Ben felt that this grin was contagious, and as his outraged sensibility would not permit him entering into fellowship with his brother professional, he moved away. Ultimately Tommy and he had a good laugh over the fellow's cool impudence.
Tommy shortly made his appearance, having met with his usual success, though he confessed to visiting six different houses before his appetite was appeased.
A freight train stood on a side track a short distance from the depot, and after a professional exploration, the boy returned with the intelligence that it numbered several "empties."
"It is a splendid chance," said he, enthusiastically. "I asked one of the yardmen and he says the train is made up for over the mountains. We might make Pittsburg on it."
A few moments later the two were safely ensconced in an empty car, having crawled through the window in the end, all unobserved. Crouching down in a corner they remained perfectly quiet, rarely speaking even in a whisper, lest they should attract attention from the outside. Several times footsteps were heard passing, and their coming and going were matters of the most intense anxiety to Ben, whose imagination made every sound a conductor's approach and an accompanying discovery. At last the train started; backed up on another track; switched around some cars; and then all remained quiet again for a few moments, until the engineer suddenly sounded "off brakes" with his whistle, and the voyagers were congratulating themselves on a start, when a dark object was hurled through the window, and following it, three ragged men, one after another, plunged through, headforemost; much the same as the clown goes through the baker's window, in the pantomime.
"Helloa! Blazes!" exclaimed the first to alight. "All the berths taken?"
"Hush," said Tom, "or you will give us away."
"That's all right. We're solid now. The train's in motion," said another; while the third stepped off the "wind up" to a familiar jig, in testimony to his utter indifference to noise.
Indeed the train being in motion the chances of discovery were greatly diminished in the voyagers' favor.
"Where you travelling, boss?" asked he of the antique carpet-bag, which proved to be the dark object that had first entered the window.