"I don't know if the tickets will be good. Certainly we'll have no sleeping accommodations for to-night."
"Who cares for that, so long as we get to Fortress Monroe? Come on, let us see what can be done." And Si led the way to the ticket office.
The ticket-seller was busy, and it was several minutes before they could get to him. "Yes, there will be another train in an hour and a quarter," he said. "About your tickets, did you have stop-over privileges?"
"We did not—we didn't intend to stop over," answered Walter.
"Then I don't believe the conductor will accept them."
"Gee shoo!" groaned Si, dismally. "Do you mean to say we've got to pay the fare from here to our destination? Why, it will take all I've got with me, and maybe more."
"There ought to be some way of having our tickets fixed up," said Walter. "Can't we go to the main office and see about them?"
"Certainly, if you desire," rejoined the ticket seller, and turned to a number of others who were waiting impatiently to be served.
The main offices of the railroad company were not far distant, and hither they made their way. Inside, a young clerk learned what they wanted, and then took them to an inner apartment.
"Government fares, eh?" questioned the elderly gentleman to whom they had been conducted. "What was the reason you didn't catch your train?"