"Who are you?" asked Nat, sitting up and then leaping to his feet.
"I reckon I can ask the same question," returned the stranger.
"Are you a train hand?"
"Are you?"
"No."
"Neither am I."
There was a moment of silence after this, and then the unknown lit a match and held it close to Nat. Both gave a cry of astonishment.
"Hello! You are Nat Poole, the boy I met at Rally's Pool Parlors," said the stranger.
"Yes, and you are Tom Shocker, the traveling salesman."
"Right you are—but I'm not a traveling salesman any longer," answered Tom Shocker, and gave a short laugh.