A SAD PARTING--PROPHETIC WORDS--ON THE TRAIN--A
SENATOR'S SON--LEADING UP TO A TRICK--GENUINE
FUN AHEAD.
There came a sad look to the face of Brooks, and he said:
"I shall miss you, Desmond, but I feel it is for the best. You are a
youth of great promise. I do not mean to flatter you, I am speaking the
truth, and it is in your interest that I so warmly advocate your return
to the East. I desire that you become an educated man, a graduate of
college; I wish you to secure your degree. And let me tell you now there
was fate in our meeting, and very remarkable consequences may follow our
acquaintance begun and maintained under such strange circumstances."
Desmond had never beheld his strange friend, the wizard tramp, under a
similar mood. There appeared to be a prophetic spell prompting the words
of the strange man.
"I hope you do not wish to get rid of me."
"No, I am speaking in your interest alone, lad; my life has been a
wasted one, yours is just commencing. You can be of some use in the
world, I have been a nuisance. I have a strange tale to tell--yes,
Desmond, like many others I have encountered a romance in life. I
deliberately threw myself away, but where I failed you can win; there is
a chance for you to become a useful man; great honor may await you
because you possess the qualities that win success. You are brave, firm,
and persistent, also enterprising; with these qualities, in this land,
any young man can win a success against the great throng of unambitious
and careless men like myself."
"Can you trust yourself?"
"I can."
"You are certain?"
"I am."
"You do not need me?"
"I do not."
"Remember, your weakness upon several occasions permitted you to fall."
"I have considered everything; I have an object in life now and a
prospect."
"A prospect?"
"Yes."
"Is there anything you are concealing from me?"
"I am considering your interests alone," was the reply.
"But your revelation?"
"It is not necessary for me to tell you once again that I have provided
for you to learn the secret of my life in case anything should happen to
me."
Desmond at once began his arrangements for a return to the East. He had
been away for many months; he had plenty of money; his return would be
in great triumph in every way. He purchased fine clothes, which he was
able to do even in the far Western town where he was stopping, and when
he arrayed himself in his good clothes even Brooks was surprised at the
wonderful transformation well-fitting attire made in the youth. Desmond
was indeed a fine-looking fellow, well educated comparatively, and as is
not unusually the case, he was naturally capable of adapting himself to
changed conditions. He did not seem awkward in his good clothes, but
appeared as though he had worn fine attire all his life.
At length the hour came when Desmond and Brooks were to part company.
The wizard tramp had a sad look upon his face, although he tried to be
cheerful and jovial The attempt, however, was a failure. He said:
"I will not go with you to the train, Desmond, we will part here, and
you can address your letters to me here; I will arrange to have them
forwarded to me in case I go prospecting again."
"You will go prospecting, I suppose, of course."
"I cannot tell; but remember, if anything happens to me I have arranged
for you to be communicated with."
There came a look of concern to our hero's face, and the discerning
Brooks said:
"You have something to say."
"I have an idea."
"Well?"
"There is great peril in the wilderness."
"Yes."
"There have been cases where men have lost their lives and their deaths
have not become known until many years afterward."
"That is true, lad, and I have calculated for that."
"You have?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"You will know if such an event should occur. In the meantime let me
tell you if a year should pass and you do not hear from me you will know
that I am dead."
"And then?"
"Tell Amy."
"And then?"
"She may make a disclosure to you. Remember, I have taken every
precaution."
"I do not know why you should withhold from me your life secret. No harm
could come of an immediate revelation, but of course you have your own
reasons for withholding your story."
"Yes, that is it, I have reasons; no harm might come of an immediate
revelation, but I have reasons of a very satisfactory character to
myself. You will understand and appreciate them when they are made known
to you. Desmond, I am a changed man; you need have no fear concerning me
now; time has righted a wrong. I am strong now--that is, normally
strong--all will go well, I believe, if not with me at least with you."
A little later and our hero was on his way across the country to the
town where he was to take the train, and a better equipped lad for
adventure never boarded a train, and lo, he encountered several very
thrilling adventures ere he arrived at the valley farm where kind hearts
beat to greet him.
Desmond had been on the train but a few minutes really when he observed
a tall, country-looking young fellow, who fixed his eyes on him. As has
been demonstrated all through our narrative, Desmond was a very quick,
discerning chap; in the language of the day, he was "up to snuff," and
the instant he caught the eye of the country-looking fellow he knew that
something was up, and he discerned more which will be disclosed as our
narrative advances.
Desmond had not boarded a through train; he was to go to a large town
where he would meet a through express. The train he had entered was a
way train, and he seated himself by the window. No one was in the seat
with him at first, but soon the country-looking chap took a seat beside
him. The latter appeared to be a jolly, innocent sort of chap, and he
addressed the young adventurer with the words:
"Hello!"
