Wobar and the Quest for the Magic Calumet

by Henry Homeyer

  That night, Wobar packed so they would be ready to leave early in the morning. He found a small suitcase for his clothes, and although he didn’t tell Roxie, he packed her dress, too. They found the paint, but decided to wait until morning to try it on Roxie.

  CHAPTER 12

  Getting Started

  EARLY THE NEXT morning, Wobar and Roxie got ready. Wobar painted Roxie white with black spots. He put on a collar he’d made from an old belt. He even had a fake dog tag for her that he’d made from a tin can. Roxie looked pretty convincing, though a bit large for a Dalmatian. They thanked Simon for all his help, said good-bye, and set off down the road.

  Wobar had studied geography in school so he knew it was a long way to New Orleans and that they couldn’t walk there. Since they didn’t have any money, he knew they couldn’t fly there, or take a bus. But they might be able to take a train.

  Not far from Woodstown, there’s a train station with a big freight terminal. Freight trains passing through would stop for an hour or two to take on more cars or to unload freight. Wobar knew that they couldn’t ride a passenger train, but he thought it might be possible to hop on a freight train.

  As they walked along the road, Roxie kept listening carefully for cars. Each time one came, she warned Wobar, and they hurried into the woods to hide. even though their disguises were pretty good, they didn’t want to push their luck. Once or twice, there wasn’t anywhere to hide, but the cars went by without taking any notice, which they took as a good sign.

  Once they got to town, Wobar pulled his hat down to hide his face as much as he could. He walked slowly and limped like an old man. He fiddled with his mustache whenever anyone looked his way. Roxie kept close to him and tried to act like a dog, snuffling around fire hydrants and pulling on her leash whenever she saw a cat.

  Wobar knew that once they hopped on a freight train, it might be a long time before it stopped. They had to get some food to take along or they would be miserable. And Roxie needed food to build up her strength.

  “Okay, Roxie,” he said, “this is what we have to do. I’m going to go in a store and steal some food. I’ll also grab a notebook and a pencil so I can keep track of what I’ve stolen. That way I can pay it back once we’ve found the magic pipe.”

  “But Wobar, how are you going to steal food without getting caught? Maybe it would be better just to go hungry.”

  “That’s why I said we. We’ll work as a team. I’ll find a small grocery store that only has one person behind the counter. Once I’m inside, you’ll have to make a disturbance outside. When the owner runs outside, I’ll grab what we need and put it in the suitcase. It’s our only chance.”

  Slowly, Wobar and Roxie ambled down Main Street. They went by a drugstore and a hardware shop. They passed a Laundromat and a diner. Then Wobar spied what he was looking for: Spencer’s Family Market. Outside on the sidewalk was a big display of fruits and vegetables. He tied Roxie’s leash to a fruit table outside and went in.

  “May I help you, sir?” asked the man behind the counter.

  Wobar looked down and mumbled in a deep voice, “Cookies. I’m looking for my favorite brand of cookies. I forget what they’re called.”

  “Third aisle on the left. We’re a small store, but we’ve got a good selection. Have a look,” said the grocer.

  Just then there was a terrible crash outside. Roxie had tangled her leash around the leg of the fruit table and given a strong pull. over went the table. Apples and pears spilled. melons rolled into the street. Peaches went every which way.

  “Heavens to Betsy!” cried the grocer, racing out of the store.

  Quickly, Wobar went to work. He grabbed a large jar of peanut butter, a loaf of bread, and a quart of chocolate milk for himself. He couldn’t decide if Roxie would like cat food or dog food, so he took some cans of each. He stuffed the food in the suitcase. He stuck a notebook and a pen in his pocket and hurried toward the door.

  Outside, fruit was everywhere. “Fido! You bad dog! Look what you’ve done,” Wobar yelled. He helped the man pick up the table and put the fruit back.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said. “Fido is a nice dog, but he’s not very smart. Here, let me help you with those apples. “

  Wobar deliberately knocked some more apples off the table and bumped into the man as he pretended to try to catch them. Roxie jumped up and down wagging her tail.

