ds with his father and
Mrs. and Mr. Wadsworth. The lady of the house gave him a warm kiss, and
kissed all the others.

"Wish you were going too, daddy!" cried Laura to her father.

"Well, I'll go the next time," was the answer, with a smile.

In another five minutes the boys and girls and Dunston Porter were off
for the depot, the others waving their hands as the travelers
disappeared. Tears came to Mrs. Wadsworth's eyes, at the parting with
Jessie, yet she did her best to smile.

"We'll be back in six weeks!" called out Dave. "And as brown as berries
and as strong as oxen!" And this caused everybody to laugh. Little did
any of them realize what adventures those six weeks were to contain.

The train for Buffalo was on time, and when it rolled into the station
they climbed on board, and the boys found the right seats in the parlor
car and settled the girls. Ben was there, and had a seat with the crowd.

"I've got news," said Ben, as the train went on its way. "Nat Poole
isn't back yet."

"Who told you?"

"Tom Marvin. He called this morning to see Nat about something. Nat had
sent a telegram home from a place called Halock, stating he had been
carried off on a freight train."

"Humph! then he went further than we supposed he would," mused Phil.
"Where is Halock?"

Nobody knew, and they consulted a time-table taken from a rack in the
car.

"It's a flag-station not far from Buffalo," announced Roger. "Say, he
certainly was carried some distance!"

"What if he didn't have any money to get home with?" asked Laura.

"Maybe he telegraphed for some," said Phil.

"He could pawn his watch--he always wears one," added Ben. "But it is
queer that he didn't get off at Jack's Junction."

"Perhaps he liked to ride--after he once got used to it," returned the
senator's son.

On and on went the train, stopping at several towns of more or less
importance. The girls and boys amused themselves studying the time-table
and in gazing out of the window, and Dunston Porter told them of some of
his experiences while roving in various portions of the globe, for, as
my old readers are aware, he was a great traveler. At noon they went
into the dining-car for lunch, and Dave and Roger sat at one table with
Laura and Jessie opposite to them.

"Say, this puts me in mind of a story, as Shadow Hamilton would say,"
said the senator's son, as the train rushed along while they ate. "A
little girl had a sandwich on a train like this, onc