JIMMY’S TRIP TO CALIFORNIA 67 
like the toe of a heavy boot began to tickle my ribs. 
Still half asleep I sat up and heard a man’s voice say- 
ing, ‘Halloa, Jimmy, where in Halifax did you come 
from?’ 
‘Tt was Bill Carstairs, the only brakeman I knew 
on the road. We gassed a while and then Bill says, 
‘There’s no use staying here, come on back to the cala- 
boose and take it easy. Say; got any chewin’?’ 
‘The next afternoon Bill said, ‘The next stop is the 
end of my run. If anybody says anything to you on 
the next run, just say’—Jerusalem! See this bunch of 
teal coming.’’ There were at least a dozen in the bunch 
and they just hurled themselves like bullets out of a 
gun, flying down wind. I whistled a low note and they 
turned, their sides gleaming in the sun, all as one bird. 
It seemed to me, looking through the tules, that they 
were going away from us. Lifting my head so I could 
see over the reeds to make sure, the teal saw me. The 
whole bunch jumped fifteen feet straight up in the air 
and scattered in every direction. We each got one. 
Jimmy laughed as he said, ‘‘Those teal didn’t seem 
to like your looks.”’ 
‘““Cheer up,’’ said I, ‘‘we got a couple that time and 
that’s two better than nothing. What else did Car- 
stairs say?”’ 
“He said, ‘Just tell anyone who tries to start any- 
thing, that you’re getting off at Newton Center. Don’t 
forget.’ 
‘“‘Soon after starting, after making the next stop, a 
big red-faced breaky stuck his head in the,door and 
remarked: ‘Hillo, my fine buck! is this your private 
Cant 
‘“““Not on your life,’ I said, ‘Iam only going down the 
line a little way.’ 
