"We're getting into the Bend," he said gruffly. "Got any money for breakfast?"
"I haven't a cent on God's earth." He put his hand in his pocket and pulling out a handful of loose bills shoved one into my fingers.
"I'll take it from you and gladly," I said sitting up. "But I'm not a beggar nor a tramp."
"Off track?"
"Yes. I'm going to enlist—" His teeth flashed. "That's worse than railroading, ain't it?" Something came into my head like a rocket.
"If I could get started railroading——"
"Get started easy enough."
That's how I happened to show him my Victoria. He gave me a card to the trainmaster, and next day I went to braking for Allbers, who, by the way, was the biggest liar I ever knew.
But the morning I got into Medicine Bend that first time on Number One I had another scare. I went into the lunch room for coffee and sandwiches and threw my bill at the boy. He opened it, looked at it and looked at me.
"Well," I growled, for I was impudent with luck and a hot stomach. "Good, ain't it?"