CHAPTER III
Helplessly Trapped
Spike uttered a cry of fright, while Joe dashed forward to make surethat his friend was right.
As Bob had said, the railroad man had fastened the door securely.There was an opening of about eight inches, across which was a heavychain that terminated at a large lock. In order to cut the chain, afile would be necessary.
Of the three prisoners, Spike was the first to resume his naturalattitude. Perhaps this was due to his wide experience in ridingfreight trains. At any rate he seemed to forget his plight and resignhimself over to any fate.
"Tough luck!" the lad said. "Guess you guys will have to ride with meto Chicago. May be several days before we can get anything to eat,too."
"That's the worst part about it," lamented Bob. "It may be days, oreven weeks, before we'll reach our destination."
Bob and Joe were inclined to be downhearted, but their young friendwas cheerful.
"Don't you worry," he consoled them. "I've been in tight fixes likethis many a time, and I've always got out all right. One time I wentout West and got locked in just like we are now."
Young Spike sounded like an experienced vagabond, and the youths couldnot help laughing.
"How did you get out?" asked Joe, after the laugh had subsided.
"It was easy. When we stopped at a town I just waited for some hobo tocome along. Somehow he got ahold of a file and had me out in a jiffy.Hoboes are good to do anything like that for you."
"Let's hope history will repeat itself," muttered Bob, who, along withJoe, did not like the prospects of a trip to Chicago.
Less than ten minutes later there was a slight jar, and the trainstarted moving. Although pulled by a large engine, there was littlechance of high speed, for a line of cars over a half-mile longstretched far down the track.
Bob, Joe, and Spike crowded before the crack to catch a glimpse of thetown at which they had stopped. But aside from a number of freightcars and old buildings, there was little to be seen.
"Suppose we arrange boxes in front of what little opening there is,"suggested Joe. "We may as well amuse ourselves by looking out."
"That reminds me," burst out Spike. "I want to see if anything in thiscar has stuff to eat in it."
He at once began a search of the many boxes, bales, and crates thatwere packed in each end of the car. Suddenly he gave a cry of delight.
"Here's apples!" he cried excitedly. "Gee whiz! Who says we don'teat?"
But the fruit was in tightly nailed crates, which could not be easilyopened.
"Come here, fellows!" shouted Spike. "Give me a hand! You don't expect_me_ to open 'em when there's big guys like you around, do you?"
"Wait a minute!" commanded Bob. "Whose apples are they?"
"Whose are they? I don't know. Why?"
"Do you think it's right to get in a box car and eat up somebody'sapples?"
"Ah, gee whiz! You ain't gonna back out of a chance like this, areyou? Come on. Be a sport."
Bob stoutly refused.
"We're not going to open any boxes or crates around here, and you'renot either! Get that and get it straight! Of course if we have to, tokeep from starving, we will. But not now."
Against this stout protest there was no use persisting, and Spikefinally walked sullenly back to his seat before the slightly opendoor.
"You guys sure are the berries," he said with an ironic smile."You'll never get anywhere that way."
"That's where you're wrong," Joe corrected him. "We will and youwon't, unless you get such notions out of your head."
"Ah, blooey!"
A half-hour of silence followed, during which time the three gazedabsently out, watching the farms, the forests, the rivers and creeksslip by. They were beginning to enter the Appalachian Mountains, andmore of natural beauty promised to be visible.
But Bob and Joe did not care to observe the beauties of nature justthen. Their thoughts were dwelling on the probabilities of the future.What lay in store for them? Would they be able to get home in time toaccompany their fathers to the Andes Mountains, or would fate rulethat they remain for an indefinite period in this box car? If thetruth were known, the youths were not a little worried.
Darkness was beginning to enshroud the travelers, and the necessity ofmaking improvised beds moved them to action. There was a large pile ofburlap sacks in a far corner of the car. These they arranged a shortdistance from the partly open door.
"I don't think these bags are inhabited," smiled Joe. "They lookalmost brand-new. At any rate we'll take a chance with them."
"We'll have to," agreed Bob, who realized the necessity of a restafter such an arduous day.
However, the travelers spent an hour or so longer gazing out at thedim outlines of the mountains. Although Bob and Joe were tired, theyhad an uneasy feeling about resigning themselves over to sleep.Something unexpected might happen during the night.
Finally Bob arose and walked over to his bunk.
"Suppose we turn in," he suggested. "We may need plenty of energytomorrow. It's possible for almost anything to happen, you know."
Joe nodded and took his place beside his friend, but Spike announcedthat he would remain up awhile longer.
Almost at once the youths fell asleep. But from their experiences indangerous lands they had learned to keep one eye open as a precaution.
This proved to be unnecessary, however, and they awoke the nextmorning greatly refreshed.
"We're on the other side of the mountains," observed Joe, as hestretched and glanced out of the crack.
"Now maybe we can make better time," Bob said, moving over to thedoor.
The three travelers were forced to begin the day without breakfast.Spike insisted that they open the crates of apples, but Bob firmlyrefused.
"We may find some way out today," the youth consoled him. "If we haveto, we can eat a few of those apples tonight."
