Rob slept with Hiram in the lower berth, and occupied the side nearer the aisle, so as to ease the nervous chum’s mind as much as possible. Like most new and inexperienced travelers, Hiram hardly slept a wink that first night; much of the time he had the window-shade drawn back, and lay there staring at the ghostly objects that could be seen flitting past the window—cabins, trees, settlements, barns, orchards, rivers and all manner of things the ever speeding train was passing in its wake.
When morning finally came they were so well along their way that the country had taken on a new aspect, and Hiram’s interest grew by leaps and bounds. What was more, since he could still feel that precious packet inside his coat, where he had at Rob’s solicitation pinned it inside his pocket, Hiram’s confidence became much stronger, and the anxious look began to leave his thin face.
CHAPTER VII.
ACROSS THE CONTINENT.
“We ought to be in Los Angeles inside of five hours, boys.”
Hiram had kept his face glued against the window so much of the time during the long journey, when it happened to be closed, that Andy told him he was getting a distinct curve to his classic Roman nose. He turned on hearing Rob make this assertion, after consulting the time-table.
“Well, for one, I must say I won’t be sorry,” he admitted, with a sigh.
“But see here, I thought you were having the time of your life with all this traveling, and seeing so many wonderful sights?” expostulated Andy.
“That’s all right, I am,” admitted Hiram. “Still, a feller can get too much of a good thing, can’t he? Haven’t you stuffed yourself more’n once because you liked the food first-class, and then wished afterward you had gone slow? Fact is, I just can’t sleep while we’re ding-donging along like hot cakes. I want to be on a steady footing for a while, and go to bed like a civilized human being.”
“But it’s been a great trip,” said Andy. “Those Injuns at the stations in Arizona were real true-blood Zuñis, all right. I’m mighty glad, though, we’ve made up our minds to go back by way of the Canadian Pacific road, so as to see what the picturesque Selkirks look like.”
“Yes,” added Rob, “I’ve read so much about the Rockies up in British America I want to see them with my own eyes. The weather will be a whole lot better than in the southern zone, where it’s terrible in summer.”