Train to Anywhere
Page 25
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The police did not return that night, and as far as they knew, Eddie was miles away. The train woke Darrel and Willie as it pulled into the station the next morning. Within an hour, they had the planter off the train and, with the help of one of the workers, had it hooked up to the truck. They settled the paperwork, and as they were getting into the truck, the train began to pull away. They drove off, and while waiting for the train to cross the road, they saw a man slip from behind a tree and neatly swing up into an open car. Eddie waved to them and he sat down in the shadows of the car. They each returned the wave. "Thought my life was hard," Willie said. "Where's that train going?"
"Anyplace," Darrel said. "It's the train to anywhere."
They drove back to the farm, where Mr. Marsh only briefly asked where Charlie was. Both Darrel and Willie described the fight and said he had run away while they were sleeping.
"Kind of small for a farm boy," Mr. Marsh said, and then he went back to work.
55
Eddie rode the rails from small town to small town, seeking work for a few days to earn enough for food. Most of the work was menial and involved cleaning, hauling trash, or any other chore that had been left undone. His habit was to come into town, look for a business needing short-time help, and he was set for a few days. The owners often asked him to stay on, but he made it a point to keep moving before they became familiar with him. His beard, such as it was, had grown out, and he hoped he did not look like any of the wanted the posters. At least he assumed the posters were still up. There was the temptation to go into the post office and look, but he stayed away.
At one point, he was hitchhiking in Nebraska between Atkinson and Stuart. From that point on, he became Stu Atkins. His travels took him to Hibbing, Minnesota, where he thought it might be time to stay for a period. The mines were in operation, though the Depression had slowed their livelihood. He was able to get work, and though it was dangerous, the thought of disappearing underground for the winter had an appeal. Using the new name, he took a chance and opened a bank account, and once again he was a citizen. A few weeks turned into a couple of months, and though he kept to himself, he again gained friendship among his fellow workers, many of whom were like him, wandering the countryside in search of work.