  “Forget it mister, forget it,” said the storekeeper. “Just get your dog out of here and leave me alone! This is a mess, but I don’t need your kind of help. I’ll take care of it.”

  Wobar apologized again, but the man said something rude under his breath. “Get out of here. Just to go away!” he grumped. They left and headed toward the railroad yards. Wobar felt terrible about stealing the food. He knew he would come back to pay for the things he had taken. He just didn’t know when.

  CHAPTER 13

  Sneaking Around

  WOBAR AND ROXIE knew they couldn’t ask anyone where to find a freight train heading south. Somehow they would have to sneak into the freight yards and just figure out what to do. Of course, if they got on the wrong train, they might end up in Mexico City or Montreal or Kalamazoo, Michigan. Wobar didn’t think that trains went to Timbuktu, but that was a possibility, too. In fact, Wobar wasn’t at all sure that hopping a freight train was a good idea. But he didn’t say that to Roxie. He didn’t want her to worry.

  As they approached the train yards, Wobar walked slower and slower. He looked for a way to get in, but there was a high wooden fence everywhere to keep people out. Suddenly, Roxie came up with an idea.

  “Wobar, I’ve got it! If you stand on your suitcase, you should just be able to reach the top of the fence and pull yourself up and over. Then I’ll grab the suitcase in my mouth, get a good running start, and jump over. Once we’re inside, we’ll figure out what to do. “

  Sure enough, Roxie was right. Wobar could just reach the top. He pulled himself up, looked around to be sure no one was watching, and climbed over. A moment later, Roxie came sailing over the top, suitcase in mouth.

  “I’ll bet you didn’t know I could jump like that, did you, Wobar?”

  “No, I didn’t. But that trick might come in handy later. Quick! We’d better hide. Here comes somebody.”

  Wobar and Roxie dove into the tall grass and lay still. A man drove by in a pickup truck and parked not far away. He got out and started their way. Wobar held his breath and tried not to move, even though the grass was tickling his nose. The man walked past the freight cars, stopping from time to time to write something on his clipboard. Suddenly, a voice boomed out from nowhere.

  “Hey, ribber snapper fornswaggle. Chegitout.”

  Or at least that’s what it sounded like. Wobar couldn’t figure out what was going on, or who was talking. Someone was on a loudspeaker, giving directions. The man got back into the pickup and drove away. But Wobar still didn’t dare to move. They would just have to wait and see what was going on before they made a move. The ground was wet, and Wobar was getting chilly.

  “You wait here,” said Roxie. “I’ll check this place out. We can’t sit here all day, you’ll catch cold.” So Roxie trotted off to explore the freight yards. After a while, she came back.

  “I didn’t learn anything about where the trains are going or when,” she said, “but I found a safe place to hide. There’s an old shack that isn’t being used. We can hide there and stay out of sight. Keep low and follow me, Wobar.”

  By crawling on his hands and knees, Wobar stayed low enough that the tall grass hid him from view. When they finally reached the shack, Wobar was tired and cold. His hands and knees hurt from crawling over sharp stones. He lay down to rest on a piece of a card-board box inside the shack. He was just about to fall asleep when he heard a gruff voice.

  “Didn’t nobody ever teach you no manners?”

  Blocking the doorway was a man with a stick in one hand and a bundle in the other. He was dirty, his clothes were all patched, and one
of his front teeth was missing. He glared down at Wobar and gave a kick at Roxie who had fallen asleep by the door.

  “This is my place, and I don’t recollect inviting you in,” said the man.

  Wobar didn’t know what to do, and there was no way to escape. So he took a deep breath and using his gruffest, meanest voice said, “Watch it mister, that dog of mine is trained to kill. One false move, and it’s all over. You may not like people coming in your shack, but I don’t like people kicking my dog. And I don’t think she likes it either.“

  The man stepped back and took a good look at Roxie who was now wide awake. She let out a deep growl, showing her huge teeth.

  “No need to get ugly. You surprised me, that’s all. Why don’t we all sit down and get comfortable. It’s going to be awhile before any freight trains leave here. And why don’t you tell your dog to stop looking at me like that?”

