A NIGHT'S RIDE
Although I had at this time become lazy, losing almost all sense of
respectability, I often reproached Brum for the aimlessness of this
existence; telling him we must seek work and attend to other wants
than those of the body. I would tell him of the arts, and how the
cultivation of them was lost to us through a continual lack of funds.
I told him of the pleasures of reading, visiting picture galleries,
museums and theatres, and of the wonders of instrumental music, and of
the human voice. Once when we were passing through a street in New
Orleans, I paused to listen to a woman singing. Brum, like the
faithful companion he was, waited my pleasure, until he too seemed to
become impressed by some unusual feeling. The song ended, and as we
went our way, I said--"There, Brum, what do you think of that?" "O
lor," he answered, awestruck, "wasn't she a blooming cat!" making me
laugh heartily at such a strange expression of praise, knowing that it
was meant to be truthful and sincere.
Having done a few days' work, as mentioned in the preceding chapter,
I resolved to come to an understanding with Brum at once as to our
future plans. With this end in view, I invited him to a drink, and
thus began: "What do you intend doing? Your life is not mine. We often
go for days without reading matter, and we know not what the world is
saying; nor what the world is doing. The beauty of nature is for ever
before my eyes, but I am certainly not enriching my mind, for who can
contemplate Nature with any profit in the presence of others. I have
no leisure to make notes in hopes of future use, and am so overpacking
my memory with all these scenes, that when their time comes for use,
they will not then take definite shape. I must go to work for some
months, so that I may live sparingly on my savings in some large city,
where I can cultivate my mind." Now, Brum's method of begging was
different in large cities from what it was in the country. In the
latter he found no use for money, except for hair cutting or shaving;
and when this became necessary he never failed to get the requisite
amount for his purpose. When he was ready to have this office
performed, it was his custom to interview the Catholic priest of the
community, and beg the use of his razor, knowing it was part of that
person's creed to shave continually. Of course, the priest would not
think of lending his razor to an entire stranger, but seldom refused
the ten cents that were necessary for that operation. But in the large
cities, Brum scorned private houses, and begged money in the streets,
and in their various stores; purchased his meals at a restaurant, and
paid his lodgings like an honest man. Therefore, thinking my
discontent was mainly owing to the lack of funds, he said--"All this
haste from place to place is not at all to my liking. If you wish to
settle in a large city, I can guarantee two dollars a day at the
least, between us, for a visit to the theatre, music hall, for books,
papers, or an occasional glass of grog." "No, no," I said, "we must
either work or part. There are three dollars, half of my earnings, so
please yourself whether we work or part, whether you go or stay; for I
have already decided my own course. What is it to be?" "Well," said
he, after a long pause, "we are now near to the hop country, and they
start picking sometime next week; that is about the only work to be
had at this time of the year."
Upon this we had several drinks, for I was so pleased at Brum's
decision, that I ordered drink after drink with bewildering
succession. Brum informed me of a freight train that was to leave the
yards at midnight, on which we could beat our way to a small town on
the borders of the hop country. Not knowing what to do with ourselves
until that time arrived, we continued to drink until we were not in a
fit condition for this hazardous undertaking--except we were fortunate
to get an empty car, so as to lie down and sleep upon the journey. At
last we made our way towards the yards, where we saw the men making
up the train. We kept out of sight until that was done and then in the
darkness Brum inspected one side of the train and I the other, in
quest of an empty car. In vain we sought for that comfort. There was
nothing to do but to ride the bumpers or the top of the car, exposed
to the cold night air. We jumped the bumpers, the engine whistled
twice, toot! toot! and we felt ourselves slowly moving out of the
yards. Brum was on one car and I was on the next facing him. Never
shall I forget the horrors of that ride. He had taken fast hold on the
handle bar of his car, and I had done likewise with mine. We had been
riding some fifteen minutes, and the train was going at its full speed
when, to my horror, I saw Brum lurch forward, and then quickly pull
himself straight and erect. Several times he did this, and I shouted
to him. It was no use, for the man was drunk and fighting against the
overpowering effects, and it was a mystery to me how he kept his hold.
At last he became motionless for so long that I knew the next time he
lurched forward his weight of body must break his hold, and he would
fall under the wheels and be cut to pieces. I worked myself carefully
towards him and woke him. Although I had great difficulty in waking
him, he swore that he was not asleep. I had scarcely done this when a
lantern was shown from the top of the car, and a brakesman's voice
hailed us. "Hallo, where are you two going?" "To the hop fields," I
answered. "Well," he sneered, "I guess you won't get to them on this
train, so jump off, at once. Jump! d'ye hear?" he cried, using a great
oath, as he saw we were little inclined to obey. Brum was now wide
awake. "If you don't jump at once," shouted this irate brakesman, "you
will be thrown off." "To jump," said Brum quietly, "will be sure
death, and to be thrown off will mean no more." "Wait until I come
back," cried the brakesman, "and we will see whether you ride this
train or not," on which he left us, making his way towards the
caboose. "Now," said Brum, "when he returns we must be on the top of
the car, for he will probably bring with him a coupling pin to strike
us off the bumpers, making us fall under the wheels." We quickly
clambered on top and in a few minutes could see a light approaching
us, moving along the top of the cars. We were now lying flat, so that
he might not see us until he stood on the same car. He was very near
to us, when we sprang to our feet, and unexpectedly gripped him, one
on each side, and before he could recover from his first astonishment.
