CHAPTER III
PHIL TO RESCUE
Phil Forrest was in a panic of uneasiness.
No sooner had his own section started than he made the discoverythat Teddy Tucker was not on board. Then the lad went throughthe train in the hope that his companion had gotten on thewrong car. There was no trace of Teddy.
In the meantime Teddy had slowly clambered to the roof of thestock car, where he stretched himself out, clinging to therunning board, with the big car swaying beneath him. The windseemed, up there, to be blowing a perfect gale, and it was allthe boy could do to hold on. After a while he saw a lightapproaching him. The light was in the hands of a brakeman whowas working his way over the train toward the caboose.
He soon came up to where Teddy was lying. There he stopped.
"Well, youngster, what are you doing here?" he demanded, flashinghis light into the face of the uncomfortable Teddy.
"Trying to ride."
"I suppose you know you are breaking the law and that I'll haveto turn you over to a policeman or a constable the next town westop at?"
"Nothing of the sort! What do you take me for? Think I'm somekind of tramp?" objected the lad. "Go on and let me alone."
The brakeman looked closer. He observed that the boy was soakingwet, but that, despite this, he was well dressed.
"What are you, if not a tramp?"
"I'm with the show."
The brakeman laughed long and loud, but Teddy was more interestedin the man's easy poise on the swaying car than in what he said.
"Wish I could do that," muttered the lad admiringly.
"What's that?"
"Nothing, only I was thinking out loud."
"Well, you'll get off at the next stop unless you can prove thatyou belong here."
"I won't," protested Teddy stubbornly.
"We'll see about that. Come down here on the flat car behindthis one, and we'll find out. I see some of the show peoplethere.Besides, you're liable to fall off here and get killed. Comealong."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"I'll fall off if I try to get up."
"And you a showman?" laughed the brakeman satirically, at thesame time grabbing Teddy by the coat collar and jerking him tohis feet.
The trainman did not appear to mind the giddy swaying of thestock car. He permitted Teddy to walk on the running board whilehe himself stepped carelessly along on the sloping roof of thecar, though not relaxing his grip on the collar of Teddy Tucker.
Bidding the boy to hang to the brake wheel, the brakeman beganclimbing down the end ladder, so as to catch Teddy in case hewere to fall. After him came the Circus Boy, cautiously pickinghis way down the ladder.
"Any of you fellows know this kid?" demanded the trainman,flashing his lantern into Teddy's face. "He says he's withthe show."
"Put him off!" howled one of the roustabouts who had beensleeping on the flat car under a cage. "Never saw him before."
"You sit down there, young man. Next stop, off you go,"announced the brakeman sternly.
"I'll bet you I don't," retorted Teddy Tucker aggressively.
"We'll see about that."
"Quit your music; we want to go to sleep," growled a showmansurlily.
The brakeman put down his lantern and seated himself on the sideof the flat car. He did not propose to leave the boy until hehad seen him safely off the train.
"How'd you get wet?" questioned Tucker's captor.
"Some fellows ducked me."
The trainman roared, which once more aroused the ire of theroustabouts who were trying to sleep.
They had gone on for an hour, when finally the train slowed down.
"Here's where you hit the ties," advised the brakeman,peering ahead.
"Where are we?"
"McQueen's siding. We stop here to let an express by. And Iwant to tell you that it won't be healthy for you if I catch youon this train again. Now, get off!"
Teddy making no move to obey, the railroad man gently but firmlyassisted him over the side of the car, dropping him down theembankment by the side of the track.
"I'll make you pay for this if I ever catch you again,"threatened Teddy from the bottom of the bank, as he scrambled tohis feet.
Observing that the trainman was holding his light over the sideof the car and peering down at him, Teddy ran along on all foursuntil he was out of sight of the brakeman, then he straightenedup and ran toward the rear of the train as fast as his feet wouldcarry him, while the railroad man began climbing over the carsagain, headed for the caboose at the rear.
Teddy had gained the rear of the train by this time, but he didnot show himself just yet. He waited until the flagman had comein, and until the fellow who had put him off had disappeared inthe caboose.
At that, Teddy sprang up, and, swinging to the platform of thecaboose, quickly climbed the iron ladder that led to the roof ofthe little boxlike car. He had no sooner flattened himself onthe roof than the train began to move again.
Only one more stop was made during the night and that for water.Just before daylight they rumbled into the yards at AtlanticCity, and Teddy scrambled from his unsteady perch, quicklyclambering down so as to be out of the way before the trainmenshould discover his presence.
But quickly as he had acted, he had not been quick enough.The trainman who had put him off down the line collared the ladthe minute his feet touched the platform of the caboose.
"You here again?" he demanded sternly.
Teddy grinned sheepishly.
"I told you you couldn't put me off."
"We'll see about that. Here, officer." He beckoned to apoliceman."This kid has been stealing a ride. I put him off once. I turnhimover to you now."
"All right. Young man, you come with me!"
Teddy protested indignantly, but the officer, with a firm grip onhis arm, dragged the lad along with him. They proceeded on upthe tracks toward the station, the lad insisting that he was withthe show and that he had a right to ride wherever he pleased.
"Teddy!" shouted a voice, just as they stepped on the longplatform that led down to the street.
"Phil!" howled the lad. "Come and save me! A policeman's got meand he's taking me to jail."
Phil Forrest ran to them.
"Here, here! What's this boy done?" he demanded.