"Goin' to hoof it all the way?"

"No!" gasped the boy. "I'm just walking to the next station."

"Oh, I see! What's the fare?"

"Six thirty-seven, I think."

"Humph! Got the price, hey!"

"Yes--I've got the price." Samuel said this without pride.

"Well, you won't have it long if you live at that rate," commented the
stranger. "Why don't you beat your way?"

"How do you mean?" asked Samuel.

"Nobody but a duffer pays fare," said the other. "There'll be a
freight along pretty soon, and she stops at the water tank just below
here. Why don't you jump her?"

Samuel hesitated. "I wouldn't like to do that," he said.

"Come," said the other, "sit down."

And he held out a piece of his toast, which Samuel accepted for
politeness' sake. This young fellow had run away from school at the
age of thirteen; and he had traveled all over the United States,
following the seasons, and living off the country. He was on his way
now from a winter's holiday in Mexico. And as Samuel listened to the