A District Messenger Boy and a Necktie Party | Page 5

frightened a boy may be, he cannot walk very far on
a hot morning, without breakfast, more especially if he has had no
supper the night previous; and some time before they were near the city,
both Ned and Joe were obliged to rest.
As' a matter of course, they had seen nothing of the men, and with the
feeling of freedom came the question which should have been settled
the night before, - that of where they should go.
"I declare, I don't know what we will do," said Joe, in answer to Ned,
and then he chewed a piece of straw, vigorously, as if by that means he
hoped to be aided in arriving at some satisfactory conclusion. " You see,
the trouble is that we've got all this baggage to lug 'round, when it's
about as much as we can do to get along ourselves."
"Why don't you leave the things somewhere? You never can find the
man that owns 'em, even if you carry them all the way back to New
York," said little Ned, sensibly.

" That's so, bub," said Joe, "but all the same, you see he told me to take
care of them, an' I've got to do it, or else they'll blame me at the office."
Just then an express wagon passed, which suggested to Joe a very
simple way of disposing of his burden.
"I'll tell you what we can do," he said, as he started to his feet quickly,
while his face lighted up with pleasure at the idea. " We'll walk along
until we come to an express office, an' then we'll just send the valises
on to where I work. I know we can do that, for last week somebody
sent two trunks there, an' the manager had to pay the bill for bringing
them."
Unfortunately, it never occurred to Joe that it also would be possible to
get money sufficient to pay for the passage .home by telegraphing to
the manager of the office.
"We've got a dollar," he said, as they trudged along, the valises
seemingly growing heavier each moment, "and jest as soon as we get
rid of these we'll get something to eat."
At the express office the clerk took the baggage and gave Joe a receipt
for it without un- necessary conversation. If he had not been so busy he
might have asked some questions, and thus the boys would have been
advised as to the proper course to pursue; but as it was, they walked out,
little thinking how much they might have learned, and rejoicing that
they were freed from a heavy burden.
After they had made a very satisfactory breakfast on a pie; which Joe
bought for the small sum of ten cents, in consideration of the fact that it
was not as fresh as a first-class pie should be, they walked in the
direction of the wharves as a first step towards learning how they
should get home.
It surely seemed as if they had been singularly fortunate in taking this
step, for they had gone hardly more than a block when they met a boy
about ten years old, who appeared to know all about it. It was not a
difficult matter to make his acquaintance, for he met their advances
considerably more than half-way, and in a. few moments the three were
comfortably seated on some barrels near the pier, discussing the
situation.
A DISTRICT MESSENGER BOY.

CHAPTER II.

HOME AGAIN.
"You see you have to go up that way to get to New York,!" said the boy,
pointing with an air of wisdom, "an' if you fellers want to get home real
bad, I'll carry you there tomorrow myself in a boat."
"How long would it take you? " asked Joe, just a trifle doubtful as to
whether this boy could do as much as he said he could.
"Only two or three hours if we have a fair wind."
"But we was all night comin' down in the steamer," remarked Joe,
quickly.
"That's nothin'," said the boy, contemptuously, "for this boat I'm goin'
to take you in can sail more'n four times as fast as any steamer you ever
saw. Why, she sailed right around Tom Stevens's boat the other day, an'
there wasn't any wind at all. I tell you what it is, just you come up here
with me an' see her, then you'll know what she can do."
There was no reason why the boys should not accept the offer, since
they had plenty of time at their disposal, and they started at once.
"What's your name?" asked Joe, thinking that perhaps it might be as
well to call the boy by his right name, as to be obliged to attract his
attention