All morning the train continued on its journey, passing small townsand villages. Along toward noon it stopped at Charleston, WestVirginia, where after an hour of switching it was left on a sidetrack.
Suddenly Joe, who was standing by the crack, caught sight of atrainman not far away. The man's face was rather pleasant, with notrace of gruffness.
"There's a chance," Joe said. "Let's ask him to help us out."
"No, don't," pleaded Spike, pulling Joe back.
"Why not?"
"'Cause if he gets you out he won't let me keep in this car toChicago."
"But what about Bob and me? We don't want to ride all that distance."
"No. Go ahead and call him," directed Bob, who was moving up to thedoor. "Spike can find another car that's going to Chicago. We want toget home."
Disregarding the lad's protest, Joe shouted and motioned for the manto come to the box car. There was a look of surprise on the fellow'sface as he moved over to where the three were trapped.
"What's it all about?" he demanded. "You guys trying to steal a ride,huh? Come on out of there and pick a car that ain't got anything init."
"We can't get out," explained Joe. "Locked in, I guess. That's what wewanted of you. See if you can get the door open."
"Oh! So they penned you up, huh? Yeah. I see that locked chain now.Sorry, but I'm afraid I can't do anything for you."
"But--but we've got to get out," Joe said persistently. "We haven'thad anything to eat for quite a while."
The man hesitated a moment.
"Got any money?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Let's see it."
Joe held up a half-dollar.
"O.K. There's a grocery a block from here. Want me to get yousomething?"
Delighted at such a chance, Joe instructed the trainman to purchaseseveral articles of food that would be sufficient to last for severaldays. It was with a feeling of high hope that the youths watched theman walk in the direction of the store.
In less than fifteen minutes he was back and handed Joe a sack ofgroceries in return for money. In recognition
for his service, theyouth tipped him generously.
"Now for a delicious meal," said Bob, smacking his lips. "And will weeat!"
The boys _did_ eat, and felt much better for it. When they had scrapedup the last crumb, they stretched out on the burlap sacks.
The remainder of the day passed without incident. Darkness was justsetting in when, with a slight jerk, the train started moving.
Even though they had expected an undisturbed sleep, Bob and Joe weredelighted that they were again on their way. Every mile left behindwould mean that they were nearer Chicago, which was perhaps the onlycity at which they could hope to escape from their prison.
"Let's hope we make good time now," breathed Bob, as he and hisfriends turned in, to get what sleep a rumbling train would allowthem.
All through the night the freight rattled on, this time much fasterthan before. Although several stops were made, the train madeunusually good time, pulling into Cincinnati late the next morning.
"Here's where we'll have to wait," said Joe. "They might keep usswitched here for several days."
Almost at once their box car was sidetracked, and was not moved untillate the next day. About four o'clock another engine was attached, amuch shorter train being formed. Then slowly it pulled off the switchand found a through track.
Bob and Joe could hardly believe their eyes. Were they to leaveCincinnati so soon?
An hour later this question was answered. The boys found themselvesspeeding along to Chicago, after having remained on the switch lessthan twenty-four hours.
"I suppose we'll stop at every town and small city in Indiana," saidBob gloomily. "Even though this is a fast freight, a delay will bealmost inevitable."
The youth was right. It was nearly three days later when the trainentered the city limits of Chicago. Gary and other cities of theCalumet district had been left behind.
After what seemed like hours of constant travel in the metropolis, thefreight stopped at a busy switch yard, where scores of trains weremoving in all directions.
Suddenly Bob cried out in delight as he caught sight of a man walkingup the track. The youth recognized this fellow as the one who hadsnapped the lock on the box-car door, making the young men and Spikeprisoners on the train.
Bob at once called the man, who, upon hearing, turned about insurprise.
"Why--what--what are you doing in that car?" he demanded angrily, ashe caught sight of the youth.
"We want to get out!" Bob's voice was cool and determined.
"But how did you get in there? I thought I locked that door. I----"
"Let us out and we'll tell you all about it," Bob pleaded.
The man pulled a bunch of keys out of his pocket and immediatelyunlocked the door. Bob hurriedly rolled it open and jumped out,followed by Joe and young Spike.
It was good to feel their feet on the ground again. Bob and Joe couldhave cried out in joy. But there was little time to do this, for thetrainman demanded an explanation of their presence.
Briefly Bob narrated the circumstances that led to their boarding thetrain, shielding Spike as much as possible. When he had finished, theman viewed the young lad critically.
"I think I'll turn you over to the yard master," he said to Spike,"and see that you get what's coming to you."
He roughly caught hold of the boy's arm and pulled him forward.
"Wait a minute," begged Joe. "Spike didn't do any harm. He's promisedto quit running around and go home and go to school."
"Well, he ain't gonna get no sympathy from me. I got no use for a kidthat rides freights."
He gave the boy another pull, this time so violent that the latterslipped and fell, bruising his face on the cinders.
Bob grew furiously angry. He stepped boldly up to the trainman.
"Let the boy alone!" he demanded, his eyes seeming to penetrate theman.