stranger did not seem to be the least bit embarrassed but, on the
contrary, was smiling in a genial manner.

"Is he a friend of yours?" asked Nellie, of Jerry.

"Well, not exactly what you could call a friend," was the answer. "We
don't even know his name," and he spoke in a low voice. "We saw him
back in Cresville, just before we started out west, and he was acting
in a strange manner. We thought--"

"Excuse me," suddenly interrupted the strange man, advancing toward
the group of boys and girls, "but haven't I seen you lads before? Your
faces are very familiar."

"We saw you in the Cresville freight office," declared Ned boldly.

"Exactly! I knew it was somewhere. I remember now. I was there
attending to some goods that had to be shipped in a hurry. I'm glad
you remembered me. To think that I should meet you away out here! It's
a small world, isn't it?" and he smiled, but there was something in
his smile, in his looks and in his manner that the boys did not like.
Neither did the girls, for, as Nellie said afterward, he acted as
though he wanted to make friends so you would not be suspicious of
him.

"Shake hands, won't you?" asked the man, advancing closer to the boys.
"My name is Carson Blowitz, and though it sounds foreign I was born in
this country. I travel around so much I can't give you any particular
place as my residence."