boys, what’s to be done?”
“Let’s go back home,” said Billy, “and get the jewelry under the stump, sell that and start over again; I guess we’ll know enough to take care of our money next time.”
“But we haven’t enough to pay our fare,” remarked Tommy.
“We can walk to Jersey City; we’ve got a little money, and we’ll sell a revolver there: that will take one of us to Ashton, and he can get the jewelry.”
It was a most repellent course, and they spent a half-hour in discussing it; but it really seemed that nothing else was possible, and the proceeding was agreed upon.
Few words were spoken as they walked down the slope from the station, made their way to the bridge a short distance below the trestle-work, and walked across to the other side. Inquiry showed them that they had almost thirty miles to walk to Jersey City, and since the forenoon was well advanced, they could not expect to reach their destination before the morrow.
But it was the spring of the year, the weather was mild, and they concluded they could beg something to eat. If the farmers refused them permission to sleep in their houses, they could take refuge in some barn, after the manner of ordinary tramps.
But an unexpected series of adventures was before them.
After crossing the Raritan and walking a short distance, they turned into a stretch of woods, where they sat down to discuss further what ought to be done. With the elastic spirits of childhood, all had rallied somewhat from the extreme depression following the discovery of the loss of their funds. The leader was especially hopeful.
“I don’t know but what it is best this happened,” said he, “for we hadn’t enough money to see us through, and one of us might have to come back after we got to Chicago, and that would have been bad.”
“But we expected to get money there,” said Jimmy.
“I don’t believe it would be as easy as we thought; now I will leave you two in New York, after we reach there, go back to Ashton, get the jewelry and bring it with me. We can sell it for two or three thousand dollars, and we’ll be fixed.”
The others caught the infection of hope and rose to their feet, eager to reach the metropolis as soon as possible.
They were about to resume their journey, when they heard voices near them. Looking around, two frowzy men were observed walking slowly toward them. One was munching a sandwich, while the other had a short black pipe between his teeth.
The reader may not know that the woods, on the northern bank of the Raritan, is the spot where the numerous tramps of New Jersey have their general rendezvous. Several hundred of these nuisances are sometimes gathered there, and they are held in great dread by the neighbors, for they are lazy, thievish, and lawless, and have perpetrated so many outrages that more than one descent has been made upon their camp by the authorities, while the law-abiding citizens have been on the point, at times, of taking severe measure against them.
Unsuspicious of the fact, the boys had approached close to the camp of the tramps.
The two tousled specimens caught sight of the boys at the same moment that the latter discovered them. The one munching a sandwich stopped, stared a second, and then, speaking as well as he could, with his mouth full of food, exclaimed:
“Well, I’ll be shot if this doesn’t beat the bugs!”
“Why, Snakeroot Sam!” called the delighted Tommy Wagstaff, “if this isn’t the luckiest thing that could happen!”
“Where did you come from?” asked that worthy, swallowing what was in his mouth, and indulging in a grin which disclosed a double row of large black teeth. His companion pulled his pipe and looked on in silence.
“Why, didn’t I tell you we was going to start for the West about this time?” asked the happy leader of the little party.
“So you did; I jotted it down in my notebook, but seein’ as how you didn’t give me the percise date, I couldn’t be on hand to wish you good-bye; but what are you doin’ here?”
“We’ve had bad luck,” was the disconsolate reply; “we’ve been robbed of all our money.”
“And are goin’ to hoof it back?”
“That’s what we’ll have to do, but we mean to take a new start.”
“How did this unfortinit misfortune come to overtake ye?”
Tommy gave the history of their mishap, the two tramps listening with much interest.
“This is my friend, Ragged Jim,” said Sam, when the narrative was finished, “and he’s true blue.”
Ragged Jim nodded his head and grunted, without taking the black clay pipe from between his teeth, while Snakeroot Sam munched his sandwich at intervals.
“So you’ve no money with you?”
“Not a dollar,” replied Tommy.
“How ’bout your shootin’ irons?”
“They’re all right; we’ve got a good revolver.”
“Let me look at ’em; I’d like to be sure that they’re the right kind to plug redskins with.”
The boys promptly produced their weapons, and passed them over to Sam, who examined each in turn, and then handed a couple to his companion.
“I obsarve a watch-chain onto ye,” continued Sam; “I hope you aint so dishonorable es to carry a chain without a watch at t’other end to sorter balance it.”
“I’ve got my father’s time-piece with me,” replied Tommy, producing the fine chronometer, and passing it to the tramp, who extended his hand for it.
Sam turned it over in his hand with the same attentive interest he had shown in the case of the revolvers. The single weapon he had shoved in his hip-pocket. He held the timepiece to his ear, listened to its ticking, surveyed the face, and then deliberately slipped it into his trousers pocket, catching the chain in the hole through which he had previously run a ten-penny nail to give his garments the right fit.
“How does that look on me?” he asked, with a grin, of his friend.
“It fits you bootiful,” replied Ragged Jim, “which the same is the case with these weapons and myself.”
“Good-day, sonnies,” said Snakeroot Sam, doffing his dilapidated hat with mock courtesy.
“But,” said the dismayed Tommy, “that’s my watch.”
“Why, sonny, you shouldn’t tell a story; that’s wicked.”
“But it is mine; I want it.”
“Didn’t you just tell me it was your father’s?”
“Yes – but I want it.”
“Give my lovin’ respects to your governor, and tell him when I come his way I’ll stop and pass it over to him.”
With tears in his eyes, Tommy rushed forward as the tramp began moving off, and caught his
