Boy from the Ranch; Or, Roy Bradner's City Experiences

by Frank V. Webster

  CHAPTER IV

  ROY IS PUZZLED

  While Roy's father had given him some instructions as to the bestmethod of proceeding while in New York, Mr. Bradner had said nothing tohis son about what he might expect on his railroad trip. Therefore theboy was totally unprepared for the novelties of modern travel. Mr.Bradner had thought it wise to let his son find out things for himself.

  Roy had never been in anything but an ordinary day coach, and thosewere of an old-fashioned type. But his father had purchased for himtickets all the way to New York in the Pullman parlor and sleepingcars, and it was in a luxurious parlor car, then, that Roy foundhimself when he boarded the express.

  At first the boy did not know what to make of it. The car had bigchairs instead of the ordinary seats, the windows were nearly twice aslarge as those in other coaches, and there were silk and plush curtainshanging over them. Besides there was a thick, soft velvety carpet onthe floor of the coach, and, what with the inlaid and polished wood,the hangings, mirrors, brass and nickel-plated fixtures, Roy thought hehad, by mistake, gotten into the private car of some millionaire.

  He had occasionally seen the outside of these fine coaches as theyrushed through Painted Stone, but he had never dreamed that he would bein one. So, as soon as he entered the coach, he started back.

  "What's de matter, sah?" inquired a colored porter in polite tones, ashe came from what seemed a little cubby-hole built in the side of thecar.

  "Guess I'm in the wrong corral," remarked Roy, who was so used to usingwestern and cattle terms, that he did not consider how they would soundto other persons.

  "Wrong corral, sah?"

  "Yes; I must be mixed in with the wrong brand. Where's the regularcoach?"

  "Oh, dis coach am all reg'lar, sah. Reg'lar as can be. We ain't gotnone but reg'lar coaches on dis yeah express. No indeed, sah."

  "But I guess my ticket doesn't entitle me to a ride in a private car."

  "Let me see youh ticket, sah."

  Roy passed the negro the bit of pasteboard.

  "Oh, yes indeedy, sah. Youh is all right. Dis am de coach youh g'wineto ride in. We goes all de way to Chicago, sah."

  "Is this for regular passengers?" asked Roy, wondering how the railroadcould afford to supply such luxurious cars.

  "Well, it's fo' them as pays fo' it, sah. Youh has got a ticket fo' dePullman car, an' dis am it, sah. Let me show yo' to youh seat, sah."

  "Well, I s'pose it's all right," remarked Roy a little doubtfully. Hesaw several passengers smiling, and he wondered if they were laughingat him, or if he had made a mistake. He resolved to be careful, as hedid not want it known that he was making a long journey for the firsttime.

  "Heah's youh seat," went on the porter, escorting Roy to a deep, softchair. "I'll be right back yeah, an' if youh wants me, all youh has todo is push this yeah button," and he showed Roy an electric buttonfixed near the window.

  "Well, I don't know what I'll want of you," said the boy, trying tothink what excuse he could have for calling the colored man.

  "Why, sah, youh might want to git breshed off, or youh might want abook, or a cigar--"

  "I don't smoke," retorted Roy promptly.

  "Well, I'm here to wait on passengers," went on the negro, "and if youhwants me all youh has to do is push that yeah button."

  "All right--er--" he paused, not knowing what to call the porter.

  "Mah name's George Washington Thomas Jefferson St. Louis AlgernonTheophilus Brown, but folks dey gen'ally calls me George, sah," and theporter grinned so that he showed every one of his big white teeth.

  "All right--George," said Roy, beginning to understand something ofmatters. "I'll call you if I want you."

  "Dey calls out when it's meal time."

  "What's that?"

  "I say dey calls out when it's meal time. De dining car potah willcall out when it's time fo' dinner."

  "Oh," remarked Roy, rather dubiously, for he did not know exactly whatwas meant.

  The porter left him, laughing to himself at the lack of knowledge shownby the boy from the ranch, but for all that George Washington St. LouisAlgernon Theophilus Brown resolved to do all he could for Roy. As forthe young traveler he was so interested in the scenery, as it appearedto fly past the broad windows of the car, that he did not worry aboutwhat he was going to do when it came meal time.

  Still, after an hour or so of looking out of the window it became alittle tiresome, and he turned around to observe his fellow passengers.Seated near him was a well-dressed man, who had quite a large watchchain strung across his vest. He had a sparkling stone in his necktie,and another in a ring on his finger.

  "Your first trip East?" he asked, nodding in a friendly way to Roy.

  "My first trip, of any account, anywhere. I haven't taken a longrailroad journey since I was a baby, and I don't remember that."

  "I thought you looked as if you hadn't been a very great distance awayfrom home. Going far?"

  "To New York."

  "Ah you have business there, I suppose?"

  Now Roy, though he was but a youth, unused to the ways of the world,had much natural shrewdness. He had been brought up in the breezinessof the West, where it is not considered good form, to say the least, toask too many questions of a man. If a person wanted to tell you hisaffairs, that was a different matter. So, as Roy's mission was more orless of a secret one, he decided it would not be well to talk about it,especially to strangers. So he answered:

  "Yes, I have some business there."

  His manner was such that the man soon saw the boy did not care to talkabout his affairs, and, being a keen observer, too much so for Roy'sgood, as we shall soon see, the man did not pursue his questioning onthose lines.

  "Fine scenery," he remarked. "Good, open country around here."

  Roy felt that was a safe enough subject to talk about, and he and theman, who introduced himself as Mr. Phelan Baker, spent some time inconversation.

  Roy, however, was continually wondering what he should do when theannouncement was made that dinner was to be served. He did not want tomake any mistakes, and have the car full of passengers laugh at him,yet he did not know what was proper to do under the circumstances.

  He had neglected to Inquire how they served meals on trains, and, infact, had he done so, no one at the ranch could have told him, as noteven Mr. Bradner had traveled enough to make it necessary to eat in adining car.

  "If I was back at the ranch I'd know what to do when I heard thegrub-call," thought Roy. "But this thing has got me puzzled. It surehas. I wonder if they bring you in sandwiches and coffee, as they didto a party I went to? Or do you have to go up and help yourself? Idon't see how they cook anything on a train going as fast as this one.They must have to eat cold victuals. Well, I guess I can stand it fora few days, I've eaten cold bacon and bread when on a round-up, and I'mnot going to hold back now. Guess I'll just do as the rest do."

  A little while after this a colored man, in a spotless white suit,passed through the parlor car, calling out:

  "Dinner is now being served in the dining car. First call for dinner!"

  "Well, it's up to me to go to grub now," thought Roy. "I wonder howI'll make out?"