“Because I ain’t got enough money to go back East. By working here and there, I manage to keep alive. Not much like the fortune I set out to make, what?”
To Ted’s mood such conversation did not bring relief and he made no reply. Several times the man asked him pointed questions as to his destination and plans, but the boy’s answers were evasive and, finally, tiring of the attempts to extract information, he arose and returned to his own car, where he sulked until bedtime.
“Who’s there? What do you want?” cried Phil, suddenly awakened by a coat falling on his head. “Is that you, Ted?”
The fact that it was not his brother who had caused the coat’s fall was soon established by the latter’s asking:
“What is it?”
“My coat fell down and woke me.”
In an instant Ted was on his knees in the berth, feeling along the hooks where their clothing had hung.
“Mine’s gone!” he cried.
The other passengers had been aroused by the young homesteaders’ exclamations, and from several sections came demands of “What’s wrong?”
“Some one has taken my coat!” returned Ted.