“It’s because the air is so dry here and so damp there,” Bob explained, as he pulled his cap down over his ears. “But you want to look out for your nose. Remember it hasn’t got any antifreeze in it.”
“Pooh, who’s afraid,” Jack jeered. “But this air sure is wonderful, isn’t it Al?”
“You sure said a mouthful: it’s the greatest air in the world,” the old driver said, as he turned off onto the lake road.
They had covered about three miles when the first streaks of the coming dawn tinged the east. Al had stopped the horses for a brief rest after a hard pull up a steep hill when Jack, who, leaning comfortably back against a bag of flour had fallen into a doze, was rudely awakened by a handful of snow dashed in his face followed by a vigorous rubbing of his nose.
“Hey there, what’s the idea?” he sputtered, as he tried to push the offending hand away.
“Sorry to disturb you old man, but your radiator was congealed,” Bob laughed as he continued the rubbing.
“I deny the allegation and can lick the alligator,” Jack gasped as he finally succeeded in freeing himself, but after he had carefully felt of the tip of his nose, he agreed that ‘the alligator’ had acted well within his rights.
Night was close at hand when they reached Kingsbury, the half way station where they were to stop at the little wayside hotel. It had been a long day and soon after supper was over the boys were in bed.
“Don’t believe I’ll have to be rocked to sleep tonight,” Jack declared, as he pulled the blankets up close under his chin.
Some time later Bob, who was a light sleeper, was awakened by the sound of voices in the next room. Two men were talking in low tones, but as only a thin partition separated the two rooms and the head of his bed as well as that in the other room was close up against it, he could hear them sufficiently well to be able to catch a word now and then. At first he paid but slight attention beyond wishing that they would keep still and let him go to sleep. But suddenly he became keenly alert as he heard one of them say in a tone louder than he had used before: