A DANGEROUS RIDE 321 



they were tugging at their chains in the baggage- 

 room. So we asked the youth in charge of the sta- 

 tion if he would look after our baggage while we gave 

 the dogs a run. He consented, and shouldering our 

 guns we started down the track with the dogs. 



We had walked perhaps half a mile, when the 

 hounds struck a rabbit trail and were off in full cry. 

 Just then the youth, with whom we had left our lug- 

 gage, joined us, saying he " Couldn't resist the tempta- 

 tion to go along with us no how." He had locked up 

 the station and run down the track after us with such 

 speed that when he arrived he was entirely short of 

 breath. He sat down to rest, but in an instant was 

 on his feet again, and, with a " By thunder ! " ejacula- 

 tion, started to run back toward the station, jumping 

 the cross-ties, and altogether acting as if he were 

 troubled with " rats in his upper story." There was 

 something wrong, but as we couldn't guess what, we 

 gave up the problem and went on with the hunt. 



The shades of night now began to fall and we re- 

 turned to the station. The youth was there, and as 

 he saw that we were shivering in the chilly air, he in- 

 vited us into his ticket office where it was warm and 

 where we might stay until our train arrived. 



" Why did you leave us in such a hurry ? " I asked. 



" Well, you see, bein' Saturday night, a special train 

 for workmen from the West was due here at a certain 

 time, and I had orders to hold her until another train 



