Roosters began to crow. A few clouds glided athwart some of the brightest stars and he found difficulty in traveling.
Just beyond some buildings he stumbled over something hard and immovable. As he picked himself up, his hand came in contact with cold steel.
Peering closely he saw two long lines running parallel as far as he could distinguish on either hand. He found that they were of iron or steel and rested on wooden supporters, half buried in the earth.
"Dinged if this ain't queer!" he thought. "Let me see. I wonder if this ain't one of them railroads I've heard folks tell about. They say it'll carry you as far in one hour as a man'll walk all day."
Pondering over this, to him, puzzling celerity of motion, he groped his way along the track to where it broadened out into a switch.
"Reckon this one must run somewhere else," thought Ralph, when he suddenly detected a large dark object ahead. "What's that, I wonder. Guess I'll look into that. Seeing I'm getting into a strange country it won't do to be too careless."
Going slowly forward, he walked completely round the unknown affair, which he ascertained was on wheels that rested on the iron tracks.
"This must be one of their wagons they ride so fast in," said the boy to himself. "Hello! The door is open."
It was an ordinary box car on a siding, the sliding door of which was partially open. As Ralph strove to peer within, he detected the sound of measured breathing.
"Some one is in there," he decided, and drew back cautiously.