By then the tans were well worn and the walking easy. About noon time I met another of my apparent caliber and he happened to be eating beside the track when I arrived. He had a fire kindled and was preparing his meal in a tin can. I sat down and soon we were partaking of hot coffee and cold biscuits.
He had a letter in his pocket which he had written to his people in Connecticut and I gave him postage. He asked me where I was headed for, and I told him I was on my way home, and when I got there I was going to stay, for I was damn tired of tramping around.
When he heard me through he said, "Do you know what your folks will say when you get there?"
"No. What will they say when I get there and tell them I have come home to die?"
"Well," he said, "they will say, 'You lie, boy; you have come home to eat.'"
That night about dark I reached the little town of Way Cross. A few negro huts, a post office, a general store, and one fairly decent house, which stood just across the track from the depot. At this house I requested food and the lady gave me a splendid lunch. I asked the station master if I might sleep in the waiting room that night, and he told me I could. I was tired from my long walk, so it was early in the evening when I sought my sleeping place. I lay down on the bench and snoozed soundly till daylight next morning.
Feeling somewhat rested, I arose and went out on the platform. I walked around to the side of the station and there lay, close up to the house, three men who were formerly with a circus in lower Florida and were now making their way to their homes in Baltimore. Within a short time a freight arrived and drew up at the water tank. I arranged with the engineer to let me ride to Uleaf in consideration of my helping the fireman.
At that time most of the roads in Florida used pine wood instead of coal, so I busied myself in helping the fireman. From Uleaf I rode an empty box car over to Fernadina. By the time I arrived at Fernadina I was getting mighty tired of tramping around and wanted to get home pretty badly. I had three cents when I arrived there and with this I purchased crackers and walked down on the pier where I gathered up some oysters in the shell and thus fared sumptuously.
For some time I had been thinking of wiring home for money and that day I thoroughly made up my mind to do so. Strolling up the street I walked into the telegraph office and advised the young lady in charge that I wanted to send a telegram, charges C. O. D. She informed me that a telegram could not be sent without a deposit for she did not know me, and that the telegram might not be accepted at the other end and she would therefore have to pay for the message herself. I assured her that the message would be accepted, but could not convince her.
Half the day I spent in trying to get work but at every attempt, I was discouraged. That afternoon I made twenty-five cents in a local newspaper office turning the big wheel while the editor of the local Bugle fed the press. This quarter was my salvation, and after finishing my work I sallied forth to the telegraph office and planked over my money. The young lady promptly dispatched a message for me which was worded as follows: