The habits of a lifetime made him cautious. He slipped on to the

bumper of a car and peered through. An automobile had struck the car,

and stood there on two wheels. The tail lights were burning, but the

headlights were out. Two men were stooping over some one who lay on

the ground. Then the taller of the two started on a dog-trot along the

train looking for an empty. He found one four cars away and ran back

again. The two lifted the unconscious man into the empty box-car, and,

getting in themselves, stayed for three or four minutes. When they

came out, after closing the sliding door, they cut up over the railroad

embankment toward the town. One, the short one, seemed to limp.

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The tramp was wary. He waited for ten minutes or so. Some women came

down a path to the road and inspected the automobile. When they had

gone, he crawled into the box-car and closed the door again. Then he

lighted a match. The figure of a man, unconscious, gagged, and with

his hands tied, lay far at the end.

The tramp lost no time; he went through his pockets, found a little

money and the cuff-links, and took them. Then he loosened the gag--it

had been cruelly tight--and went his way, again closing the door of the

box-car. Outside on the road he found the watch. He got on the fast

freight east, some time after, and rode into the city. He had sold the

cuff-links, but on offering the watch to Alex he had been "copped."

The story, with its cold recital of villainy, was done. I hardly knew

if I were more anxious, or less. That it was Halsey, there could be no

doubt. How badly he was hurt, how far he had been carried, were the

questions that demanded immediate answer. But it was the first real

information we had had; my boy had not been murdered outright. But

instead of vague terrors there was now the real fear that he might be

lying in some strange hospital receiving the casual attention commonly

given to the charity cases. Even this, had we known it, would have

been paradise to the terrible truth. I wake yet and feel myself cold

and trembling with the horror of Halsey's situation for three days

after his disappearance.

Mr. Winters and Alex disposed of the tramp with a warning. It was

evident he had told us all he knew. We had occasion, within a day or

two, to be doubly thankful that we had given him his freedom. When Mr.

Jamieson telephoned that night we had news for him; he told me what I

had not realized before--that it would not be possible to find Halsey

at once, even with this clue. The cars by this time, three days, might

be scattered over the Union.




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