There came a merry gleam in Desmond's eyes, as he asked:
"Do you take me for a telephone?"
The stranger arched his eyebrows, and demanded:
"A telephone?"
"Yes."
"What makes you ask that question?"
"Because you yelled 'hello' in my ear."
"I've heard about telephones, but I never saw one."
"You never did?"
"No; what are they like?"
The question was asked seemingly in the most innocent manner, but the
keen-witted Desmond's suspicions were at once aroused, and on the
instant he made a curious discovery. The fellow was a make-up, under a
disguise, and consequently under immediate suspicion also.
"So you never saw a telephone?"
"Never."
"You _tell_ me that?"
"Yes."
Our hero knew he had a long journey before him; he was naturally very
fond of a joke and excitement, and besides he had instinctive hatred for
designing men. Our hero was aware that the trains, as a rule, are
infested with sharps, and the efforts of the railroad companies to
squelch these nuisances are not altogether successful. Our adventurer
determined to have a little amusement, and if his suspicions were fully
verified he was resolved to teach at least one sharp a good lesson. We
will repeat, Desmond did not look like an athlete or a youth who had
seen the rough side of life; he could easily be mistaken for an
ordinarily bright youth who had much to learn.
"So you really never saw a telephone?"
"Never," repeated the man.
Desmond, having determined upon his course of action, assumed a most
serious air, and with the greatest earnestness graphically described a
telephone, and the stranger appeared to be all interest and attention,
and expressed his surprise by innocent ejaculations, as our hero related
the wonderful possibilities of the telephone.
It was an amusing scene, or would have been to one who was under the
rose and understood that a game was being played.
When Desmond's description apparently, as stated, told in the most
earnest manner the sharp, as we shall call him, said:
"Well that beats me, it beats anything I ever heard. See here, stranger,
you are making a fool of me with a big fish story because I am a green
Western man, born and raised on the prairie."
"No, I've told you the truth."
"Well, well, you come from the city?"
"No, I am going to the city."
"New York?"
"Yes."
"Is that your home?"
"Well, _New York lies near where_ I live."
"Dear me, what wonderful sights you have seen!"
"Yes, sir."
"That New York is a wonderful place."
"You bet it is."
"I am going there some day--yes, I've said I'd see New York some day and
I will. It must make a man blind for a few days to go around there."
"Well, yes, it is rather dazzling," said Desmond.
So the conversation continued for quite a time and finally the stranger
rose and went away, saying he would return immediately. Quite a
respectable-looking man took the vacated seat beside Desmond, and the
last neighbor asked:
"Do you know that green-looking chap who was just talking to you?"
"No, sir, I never saw him before."
"Then you don't know who he is?"
"No, sir."
"That is a son of Senator F----, the richest mine owner out in this
section; he looks like a countryman. You see he was raised in the West,
but he is one of the most honest and good-hearted fellows in the world,
liberal to a fault, fond of fun, but a good and true friend to any one."
Desmond studied the man who was giving him this unsolicited information,
and he concluded that the nice-looking man was sharp number two; he was
up to this sort of business and perceived the whole game.
"Yes, he appears like a good, honest fellow," said Desmond.
"Honest? why, you could trust him with all you had in the world."
"Yes, he looks that."
"He is one of the kindest-hearted fellows in the world. I tell you if
you get into trouble he is the man to aid you. He is the best pistol
shot and rifle shot in the land. Why, that fellow has fought off a whole
tribe of Indians. The redskins fear him as a white man fears the devil,
and his father is one of the richest men out in this section, as I told
you."
"Yes. He don't look like a millionaire's son."
"No, but he is all the same, and he appears to have taken a great fancy
to you. I was watching him while he talked to you; I tell you no one
will interfere with you anywhere in this land if they know that he is
your friend."
"That's good."
"Yes. He is a splendid fellow."
The man who had volunteered all this information walked into a forward
car, and a few moments later the senator's son, so-called, returned, and
as frequently occurs in far Western trains, the particular car in which
Desmond was riding was deserted. Our hero and the countryman had the car
all to themselves, and after a little further talk the senator's son
said:
"I wish some greeny would come in here, we'd have some fun."
"How?"
"I'll tell you, I am a regular juggler; I know all the tricks of
gamblers and I'd fool a fellow."
"Do you know all the tricks of gamblers?"
"Yes, and sometimes I beat the game just for fun. You see I am down on
gamblers, I just like to beat them. Generally there are one or two of
those rascals on this train, but they know me; I don't get a chance at
them any more, so I sometimes amuse myself by astonishing greenhorns. By
ginger! but it's funny I've never been in New York; I am half a mind to
go right on to the great city with you."
"Yes, come along," said Desmond, a merry twinkle in his eyes.