  CHAPTER 14

  Oscar the Hobo

  “MY NAME IS Oscar,” said the man. “I’m a hobo, and I’ve been riding freight trains for a long time. I’ve just been visiting my sister up in Woodstown, like I do every year. I’ve been using this shack for a good many years, and it’s like a second home to me. So I was surprised to find another hobo here. Not many of us hoboes riding freight trains anymore.”

  Oscar seemed nice enough, but Wobar didn’t think he should use his real name. After all, if Oscar had just come from Woodstown, he might have heard about a runaway boy named Wobar. Besides, he knew he should get used to pretending he wasn’t Wobar.

  “My name is Pete,” said Wobar. “And this is my dog, Spot. We always travel together. She keeps me company. Where ya headed?”

  “It’s gettin’ too cold up here,” said Oscar. “I’m heading south. No particular place. Maybe I’ll go to Florida. Try to find some work and a place to sleep. Maybe I’ll go pick oranges. Where you going?”

  “We’re going south, too. Thought I might go to New Orleans. Never been there, but I hear it’s a nice place. Say, you wouldn’t happen to know when the next train south is leaving, would you?”

  Wobar and Roxie were in luck. Oscar said that by late afternoon a train would be leaving for New York, and he would be taking it. They could all travel together. Wobar was relieved to know which train to take. And once he reached New York, he should be safe. Nobody would be looking for him there.

  While they were waiting for the train, Oscar built a small fire and cooked up a tasty stew. He even gave some to Roxie, who had been glaring at him ever since he had given her that kick.

  “You say your sister lives in Woodstown?” Wobar asked, between bites of stew. As usual, his mustache got messy when he ate. One side always turned up, while the other turned down and got into his food. “I don’t suppose there’s much excitement in a place like Woodstown.”

  “Oh, it’s nice enough. But I always get bored after a few days. Why, the only exciting thing that happened there in a long time has to do with some kid. Gobar . . . or Wobar . . . something like that. Got in trouble at school and ran away. Everybody was talking about it. Seems he tamed a mountain lion and has been living in the hills with it. People think he comes out at night and steals food and chickens, that sort of thing.

  “Tricked an animal doctor into sewing up the cat after it got shot, then ran off without paying the bill. They think he cut their telephone wires. Seems there’s a five-hundred-dollar reward for anybody who catches him. And the school is mad ’cause he bit his teacher, and he’s been playing hooky for weeks now. Like I say, it’s a small town with not much to do. That kid is all anybody’s been talking about.”

  Wobar choked on a bite of stew. “Holy Toledo!” he thought. “This is worse than I’d imagined. We better get outta here, and fast.” He wasn’t sure how good their disguises were, or how convincing he was. And he noticed that Oscar kept looking at Roxie. He knew that five hundred dollars would be a big help to someone like Oscar.

  “That sure is a funny looking dog you got there,” asked Oscar. “What kind is it exactly?”

  “Well, she’s actually a mixed breed. Mother was a firedog and her father was a lion hunter. Special breed from Africa for hunting lions. They’re really big and can even climb trees. That’s where she gets those special claws. They’re for climbing trees,” said Wobar.

  “And that hair sure looks funny. Almost looks like somebody painted her,” said Oscar. He peered suspiciously at Roxie.

  “Oh, that’s nothing” said Wobar. “She had a lot of fleas, so I had to wash her in some special stuff. It hasn’t come off yet.”

  Just then they heard a train whistle, and a freight engine backed up to hook on to a line of cars.

  “That’s us!”said Oscar. “Train 10-56 gettin’ ready to head south. Follow me! Let’s go!”

  CHAPTER 15

  Catching the 10-56

  THE 10-56 MOVED slowly through the freight yards heading south. There were boxcars full of lumber, bricks, ball bearings, and cheese. Empty tank cars and coal cars going back to be filled up again. Oscar led the way, running with his bundle and his stick. Wobar and Roxie were a few steps behind, trying to keep pace with the train as it began to speed up. Across the freight yard, someone hollered, and a pickup truck headed their way.

  “That’s our only chance,” yelled Oscar. He pointed to an open boxcar just ahead. As he came abreast of the car, he tossed in his stick and the bundle. With one quick move, he vaulted up and into the moving boxcar. Next, with an easy bound, Roxie was through the open door. She stood in the open doorway with Oscar and looked at Wobar, who was having a hard time keeping up.

