“Wonder if we hit anything then?” Joe asked himself, for the train seemed to have stopped with unusual suddenness. “Guess I’ll take a look out.”
He peered from the door, and saw that the train was in a large railroad yard. On several adjoining tracks were lines of freight cars, and, as Joe looked out, he saw the engine that had been pulling his train going off toward the round house.
“This must be Lorilard,” thought Joe. “It’s the end of the run. That bump must have been some other cars they switched on to the end of this train. Well, I’ve arrived, it seems. Now to get busy, find the professor and——But first I guess I’d better get a wash and have something to eat,” he reflected. “I can’t look very presentable.”
Joe put on his vest and coat, picked up his valise and was about to jump down out of the freight car into the yard, when he saw a trainman approaching.
“I’d better wait until he passes,” Joe thought. “He might make it hot for me.”
There is a law against unauthorized persons riding on freight trains, and though some brakemen often let tramps and other persons “steal” a ride, still most railroad men are not as lenient, and not infrequently throw off, or “beat-up,” those who “ride the brake-rods,” or crawl into the empty cars.
Joe drew back, but the man did not pass on. Instead he busied himself tacking up shipping cards on several cars near the one Joe was in.
“I wish he’d go!” reflected our hero. “I want to get out. I’m almost starved.”
Finally the man moved farther down the track, and Joe took this chance to emerge. He dropped to the ground, but, unluckily, just then the yard-master, for he it was, turned and saw the young wizard.
“Here, you!” he roared. “What do you mean? Stealing a ride? I’ll fix you!” and he started to run after Joe.