In all my life I have never seen so much fear on a human face. He must
have seen our half drunken condition and at once gave up all hopes of
mercy from such men, for he stood helpless, not knowing what to do. If
he struggled it would mean the fall and death of the three, and did
he remain helpless in our hands, it might mean being thrown from that
height from a car going at the rate of thirty miles an hour. "Now,"
said Brum to him, "what is it to be? Shall we ride this train without
interference, or shall we have a wrestling bout up here, when the
first fall must be our last? Speak?" "Boys," said he, affecting a
short laugh, "you have the drop on me; you can ride." We watched him
making his way back to the caboose, which he entered, but every moment
I expected to see him reappear assisted by others. It might have been
that there was some friction among them, and that they would not ask
assistance from one another. For instance, an engineer has to take
orders from the conductor, but the former is as well paid, if not
better, than the latter, and the most responsibility is on his
shoulders, and this often makes ill blood between them. At any rate,
American tramps know well that neither the engineer nor fireman, his
faithful attendant, will inform the conductor or brakesman of their
presence on a train. Perhaps the man was ashamed of his ill-success,
and did not care to own his defeat to the conductor and his fellow
brakesmen; but whatever was the matter, we rode that train to its
destination and without any more interference.
As we neared the town we saw a large camp fire in a small dingle near
the track, at which a man lay asleep. Seeing this comfortable sight,
and being cold and tired, we made up our minds to jump off the train
as soon as possible, and to return to that fire for a few hours'
comfort. The whistle blew for the station, and the train began
gradually to slacken speed, when we jumped from the bumpers; and our
limbs being stiff, we staggered and fell, but received no hurt. It
must have been a mile or more back to that place, but we arrived there
in due time, and without waking its solitary occupant, were soon
stretched out fast asleep on the other side of the fire. When we awoke
the stranger had already been to town, had returned with food, and was
now making coffee in a tomato can, all of which he generously offered
to share with us. This I gladly accepted, but Brum declined with
thanks, saying that he was always capable of getting his own meals,
and if needs be, could beg enough for half a dozen others. I gave this
stranger my entire confidence, and soon learnt that he had come to
these parts for the same purpose. "We three," said he, "will work
together on the same land, and under the one master. I am a moulder by
trade," he continued, "and a week ago I had a hundred dollars saved,
but went on the spree, and am now probably without a cent." To my
surprise, at this stage of the narrative, he unlaced his right boot
and began to feel in its toes, at the same time shaking his head
despondently. After which he put it on again and laced it. "Yes," he
said, taking off his coat and feeling the lining, "a week ago I had a
hundred dollars saved."
Brum, having now returned from town laden with sandwiches, cakes,
etc., and he having had a hot dinner from a convent we packed those
necessaries for future use, and started on foot for the hopfields.
Every now and then the stranger--whom Brum at once called Australian
Red, owing to his being born in that country, and his having a florid
complexion--would try our patience extremely by sitting on fallen
timber and taking off his boot, sometimes the two; and after feeling
in them, replacing them on his feet, with a sigh of disappointment.
Often he would take off his hat and minutely examine the lining, to
our unfeigned astonishment. At one time we lost patience with him. He
had seen a low stack of timber, and requested a few moments delay. On
this being granted, Australian Red began to take off his garments one
by one, and to examine them. Not one article was placed aside without
having undergone a thorough scrutiny, until nothing but his shirt
remained. All this waste of time was very trying to our patience, and
when he was again dressed, we requested him at once for all to put a
stop to such manoeuvres. We walked on in silence, but had scarcely
covered a short mile, when Red was seen to be preparing to strip for
another investigation. On seeing which Brum, losing a little
patience, said:--"Look here, old fellow, if such is going to be your
conduct, you can't, on no account, travel any further with us." For a
time Australian Red looked undecided, and then let his coat slip back
to its position. "It is like this," he said, "I am a moulder by trade;
a week ago I had a hundred dollars saved, but where are they now? It
is always my custom," he continued, "when I go on the spree, to
secrete my money in some safe place. Although I have no recollection
of doing so, I am positively assured that such has been the case; and
would not be surprised at any moment to discover a twenty dollar bill
in the lining of my clothes; but, with regards to the boots, I am now
thoroughly satisfied." When I became better acquainted with Australian
Red, this peculiarity was often made apparent to me. Perhaps he did
secrete money, for I have oftened wondered as to where it had
vanished. Whether or not, it was certainly never to be found on his
person, and must have been slipped under the mat in strange places,
dropped into vases, or hidden behind looking glasses.
In a day or two we reached the hop-fields and all three succeeded in
being hired by the same farmer. This could not have very well been
different, as neither one would have otherwise worked. The season, if
I remember right, lasted between three and four weeks, which we began
and finished, but were not very well satisfied with the financial
result. Our total earnings were, clear of all expenses, about forty
dollars, and with that amount we walked to the nearest large town
intending to beat our way to New York and paint it a forty dollar red.
We reached the said town, and made enquiries of a switchman as to when
the next freight train would be leaving for New York. The sight of a
flask of whiskey in the hands of Australian Red enlightened us
considerably as to the time of trains, their qualification for
carrying human freight, and the cruel or kind disposition of their
attendant crews. We made choice of a train leaving about dusk, and
finding an empty car on a side track, we entered it, to wait as
patiently as possible until that time came. We were not so quiet as we
should have been, considering that we were trespassing on the
railroad; and that is why we were soon startled by a voice crying:
"What are you doing there? Do you know that you are trespassing on the
railroad?" With that the marshal of the town stood before the open
door, showing the star of his authority on his dark clothes. "I can't
get any sleep day or night, through you fellows," he said; "consider
yourselves under arrest." Saying this, he marched us off at the point
of a revolver, and began seeking the judge for our trial at that
strange hour of the night.