beready for him."

  However, he was not further disturbed that night, and soon fell asleepagain, not forgetting, however, the precaution of hiding his pocketbookin the middle of his bed, under the blankets, where, if thieves triedto take it, they would first have to get him out of the berth.

  Roy awakened shortly after sunrise the next morning. He was accustomedto early rising at the ranch, and this habit still clung to him. Hemanaged to dress, while sitting on the edge of his berth, and then hereached down under the edge of it on the floor of the car, where, thenight before, he had left his shoes. To his surprise they were gone.

  "That's funny," he thought. "I wonder if the fellow who didn't get mymoney, took my shoes for spite?"

  To make sure he stepped out into the aisle in his stocking feet, andlooked under his berth. His shoes were not to be seen.

  "Now I am in a pickle," thought the boy. "How am I going all the wayto New York without shoes? I can't go out in my stocking feet to get anew pair, and I don't suppose there are any stores near the stations,where I could buy new ones. But that's the only thing I can do. Iwonder if the train would wait long enough until I could send one ofthe porters to a store for a pair of shoes? It would be a funny thingto do, I guess, and, besides, he wouldn't know what size to get. Icertainly am up against it!"

  As Roy stood in the curtained aisle of the car, all alone, for none ofthe other travelers were up yet, he saw a colored porter approaching.Something in the boy's manner prompted the man to ask:

  "Can I do anything fo' youh, sah? You'se up early, sah."

  "I am looking for my shoes."

  "Oh, youh shoes. I took 'em, sah."

  "You took 'em? What right have you taking my shoes? Haven't you gotany of your own?" and Roy spoke sternly, for he thought this was toomuch; first an attempt made to rob him of his money, and then some onestealing his shoes.

  "Where are they?" he went on. "I want 'em."

  "Yais, sah. Right away, sah. I jest took 'em a little while ago toblacken 'em, sah. I allers does that to the gen'men's shoes. I'llhave 'em right back. Did youh think I done stole 'em, sah?"

  "That's what I did," replied Roy with a smile. "I thought I'd have togo to New York in my stocking feet."

  "Ob, no indeedy, sah. I allers goes around and collects the gen'men'sshoes early, 'fore they gits up. I takes 'em back to my place and Iblacks 'em. Den I brings 'em back."

  "That's quite an idea," said Roy, now noticing that from under theberths of his fellow travelers the shoes were all missing.

  "Yais, sah," went on the colored man. "And sometimes, sah, sometimes,youh know, de gen'men's gives me a little remembrance, sah, forblackenin' their shoes."

  "Then I'll do the same," spoke Roy, remembering what Billy Carew hadtold him of the necessity for "tipping" the car porters.

  "Thank youh, sah. I'll have youh shoes back d'rectly, sah."

  The porter was as good as his word, and soon Roy was able to put on hisshoes, which he hardly recognized. The dust that had accumulated fromhis ride across the plains to the railroad depot had all been removed,and the leather shone brightly. He gave the porter a quarter of adollar, for which the colored man returned profuse thanks. Soon theother travelers began to get up. Roy watched them go to the washroomand did likewise. He met Mr. Baker in there, and accepted aninvitation to go to breakfast with him in the dining car.

  "Did you sleep well last night?" asked the man with the big watch chain.

  "Pretty well," replied Roy, deciding to say nothing of the hand thatwas thrust under his pillow. He first wanted to make a fewobservations of his fellow passengers.

  After breakfast, when Roy was sitting in his chair in the parlor car,Mr. Baker approached.

  "There are some friends of mine in the smoking room," he said to theboy. "I would like to introduce you to them."

  "That is very kind of you," replied the young traveler. "I shall beglad to meet them," for Roy considered it nice on the part of Mr. Bakerto take so much interest in him.

  "We can have a pleasant chat together," went on the man as he led theway to a private room or "section" as they are called. This was nearthe smoking room end of the car. "My friends are much interested inranch life, and perhaps you will give them some information."