Roy, when he had finished. "I s'pose they
charge about two dollars for grub like this?"

Several persons in the dining car smiled, for Roy was used to shouting
at cattle, and calling to cowboys, and had acquired a habit of speaking
in rather loud tones.

"No, this 'grub' will cost you one dollar," said Mr. Baker.

"Well, it's worth it," declared the boy, pulling out quite a roll of
bills, for his father had been generous. At the sight of the money a
greedy look came into the eyes of Mr. Baker, a look that would have
warned Roy had he seen it. But he was busy looking for a one-dollar
bill among the fives and tens.

"Now, if you're ready we'll go back to the parlor car, and have a cigar
in the smoking room," suggested Mr. Baker.

"No, thank you. Not for mine. I don't smoke."

"Well, it is a useless habit I suppose, but I am too old to change now.
I'll join you presently," and the man went into a small compartment at
one end of the parlor car, when they reached it, leaving Roy to go to
his chair alone.

Had the boy seen the three men whom Mr. Baker greeted in the smoking
room, perhaps our hero would not have been quite so ready to continue
his acquaintance with the man. For, in the little apartment were three
individuals whose faces did not indicate any too much honesty, and
whose clothes were on the same "flashy" order as were Mr. Baker's,
though none of the trio had as expensive jewelry as had Roy's new
friend.

"Well, sport, how about you?" asked one of the men. "Did you manage to
pick up anything?"

"Not so loud, Ike," cautioned Mr. Baker, addressing the man who had
spoken, and whose name was Isaac Sutton. "I think I can put you on the
track of something."

"Something good?" asked the third man, who was known as Jerome Hynard,
though that was not his real name.

"We want it with plenty of cash," added the last man, who was called
Dennison Tupper.

"This is a green kid, right from the ranch, going to New York," said
Phelan Baker. "He's got quite a wad of money, and if you work the game
right you may be able to get the most of it. I'll tell you how."

Then the four began to whisper, for they were laying a plot and were
afraid of being overheard. All unconscious of the danger that
threatened him, Roy was back in the parlor car, enjoying the scenery,
and thinking of the many strange things he would see in New York.

For some reason Mr. Baker did not come back where Roy was. Perhaps he
feared