The Haunted Mine

by Harry Castlemon

  CHAPTER X.

  WHERE ARE THE VALISES?

  For the next two days Julian did not know whether he stood on his heador heels. Jack went about his preparations very moderately, but thefact of it was, Julian was in a great hurry. He could not help tellinghimself that if they did not get away from St. Louis, that manHaberstro would appear just at the wrong time, and they would have togo back to work again. He donned a citizen's dress and tied hisuniform up neatly in a bundle, calculating to take it down to theoffice and present it to a boy there who did not act as though he hadmore in this world than the law allows.

  "I will give this up to Hank," said he. "The poor fellow don't haveany too much, and perhaps this suit will help him."

  Jack accompanied him to the office--it was the first time he had everbeen there--and while he was looking around to see how they didbusiness, Julian found the boy of whom he was in search.

  "Here's a present I have brought for you, Hank," said he in a whisper."You asked me yesterday if I had been discharged, and that showed thatyou were a friend of mine. I told you the truth; I have beendischarged, and I am going out to Denver. This is my uniform. Take itand wear it, and think of me."

  Julian did not wait for the boy to raise any protests, but laid thebundle down on his seat, and then turned toward Mr. Wiggins.

  "I haven't gone yet," said he. "We are going to-morrow night."

  "Well, come in and say good-bye before you go," said Mr. Wiggins.

  Julian took the opportunity to introduce Jack, who raised his caprespectfully. He listened while Mr. Wiggins congratulated him on hisgood fortune, and heard some very good advice in regard to saving hismoney.

  "I tell you what it is, Julian," said he, when they had left theoffice behind them, "everybody who is anybody is glad that we aregoing to improve ourselves, and many seem to think there is going tobe an end to that hundred thousand dollars."

  "I'll bet you that it don't come to an end with _me_," said Julian,emphatically. "I am going to purchase some things that I need, but Ishan't touch the principal at all."

  The first thing was to go to a store and buy a trunk. Up to this timethey had never had any receptacle for their clothes, carrying alltheir belongings in a traveling-bag. They concluded that one trunk wasenough, and, after they had purchased it, Jack shouldered it and wasgoing to take it home.

  "Come, now, that won't do," whispered Julian; "it is three miles toour room."

  "No matter if it is a thousand," said Jack; "I can take it there."

  "Put it down, and I will get a carriage."

  "Well, I won't pay for it."

  "I _will_; I don't see what's the use in our being so particular."

  Jack put the trunk down, and Julian went out, and very soon returnedwith a carriage. The boys held a consultation, and decided that, nowthat they had a conveyance, they might as well stop at some places onthe way home and invest in some other articles they needed.

  "But I'll tell you one thing," said Jack; "you are keeping this rigtoo long; I won't pay for it."

  It was three hours before the friends got home, and then they hadtheir trunk more than half-filled with new clothing. The hackmancarried it upstairs for them, and Julian, having paid him his price,threw himself into a chair to wait until Jack did the packing. Inaddition to the trunk, the boys bought small traveling-bags, in whichthey carried several handy little articles they thought they mightneed during their journey, such as towels, comb and brush; and Julianstowed away in his a book that he had long desired to possess--"TheLast Chronicle of Barset," by Anthony Trollope. Jack could hardlyconceal his disgust; he was going to look out of the window when theywere fairly on the train, and he would see more fun in that thanJulian could in reading his book.

  "There, sir, I guess it's all done," said Jack, going to the closet tomake sure that they had left nothing behind.

  "All right; lock the trunk and put the key in your pocket," saidJulian. "Now give me half of what this room will come to during thepresent month, and I will go down and pay the landlady. We haven'tanything to eat, so I guess we will have to go down to a restaurantand get dinner and supper all in one."

  "I think a sandwich and a cup of coffee would go pretty well," saidJack.

  "Oh! I am going to have a better meal than that. Where's the money?"

  Jack counted out his share of the rent, and Julian posted off to seethe landlady. He was gone a long time, but he came back with a receiptin his hand which he showed Jack, and then the two boys went out toget their dinner. Jack ordered what he had said he would; but anyonewho could have seen what Julian sent for would have thought he was amillionaire already. Jack looked on but did not say anything; he wasold enough to know that the change in Julian's circumstances wouldmake him reckless for a while. He remarked that he might as well godown to the shop and bid the fellows good-bye, and then it would bedone with; so they turned their faces in that direction when they cameout, and in a short time they were among the railroad shops. Jack knewwhere to go; and, after leading his companion through a long workshop,where Julian would certainly have got in somebody's way if he had notstuck close to his heels, finally ushered him into the helpers' room.He shook hands with them one after the other--dirty, begrimed fellowsthey were, too, looking very unlike the well-dressed men they werewhen dressed up for Sundays--and presently he came to the mastermechanic. The latter threw his arm around Jack, led him away out ofearshot of the others, and held an earnest conversation with him. Heeven put his hand into his pocket, but Jack shook his head and turnedaway.

  "Come on, Julian; I guess I have said good-bye to them all," said he,as he led the way to the street. "Every one of those fellows wanted togive me money--as if they didn't know I have enough already. Well, Ihope the last one of them will be successful. If they want any money,they can apply to me."

  Julian had never seen Jack look sad before. After going a little wayon the street, Jack turned and looked at the shop as if he thought henever would see it again. Julian did not know that Jack had so muchheart in him.

  The next day was devoted to Julian, who went down to the office andtook leave of all his friends. Even the boy who had accused him ofbeing a spy came in for a good, hearty hand-shake. He did not know howto take it, but stammered out something about being sorry he hadtreated Julian in the way he did.

