you, lad," he said. "I reckon the lawyer chap will
pay me back one o' these days."

There was a train westward at two o'clock that afternoon, and when it
steamed away from the Kingman station Jerry was among its passengers. He
waved his hand at Mowry and the agent as long as he could see them.

Then the boy settled down in the seat, and tried to realize the
wonderful thing that had happened to him. He was actually on the way to
New York--the great city that Brick had described in such glowing terms.
Already the past seemed but a shadowy dream. Had he actually lived
through those stirring adventures in the Maine woods?

By degrees his mind grew more composed, and he settled his thoughts on
the object of his journey. He was quickly roused by the arrival of the
train at Mattawamkeag. Here he purchased a ticket to Bangor, and made
connection with another train on the Maine Central Railway.

Jerry reached Bangor at five o'clock. There was no time to stop and see
his parents, for a southward-bound train was ready.

The long journey came to an end at last. It was nearly midday when the
train rolled into the Grand Central depot at Forty-second street. Jerry
got out and followed the jostling crowd to the street.

Jerry stood for five minutes, not knowing which way to turn or of whom
to ask information. Passersby jostled him roughly, and a policeman made
a warning gesture with his club. This frightened Jerry. He was about to
retreat to the shelter of the depot, when a tall, well-dressed lad, with
a handsome, refined face, suddenly caught him by the arm.

"By Jove! is this really you?" he exclaimed, joyfully.

Jerry looked up.

"Tom Fordham!" he gasped.

The other laughed.

"That's who it is. I'm glad you knew me. I recognized you right away.
I'm most awfully glad to see you, Jerry. But what under the sun brought
you here? Hold on; come into the station. We can talk there."

He led the way to a comparatively quiet spot, and Jerry, nothing loath,
poured out the whole story. Never was there a more surprised lad than
Tom.

"I can't get over it," he exclaimed. "The idea of Brick getting into
such a scrape. But we'll get him out, Jerry. It's awfully lucky that I
met you. I was going up to Yonkers to see a fellow, but I'll drop that
now. You see, it's holiday time, and college don't keep. I thought Brick
would get you fellows to go into the woods with him. He promised to
write to me, but he never did it. His running away