Samuel's money was gone, but he was suffering too keenly from hunger
and thirst to worry about it for more than a minute. Then the thought
came to him--he was here in a lonely place at night, and the train was
going! If he were left he might still starve.

He ran over and caught the iron ladder of one of the freight cars and
drew himself up and clung there. Later on he climbed on top of the
car; but the wind was too cold--he could not stand it, and had to
climb down again. And then he realized that he had left the bundle of
his belongings in the empty car.

Fortunately for him the train began to slow up at the end of an hour
or so, and peering out Samuel saw lights ahead. Also there were lights
here and there in the landscape, and he realized that he had come to a
large town. The east was just beginning to turn gray, and faint
shadows of buildings were visible.

Samuel got off and walked up the track very carefully, for he was
stiff as well as weak. There was a light in one of the offices at the
depot, and he looked in at the window and saw a man seated at a desk
writing busily. He knocked at the door.

"Come in," said a voice, and he entered.

"Please, may I have a drink of water?" he asked.

"Over there in the corner," said the man, scarcely looking up from his
papers.