“Where do you live?” Joe asked.
“Only about a half-mile from here.”
Joe got a piece of paper and pencil out of his pocket. He tore off one corner and wrote down the address of himself and his friend. This he gave to Spike.
“Here,” he said. “Write us a letter some time. Now where do you live?”
Spike told him, and then, with a warm good-bye, he left the youths and hurried down the track.
Bob and Joe watched the lad until he disappeared from view. Even after they lost sight of him, they stood gazing in that direction until a locomotive whistle roused them.
“He’s a good kid, all right,” smiled Bob. “Might be an aimless wanderer, but he has a lot in him.”
“Got a keen sense of humor, too,” said Joe, and then added: “I wonder if he’ll really go to school and make something out of himself, as he said he would?”
“Hard telling. A lot can happen to change his mind, you know.”