away
from home. Going far?"

"To New York."

"Ah you have business there, I suppose?"

Now Roy, though he was but a youth, unused to the ways of the world,
had much natural shrewdness. He had been brought up in the breeziness
of the West, where it is not considered good form, to say the least, to
ask too many questions of a man. If a person wanted to tell you his
affairs, that was a different matter. So, as Roy's mission was more or
less of a secret one, he decided it would not be well to talk about it,
especially to strangers. So he answered:

"Yes, I have some business there."

His manner was such that the man soon saw the boy did not care to talk
about his affairs, and, being a keen observer, too much so for Roy's
good, as we shall soon see, the man did not pursue his questioning on
those lines.

"Fine scenery," he remarked. "Good, open country around here."

Roy felt that was a safe enough subject to talk about, and he and the
man, who introduced himself as Mr. Phelan Baker, spent some time in
conversation.

Roy, however, was continually wondering what he should do when the
announcement was made that dinner was to be served. He did not want to
make any mistakes, and have the car full of passengers laugh at him,
yet he did not know what was proper to do under the circumstances.

He had neglected to Inquire how they served meals on trains, and, in
fact, had he done so, no one at the ranch could have told him, as not
even Mr. Bradner had traveled enough to make it necessary to eat in a
dining car.

"If I was back at the ranch I'd know what to do when I heard the
grub-call," thought Roy. "But this thing has got me puzzled. It sure
has. I wonder if they bring you in sandwiches and coffee, as they did
to a party I went to? Or do you have to go up and help yourself? I
don't see how they cook anything on a train going as fast as this one.
They must have to eat cold victuals. Well, I guess I can stand it for
a few days, I've eaten cold bacon and bread when on a round-up, and I'm
not going to hold back now. Guess I'll just do as the rest do."

A little while after this a colored man, in a spotless white suit,
passed through the parlor car, calling out:

"Dinner is now being served in the dining car. First call for dinner!"

"Well, it's up to me to go to grub now," thought Roy. "I wonder how
I'll make out?"

CHAPTER V

A QUEER BED

"Are you going to eat on the first call?" asked Mr.