"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 pa.s.sed 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 pa.s.sengers.
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.
CHAPTER IV
GUS MEGGET
The boys were at breakfast the next morning when Hans, happening to look out the window, caught sight of the mighty river that almost divides the United States in half.
"My eye! but that"s a big river," he exclaimed. "What do you call it?"
"The Mississippi," returned the brothers. They were too engrossed by their first glimpse of the "Father of Waters" to correct the German as he struggled to p.r.o.nounce the name.
"Oh, look at the funny boats!" exclaimed Tom, pointing to the long line of river steamers that were tied up at the levee. "What are those things on the back end?"
"They are the paddle wheels. I know, because I"ve looked at pictures like them in my geography," replied Larry. "They have the paddle wheels on the end because the water is so shallow in places."
It was Just after noon that the two chums and Hans were vouchsafed a glimpse of real "dyed-in-the-wool" cowboys.
The train had stopped at a crossing, as stations are known in Oklahoma, because of a hot-box on one of the wheels.
Learning that it would be all of a quarter of an hour before the trouble could be repaired, the boys had left their car and were filling their lungs with the bracing air.
It chanced that a gang of cowboys had ridden Into the town for a celebration and, as it was unusual for a train to stop for any length of time at the crossing, they rode up to find out the reason.
For a few minutes they contented themselves with putting their ponies through all sorts of "stunts" to the great delight of the people on the train.
At the sight of them, Larry, Tom and Hans walked toward the cowboys and stared at them in wonder and admiration.
The cowboys had noticed the three lads, and, because they had been drinking bad "fire-water," suddenly decided to amuse themselves with them.
"Whatcher lookin" at?" roared one of the cow-punchers, a big fellow with close-set eyes and a heavy jaw.
The boys made no response.
"Can"t cher speak? I"ll teach you some manners then!" he bellowed.
In a thrice he whirled his pony and rode for the boys at full speed.
Ignorant of the roughness of cowboy fun, the three lads stood their ground, never thinking the fellow would hurt them.
The cowboy was riding straight at Hans. When the pony was within two leaps of the German, boy Larry cried to him to jump to one side.
But Hans was too terrified to move, and the pony was almost upon him. In another moment he would be run down.
From the train rose shouts of warning and anger, changing in the next moment to cheers.
Realizing that the German boy could not save himself, Larry threw up his hands right in the face of the pony, causing the animal to rear so suddenly that only its rider"s expert horsemanship saved him from being unseated.
At the same time Tom seized Hans and jerked him to one side just before the broncho"s forelegs struck the ground again, almost on the very spot where the German boy had been standing.
Furious at the interference with his so-called fun, the cowboy roared at Larry:
"I"ll teach you to scare Gus Megget"s pony, you calf tenderfoot!"
Black, indeed, did it look for the three lads. The companions of the bullying cowboy who had announced himself as Gus Megget were riding up, yelling to him to make the "tenderfoot dance."
His race very white, but every line of his body breathing defiance, Larry faced his tormentor.
With a calmness that fairly took the breath away from the bully the elder of the brothers exclaimed in a voice loud enough to be heard by the other cowboys and the men about the train:
"I didn"t pick this quarrel with you, but if you will get off your horse so that you have no advantage over me; I"ll give you all the fight you want!"
An instant Megget glowered with rage at the mere stripling of a boy who had announced his willingness to fight him, then with a savage growl started to swing from his saddle.
"I"ll fix you, you whelp!" he roared.
He aimed a savage blow at Larry, who ducked.