In short, we spent some months in Europe, prowling around in England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Russia, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France, Belgium and Holland. We had the grandest time of our fair young lives, and after the tramp we were ready to return to our native land.
A few months later found me back in the States, penniless from my sojourn in Europe, eager to get home in contemplation of a hurried preparation for the University. The return trip was not so disagreeable in that there were no cattle to care for and an occasional bask in the sun on deck, with an abundance of literature in my bunk, the time was whiled away very pleasantly. The day after arriving in Newport News found me in Norfolk.
I waited till night for the purpose of swinging the nine o'clock blind baggage. I loitered around the station in the afternoon, in the mean time finding out all I possibly could concerning the different trains that leave Norfolk. Along about half after eight it began to rain and by nine o'clock it was pouring. I was sitting on the inside of the station when the "train yeller" announced the departing train.
The rain was coming down in torrents, and the night was a fearfully dark one, so I had no trouble whatever in getting on the blind baggage without being observed.
I crawled up on the platform and lay flat, keeping as close to the baggage door as I could for the rain had already drenched me to the skin even in the few moments I had lain there waiting for the train to pull out.
We were soon off and I lay on the platform, drenched to the skin. It was rather late, and then, too, on account of the inclemency of the weather, there were only a few people around the country stations so I felt secure in my position.
About an hour after we had departed from Portsmouth we steamed into the little town of Wilson, and there I would have been caught had I not been just a bit faster than that rural constable.
It had not rained at Wilson and there were a great many people gathered at the station. As the train pulled up to the station people were walking on either side of the track, up and down, and it was almost impossible for me to escape observance as the lamps from the station were shining brightly, thus bringing me in full view of the people loitering thereabouts.
The train had hardly arrived when a young fellow and his girl came walking along and on seeing me he remarked, "Oh, look at the tramp." I could have pounded him, but under the circumstances I thought it best for me to keep quiet and say nothing. This I did, but before I knew what had happened a policeman came up by the side of the train and made an attempt to nab me. I was too fast for the old boy; just as he was aiming to lay hands on me, I scrambled for the other side and jumped from the platform. I made a bee line down the dark track and plunged off into the bushes. He pursued, but all in vain for I was a little too fleet of foot for him. I lay there in the bushes for only a few minutes, and when the train came by I swung the blind baggage and was again on my way. This time the engineer saw me swing aboard and at the next station I was ejected from my position by the flagman. The train was so closely watched I found it quite impossible to gain my seat again. I was put off, away out in the lonely woods and everything around was as dark as pitch. The only thing looming up in the darkness was a little station building which sat by the side of the track.