ru three coaches? It's----"

But the negro was not given the opportunity to finish.

Bumping into the porter so that he knocked him to one side, the man who
had taken the negro to task for his treatment of Bob exclaimed:

"Then _I_ will show him the way. Come, son."

And he held out his hand, while all anger had disappeared from his face,
as he looked at Bob kindly.

"My name is Bob Chester," said the boy, taking the outstretched hand and
shaking it.

"And mine is Horace Perkins," returned the elder man, unable to restrain
a smile as he thought of the unceremonious introduction to himself, who
practically owned the road. "I am sorry you should have had so
unpleasant an experience."

And as the railroad magnate and the poorly-clad boy passed from sight of
those in the car, the porter moaned:

"Oh, lawdy, lawdy! Ah sho has done got mahself in a mess."

And the comments of the other passengers, as they prophesied the
punishment the railroad president would inflict on his uncivil
employee, told him that they agreed with his opinion thoroughly.

As Bob and his distinguished guide reached the chair car, the latter
beckoned to the brakeman and said:

"I am Mr. Perkins. I presume you know that I am the president of this
road. I want you to keep an eye on this boy. He isn't accustomed to
travelling. He'll probably need something to eat to-morrow, so either
take him into one of the railroad restaurants, or bring him some lunch
into the car. Here's some money for his meals."

But before his benefactor could withdraw his hand from his pocket, Bob
exclaimed:

"I have my lunch with me, right here in this box, Mr. Perkins. I'm just
as much obliged to you, though."

A moment the railroad president hesitated, then realizing from the look
on Bob's face that he would give offense should he press his gift, he
smiled and said:

"All right, son. Just as you wish. But I want you to be my guest at
breakfast in the morning."

And again shaking hands with Bob, Mr. Perkins left the car.

CHAPTER VIII

BOB'S LUCK CONTINUES

After the railroad president had left the car, the brakeman found a
chair for Bob, and showed him how to work its mechanism so that he could
drop it back when he wished to go to sleep, all the while eyeing the
poorly-dressed lad with evident curiosity, which finally he could no
longer restrain, and he asked:

"Have you known Mr. Perkins long?"

"No," replied Bob. "I only met him to-night."