“I want my ulster and my jacket!” cried Kid, struggling to get away. “I—I—Oh!”
The last ejaculation was filled with surprise and relief, for over the brakeman’s arm hung Kid’s garments.
“These them?” asked the brakeman. “I saw them by the track as I came in. Here you are.”
Kid accepted them with a sigh of gratitude and struggled into his jacket. Then he resignedly allowed himself to be conducted back to the car. Everybody seemed to take it for granted that he wanted to go to Mt. Pleasant and there was nothing to do now but accept his fate. He heard the conductor joking with a couple of men across the aisle about whether a boy who saved a train from the ditch was allowed to travel free. Meanwhile the bewhiskered man, who had lost his count when Kid dashed through the door and had been compelled to go over the donations a second time, announced the result.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, addressing the car at large, “I find that—ah—we have contributed exactly seventeen dollars and fifty cents to our—ah—preserver. I must own that I am a little disappointed in the amount. It seems to me that in view of the circumstances some of us might have given more liberally. Still, the spirit is shown and doubtless our young hero, to whom we are all so grateful, will find a commendable use for the reward. Still, if any of you care to increase your contributions, or if there are any who—ah—were overlooked, the purse is still open.”
No one, however, seemed impatient to take advantage of the invitation, although the bewhiskered man waited blandly for a moment.
“Very well, then. Young sir, in behalf of the passengers whose lives or limbs you have so heroically saved, I take pleasure in presenting to you this slight token of our appreciation and gratitude.” He made a bow and held the hat toward Kid. Kid backed away, shaking his head vehemently. “Oh, come now, we insist! Your modesty becomes you, my boy, but we shall feel much hurt if you refuse. Come now, come!”
“I’d rather not,” muttered Kid. “It—it wasn’t anything.”
But Kid’s reluctance accomplished nothing. The money was scooped from the hat and thrust into his pockets amidst laughter and he was slapped on the back many times, while one confirmed joker amused the passengers by suggesting ways of spending the reward. Houses, steam yachts and automobiles were among the things Kid was advised to invest his seventeen dollars in. And just then the train began to slow down, the brakeman called “Mt. Pleasant! Mt. Pleasant! Change for Riveredge, Greenwood, Tidaholm and all stations on the Mt. Pleasant Branch!” and in the subsequent confusion Kid wormed his way through the throng about the rear door of the car and was one of the first to alight as the train rolled into the station. Once on the platform he wasted no time; there was no knowing what that awful man with the whiskers might do next if he had the chance; and so Kid darted through the waiting room, out the opposite door and gained the street. There he breathed easier, but kept on going nevertheless, and before he realized it he was three blocks toward school! There was a little knife-scarred bench there where folks waited when they wanted the trolley car for Whittier and Kid seated himself on it and considered.
What was he to do now? Scarcely more than two hours ago he had set forth into the world to be a sailor, had said farewell to home and school, had, in short, virtually burned his bridges behind him! And now here he was back almost where he had started from! Gee, but it was a funny world!