WORD FROM THE WEST
Anxiously the two brothers waited for some news from the West and
in the meantime got ready for the trip to Scotland.
"Oh, I don't want to go to Scotland!" sighed Tom. "I want to go to
the ranch."
"Well, we've got to take what comes," answered his brother.
The boys went down to town and said good-by to their school chums.
All were sorry they were going away and said they would be missed
from the baseball team.
Returning to the farm, their mother met them with a peculiar smile
on her face.
"Any news?" they asked eagerly.
"Yes, word came over the telephone a while ago."
"And what Is it, ma?"
"The Wilders say to come and----"
"Hooray!"
"And not to bring a trunk," finished the mother. "The idea of two
boys going away all summer without a trunk!"
"Of course we won't need a trunk!" declared Tom. "From the time we
reach the ranch till we start for home I don't intend to wear a
white shirt or collar."
"When we get out there we can buy some cowboy outfits," said Larry.
"Hooray for Tolopah!"
The receipt of the message, which had been telephoned by the agent
at Bramley while the boys were on their way back from the town, was
more of a relief than either Larry or Tom was willing to
acknowledge. And they ate their food with greater relish in the
certainty that their dream of going to live on a ranch was to come
true.
Each was absorbed in his own thoughts when the voice of their
father roused them.
"Now that it's decided you are going West," he was saying, "I
reckon I'll go over to Olmsted and make sure about our steamer
tickets. We won't have any too much time in New York. You boys
can go with me if you like."
Glad of the opportunity, the boys finished their dinner quickly and
were soon whirling over the hard clay road behind their father's
span of spirited horses.
"I've decided to give each of you two hundred and fifty dollars,"
said Mr. Alden, as though expressing his thoughts out loud.
"Phew! Two hundred and fifty dollars! That's more money than I ever
had all at once," exclaimed Tom in delight. "Think of having all
that to spend, Larry."
"But you mustn't spend it all," warned their father. "I was going
to say when you interrupted, Tom, that out of this money you must
pay your railroad tickets, for your berths to sleep in, and for
your meals. These things will amount to about seventy-five
dollars, I should think."
"But that will still leave us one hundred and seventy-five
dollars," declared Tom.
"True enough, but don't forget it will cost seventy-five dollars to
get back. If I were you, when you get to the ranch, I would give
the money for your return tickets to Mr. Wilder. He'll keep it for
you, so you'll be sure not to spend it.
"It's a thing you ought always to remember when you take a trip of
any distance--always save enough out of your money to carry you
back home"
The boys promised to do as their father suggested, and the farmer
continued:
"This will be your first experience with the world, and I don't
want you to forget the things your mother and I have taught you.
"It takes bad men as well as good to make up life, and somehow it
seems as though the bad men had the easiest time of it. You'll
find gamblers and others who live by their wits in Tolopah.
They'll try to be pleasant to you because you are young, and when
they learn you are from the East they will try to get your money
away from you.
"You must also be careful to whom you speak on the train. Under no
conditions mention anything about the money you have with you. A
lot of people, when they have any substantial sum, either like to
show it In some way or to talk about it, and then, if they happen
to be robbed of it, they wonder. Remember you can't recognize a
thief by his clothes, and lots of the slickest of them travel about
the country."
With this and other advice Mr. Alden counseled his sons, and so
interested did they become in what he told them about the country
of which they were soon to have their first glimpse that they were
in Olmsted almost before they knew it.
Going first to the bank, Mr. Alden drew out the money for his sons,
obtained a letter of credit for himself and then arranged to
purchase his steamship tickets in Pittsburg, whither all four
travelers were going together.
When they reached home Mrs. Alden had finished her packing and all
was practically ready for the start on the morrow.
After supper the farmer and his wife drove to Bramley to say
good-by to their friends, but the two chums decided to stay at home.
Eager to be on their way, it seemed to Larry and Tom that the hours
never passed so slowly. They tried to read, but in place of the
print on the pages pictures of cowboys and bucking bronchos danced
before their eyes, and they soon shut their books.
"Wish we'd gone with father and mother," exclaimed Tom. "It's more
stupid here than saying good-by."
But scarcely were the words out of his mouth when the door opened
and in came an old friend named Silas Haskins, a former gold miner.
"I got to go to Husted to-morrow, so I came over to-night to say
'so long,'" he said in explanation of his call.
Cordially the boys made him welcome, and the time passed quickly
when they had led Silas round to talking about his adventures in
the far West.
When at last the gold miner rose to go he said:
"I brung some presents for you. They'll be useful in the West."
And from his pockets Silas drew forth two fine big jackknives and
two long pieces of thong.
"They're both the same, so you won't need to quarrel about 'em," he
smiled as he handed their presents to each.
The boys were deeply touched by such evidence of friendship from
their aged friend and were profuse in their thanks when he again
put his hands in his pockets and produced two little bags made of
buckskin and attached to a stout strip of the same strong material.
"I don't know how you're intending to carry your money," he began,
"but----"
"Why in our pockets," interrupted Larry.
"That's just what I supposed," grunted the old gold miner. "Now I
want you to put it in these two bags and hang 'em round your necks.
There can't no one get to 'em without waking you up nor take 'em
without giving you a chance to fight."
Readily the boys promised to wear the money bags, and with a hearty
handshake with each their aged friend went home.
The night passed quickly and the morning was busily spent in
getting the luggage to the station.
As the family waited for the train the dingy little station was
alive with people who had come to wish the Aldens pleasant
journeys. And as the train left the Bramley depot the members of
the ball team gave three rousing cheers for Larry and Tom.
The parting with their parents at Pittsburg was hard for the boys,
but fortunately for them their train left first, and soon they were
engrossed in watching their fellow passengers.
These consisted of a German boy, who seemed about their own age;
two elderly gentlewomen, and two big men, who would have seemed
well dressed had they not worn so much jewelry.
With interest the two chums watched the German youth and several
times when they had turned to look at him they had found him gazing
at them.
It was only the memory of their father's advice to be careful as to
whom they spoke to on the train that prevented them from striking
up an acquaintance. But when they found themselves at dinner
seated at the same table with the foreigner they broke their
reserve and told him their names.
In return the German said he was Hans Ober.
A speaking acquaintance thus established, Hans lost no time in
asking questions about the United States and particularly the West,
to which Larry and Tom replied as well as they were able.
Evidently glad of their company, the German sat with them after the
boys returned to their car from dinner.
Once or twice Hans had tried to learn where the chums were going
without asking directly, but they had given evasive answers, and at
last, as though believing confidence would beget confidence, he
announced that he was going to join his brother Chris, who had a
store in Tolopah.
As they heard their destination mentioned, Larry and Tom exchanged
surprised glances, which did not need their words to let Hans know
they were all three bound for the same place.
This coincidence removed whatever of reserve was left and the three
boys talked freely.
Hans said he had come from Berlin and that his father had given him
money to buy a share in his brother's business and told them of how
his fears that he might lose the money had made him sit up the
first two nights he was on the steamer.