  "That's all right," said the boy; "only, the next time don't youaccuse any boy of being a spy on you unless you know whereof youspeak."

  Mr. Wiggins had something more to say to Julian. He conducted him intothe back room, and kept him there until Jack began to be impatient.When he came out again, Julian was wiping his eyes.

  "I tell you, Jack," said he, when they were well on their way to therailroad depot to purchase their tickets, "when one has been here anddone the best he could in the office, it comes hard to say good-bye.Every boy--and man, too--has used me white, if I except that fellowwho accused me of being a spy. But this isn't the last time we willsee St. Louis, I hope. When we get out to Denver, and get fairlysettled, we will come back again."

  The friends waited a long time at the depot, for the ticket office wasnot open; but they had much to talk about. What sort of a lookingplace was Denver? They had not read much about that, and they hadsomehow got it into their heads that it was a little settlement, andthat they should find more wigwams there than houses. But at last thewindow was opened, and, falling in behind the others, they purchasedtickets which were to carry them farther west than they had ever beenbefore.

  "Now, the next thing is to get a sleeping-car," said Julian.

  "We don't want a sleeping-car," said Jack, catching Julian by the armand leading him away. "You can lie down on one seat, and I can takethe other, and we'll sleep just as well there as we would on a pile ofdown."

  Julian was obliged to give up, but told himself that it would notalways be so. He wanted to spend money for something he really needed,and he thought he could sleep better in a sleeping-car than he couldin another which was devoted to passengers who w
ere wide awake.

  Nothing now remained but to get their supper and call a carriage totake them to the depot. The boys took coffee and sandwiches, andduring the meal hardly spoke to one another. That was the last mealthey would eat in St. Louis, and they wondered what the future had instore for them. Perhaps, when they got to Denver, they would findthat Haberstro had been there already, and by some hook or crook hadmanaged to get the property into his own hands.

  "But I don't see how that could be done," said Jack, when Julianhinted at this. "The deeds are in Winkleman's name, and we have them.How is he going to get the property, then?"

  "I don't know; but I am afraid he will get it some way."

  "If he does, all we have to do is to give it up."

  But this was going to be a hard job, in Julian's estimation. He didnot confess that much, but it would be disastrous to him to have tosurrender those blocks of buildings. He thought of it all that day,and while he was seated in the cars, going with as much speed as steamcould put forth to carry him to his destination, it still botheredhim. The master mechanic was there to bid them once more a good-bye,and Julian was certain, when he turned away and hung his head down,that there were tears in his eyes.

  As long as daylight lasted, Julian was busy looking out of the windowas they rushed through the country; but when the lamps were lighted hebegan to grow sleepy.

  Julian was sitting on one bench, and Jack, having turned his seatover, was sitting on the other, and, having arranged their beds, theylay down on them; but it was a long time before they fell asleep.

  "Now, you see, if we had a sleeping-car we wouldn't have to go to allthis trouble," said Julian.

  "Wait until you get too tired to keep your eyes open, and you won'tknow whether we are in a sleeping-car or not," said Jack; "I am mostready to go off this minute."

  Jack's words came out true, for after they had given up their ticketsand been furnished with a slip to put in their caps, Julian speedilylost himself in the land of dreams, and the next thing he knew Jackwas shaking him by the shoulder. It was broad daylight, and the trainwas still whirling them onward.

  "Can we get anything to eat along here?" said Julian, looking out ofthe window; "I am hungry."

  "There is a place a few miles ahead, so I heard the conductor tell apassenger, where we will stop to get breakfast," said Jack. "That wasthe reason I called you. If you are anything like me, you can eat awhole pan of baked beans."

  "Baked beans!" said Julian. "They have something better than that toeat on the railroad. I am going to get a breakfast that is worth themoney."

  There was another thing that bothered Julian, and that was, he did nothave any place to wash; but Jack told him that that would be remediedwhen they came to their stopping-place. They rode on for a dozen milesor so, and when the whistle sounded, and the brakeman announcedfifteen minutes for breakfast, they left their valises in their racksand moved up nearer the door.

  "That wakes a fellow up," said Julian, as he plunged his face into abasin of water. "We have to hurry, Jack, for fifteen minutes is not agreat while."

  The boys' breakfast was all that could be asked, although, if thetruth must be told, they were not long in eating it. Julian boardedthe train first, and led the way along to their seats; but where werethe valises they left there when they went out to breakfast?

  "Is this our car?" said Julian, running his eyes over the passengers.

  "Why yes, this is our car," said Jack. "There is that red-faced manwho sat behind you; he was sitting there when we left St. Louis. Butwhat is the matter with you?"

  "Matter enough; our valises are gone!"

  "By George! So they are!"

  "Say!" said the red-faced man, leaning over the back of the seat. "Isaw the man who took those valises, but I supposed he was a member ofyour party and that you had sent him for them; therefore I did notstop him."

  "What sort of a looking man was he?"

  "He was a very genteel fellow, but I noticed that he toed in, and thathe had a very German cast of countenance."

  "I wonder if it was Claus?" said Julian.

  "I don't know what his name was, but he got the valises. Say! If Iwere you I would search the train, and if you find him you can makehim give your property up."

  "We will do it. I wonder if we are ever going to see the last of thatman?"

  The train had been gathering headway all the while, and was nowrunning at the rate of thirty-five miles an hour. If Claus, or whoeverstole the valises, was on the train, the boys were certain he couldnot jump off to escape them.