“Yes, sir,” said Joe, “a steerage ticket. There it is.”
“Where did you get this?” asked the man.
Joe told him.
“How much did you pay for it?”
“Fifty dollars.”
“Then you have lost your money, for it is a bogus ticket. You can’t travel on it.”
Joe stared at the other in blank dismay. The earth seemed to be sinking under him. He realized that he had been outrageously swindled, and that he was farther from going to California than ever.
CHAPTER VIII
JOE’S LUCK CHANGES
The intelligence that his ticket was valueless came to Joe like a thunderbolt from a clear sky. The minute before he was in high spirits—his prospects seemed excellent and his path bright.
“What shall I do?” he ejaculated.