  “Come on, Pete! You can make it,” shouted Oscar. Wobar ran faster, but the train was picking up speed. With a burst of energy, he reached the open door and tossed in the suitcase. He was just about to leap up, when he tripped.

  Down he went on the gravel of the track, skinning his hands and tearing the knees of his pants. As he looked up, he saw the last open car moving away with Roxie and Oscar. Looking back, he saw the pickup truck coming his way, bouncing fast over the rough dirt road. He knew that he had but a moment or two to make his escape.

  Quickly, Wobar jumped to his feet. He ignored the pain and began to run as fast as he could. The last car, the caboose, was just up ahead. The train whistled as it left the yard, but it didn’t slow down. The pickup truck was blowing its horn wildly. With a burst of speed, Wobar reached the caboose, grabbed the iron rail by the steps, and pulled himself up.

  Meanwhile, the car with Oscar and Roxie had disappeared around a bend. Roxie didn’t know that Wobar had managed to climb up onto the train. She picked up the suitcase and was about to leap from the moving train when Oscar grabbed her by the collar. He grabbed the suitcase from her and spoke harshly.

  “Hold on dog, you can’t jump out! You’ll get killed. Stick with me. I’m not such a bad guy. Didn’t I give you some of my stew?”

  Roxie wasn’t afraid. Wobar was her best friend, and she thought he needed help. She let out a deep growl, scaring Oscar, who stepped back. She paused for just a second, then leapt out of the moving train.

  When Roxie hit the ground, she rolled twice and landed on her feet. She was in pain but that didn’t slow her down. She headed back toward the freight yards to find Wobar.

  “Roxie! Roxie!” yelled Wobar from the steps of the caboose as he went by. She looked up in surprise. Wobar was on the train, but by now, the train was going almost full speed. She turned and sprinted down the tracks.

  “Come on, Roxie, you can do it!” yelled Wobar.

  Now cougars are fast, and Roxie was used to running long distances when she went hunting. For a mile or more, Roxie kept pace with the train. Sometimes she’d get farther behind, then each time when it seemed that all was lost, she gained a little.

  Unfortunately, freight trains never get tired, but eventually cougars do. Wobar was worried. He thought about jumping off, but the train was going too fast. If only the train would slow down a little bit.

  Up ahead, Roxi
e saw a long hill. Maybe the train would slow down as it went up. If it didn’t, it was good-bye Wobar, perhaps forever.

  CHAPTER 16

  Riding the Rails

  LATER THAT NIGHT, Oscar, Roxie, and Wobar were eating dinner in an empty boxcar bumping along the tracks toward New York City. They talked about the events of the afternoon while Wobar worked on his third peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Roxie had finished a can of cat food and was eating a can of dog food, even though it wasn’t very tasty.

  “You two were awfully lucky, you know,” said Oscar. “I was sure one or the other of you two was gonna get left behind. Or killed. I tried to keep your dog from jumpin’, but she gave me that growl again, and well, I didn’t feel much like arguin’ with her. She sure is one big dog. And when she growls, she shows those teeth of hers. They ain’t like any teeth I ever seen on a dog before.”

  “She wouldn’t be here but for that long hill about a mile from the station,” said Wobar. “That hill slowed the train just enough for her to catch up. I was on the back platform of the caboose, urging her on. She just made it.

  “After she was rested, Spot and I climbed up a ladder onto the roof of the caboose. We walked along those metal walkways on the top of the cars until we came to this car. But I’ll have to admit, I was pretty nervous each time I jumped from car to car.”

  “It’s tricky business,” said Oscar. “Me? I never go up top no more. One false step, And you’re under the train. and it’s lucky you made it here before that tunnel. You would have been swept right off the top and killed for sure. I sure was glad to see you. Surprised, too, when you jumped back in this car when we stopped to let the passenger train go by.”

  “Well,” said Wobar, “we had to get inside the car where it’s not so cold and windy. And our food was in the suitcase. Thanks for taking it away from Roxie before she jumped.”