e, his small eyes glistening.

"One is; the other is a boy about my age."

"Ha! H'm! Just so. You are from the East, I presume?"

"Yes, sir."

"It seems to me that I have seen you before, but I cannot remember where
it was. And I do not remember your name. Do you mind giving me the names
of your traveling companions?"

"Not at all. They are Professor Horace Orman Tyler Scotch, of Fardale
Military Academy, sometimes known as 'Hot' Scotch, as he has a peppery
temper, and the initials of his first three names form the word 'hot.'
The other is Barney Mulloy, a youth who was born in Ireland, and has not
recovered from it yet. The latter was a classmate of mine at Fardale,
and he is traveling with me as a friendly companion, which he can
afford to do, as I pay all the bills."

"Haw!" exclaimed Walker. "You must have money to burn!"

"No, I have not. My uncle left me a comfortable fortune, and his will
provided that, in order to broaden my knowledge of the world, I should
travel in company with my guardian. He selected Professor Scotch as a
proper man to become my guardian, and specified that I might take along
a schoolmate as a companion, if I so desired."

"Re-e-markable!" cried Walker. "A most astonishing will! And how does it
happen that you have become separated from your guardian and friend?"

"We were going through to Texas on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific.
I wished to visit Guthrie, the capital of Oklahoma, and they did not
care to do so. I left them at Caldwell, in Kansas, with the
understanding that they were to proceed to Elreno, and wait for me
there."

"H'm!"

Walker's nose seemed pointing at the boy like an accusing finger. Doubt
was expressed all over that foxy face.

"You tell it well," said the man, with another queer lifting of his thin
eyebrows.

"What do you mean by that?" demanded the youth, sharply, wheeling
squarely toward Walker. "Do you insinuate that I am not telling the
truth?"

Before Walker could reply, a commotion arose in the seat directly behind
them.

CHAPTER II.

"HANDS UP!"

"Aw! Thay, weally, this ith verwy impudent, don't yer know!" drawled a
languid voice. "What wight have you to cwout yourthelf into a theat
bethide a gentleman, thir?"

"I don'd seen der shentleman anyvere," replied a nasal voice, a voice
that had the genuine Jewish sound.

"Thir! Do you mean to thay I am no gentleman, thir?"

"Vell, I don'd mean to say nodding aboud id. I don'd v