PHIL TO RESCUE
Phil Forrest was in a panic of uneasiness.
No sooner had his own section started than he made the discovery that Teddy Tucker was not on board.Then the lad went through the train in the hope that his companion had gotten on the wrong car.There was no trace of Teddy.
In the meantime Teddy had slowly clambered to the roof of the stock car, where he stretched himself out, clinging to the running board, with the big car swaying beneath him.The wind seemed, up there, to be blowing a perfect gale, and it was all the boy could do to hold on.After a while he saw a light approaching him.The light was in the hands of a brakeman who was 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, flashing hislight into the face of the uncomfortable Teddy."Trying to ride.""I suppose you know you are breaking the law and that I'll have to turn you over to a policeman or a constable the next town we stop at?""Nothing of the sort! What do you take me for? Think I'm some kind of tramp?" objected the lad."Go on and let me alone."The brakeman looked closer.He observed that the boy was soaking wet, 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 interested in 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 that you belong here.""I won't," protested Teddy stubbornly.
"We'll see about that.Come down here on the flat car behind this one, and we'll find out.I see some of the show people there.Besides, you're liable to fall off here and get killed.Come along.""I can't."
"Why not?"
"I'll fall off if I try to get up."
"And you a showman?" laughed the brakeman satirically, at the same time grabbing Teddy by the coat collar and jerking him to his feet.