hand, and observing
closely, after a few minutes the boys were able to interpret the strokes
of the wagging thumb with ease. They corresponded precisely to the
strokes of a telegraph sounder, and of course were very much slower.

"... not much. I saw her first," they read. "You have three girls at K
now.... Get out. I'll tell Maggie O'Rorke, and she'll pick your eyes
out.... No, sir. You can have the two old maids just back of you, and the
fat party with the red hair. That's your taste anyway.... If you spoke
she'd freeze you so you'd never thaw out."

The two boys exchanged glances, and chuckled in amusement.

"Say, look at the gaudy nose on that old chap across the aisle," went on
the wagging thumb. "Talk about danger signals! They ought to hire him to
sit on the cow-catcher foggy nights.... I wouldn't like to pay for all
the paint it took to color it.... Plain whiskey, I guess. You can see
what you are coming to if you don't look out.... What's the matter with
that baby back there? Is the woman lynching it, or is it lynching the
woman?... It's not, either. It's just like your high tenor, singing the
Soldier's Farewell. Only better. More in tune.... Yes, if they knew what
we'd been saying about them there'd be a riot. I wouldn't give much for
your hair when the two old ladies behind got through with it."

At this point, unable to resist the temptation, Alex nudged Jack, drew a
pencil from his pocket, and slyly tapped on the metal of the seat-arm the
two letters of the telegraph laugh, "Hi!"

The soldier opposite started, looked quickly over, caught the two boys'
twinkling eyes, and coloring, laughed heartily. Promptly then he raised
his thumb, and wagged, "You young rascals! I'll have you in the
guard-house for stealing military information. Who are you?"

Alex replied, using his thumb as he had seen the soldier do; and the
animated exchange of signals which followed continued until a whistle
from the engine announced a stop, and the soldier wagged, "We get off
here. Good-by."

"Glad to have met you," he said, smiling, as he and his companion passed
them.

"Glad to have met you," responded the boys heartily. "And to have got
onto the signalling. It may come in useful some day," Alex added. "Good
day."

"That's just what I was thinking myself, Al," declared Jack. "We must
practice it."

Following the disappearance of the out-going passengers, a group of
newcomers appeared at the farther car door.

"Here c