The Autobiography of a Super Tramp 11

The Autobiography of a Super Tramp 11

Red seemed to me to be a man above the average intelligence, and, as

far as my knowledge went, seldom made an error in grammar or the

pronunciation of words. But that he should think words required a

different pronunciation in reading from what they did in speaking, was

a great shock to me, and made some of his most illiterate hearers look

from one to another with stupefaction. Now, I was always greatly

interested in fights and glove contests, and Red, claiming to have

personal acquaintance with the best of Australia, and himself claiming

to be an amateur middle weight, whose prowess many a professional had

envied, often entertained me with little anecdotes of them, which had

escaped the notice of sporting papers. So, on the first Saturday of

our picking, Red returned from town with a paper which gave a full and

graphic account, round by round, of a contest for the light weight

championship of the world, the principals hailing respectively from

Australia and America. Red's sympathies, of course, were with the

former, who, to his elation, had defeated his opponent. Being a very

modest man, Australian Red had always quietly perused his paper,

making few comments, so as to avoid all argument; but on this

occasion, he opened his paper and began to read with a boldness that

astonished me. But what surprised me most was the way in which he

made use of an expletive syllable, which sounded so quaint as to make

laughter irresistible. For instance, this passage occurred in

describing the fifth round: "After he was knocked down, he picked

himself up painfully, and the blood flowed from his nostrils in

copious streams." I could not help laughing out at his strange

delivery, and Red, thinking my sympathies were with the bruiser from

the Antipodes, chuckled with a real, but more quiet delight. We had

enough food for conversation that day, in commenting on this contest.

I like to see a good scientific bout by men who know the use of their

hands, but would rather walk twenty miles than see animals in strife.

Although of a quiet disposition, my fondness for animals is likely at

any time to lead me into danger. After reading cases of vivisection I

have often had dreams of boldly entering such places, routing the

doctors with a bar of iron, cutting the cords and freeing the animals,

despite of any hurt I might receive from bites and scratches. Perhaps

I should cut a ridiculous figure, walking through the crowded streets

with a poor meek creature under each arm, but that would not bother me

much in the performance of a humane action.

 

After a good month's work at the strawberries, we had three weeks at

picking raspberries, followed by four weeks blackberry picking. There

was good money to be made at the strawberries, but much less at the

raspberries. The blackberry picking was as lucrative as the

strawberry, and, being cultivated on the low bushes that seldom

required us to stoop, was not such a tedious occupation as the latter,

whose vines were often half buried in the soil. After paying all

expenses, I had, at the end of the season, cleared over a hundred

dollars.

 

It was now the last of the picking, and the farmer paid us off. He was

a German, and nearly all the farmers in that part of the country were

the same, or of that descent, and they used the German language at

every opportunity, and never used English except when it was necessary

to do so. "You vos come again, next summer," said he to Australian Red

and myself as we were leaving--"for I know you two plenty." This

remark made me blush, for it seemed as much as to say that his

knowledge of us was more than he desired--but we understood his

meaning. He offered to drive us to St. Joseph, but we preferred to

walk, as we had all day and half the night to wait before the boat

started from that place to Chicago.

 

"Now," I said to Australian Red, as we jogged along, "I am going to

hoard the bulk of my dollars, and shall just keep two or three handy

for food and incidental expenses, for I am now about to beat my way

from Chicago to New York. From the latter place I shall pay my passage

to Liverpool, clothe myself better, and then take train for South

Wales, and still have a pound or two left when I arrive home." "Come

and have a drink," said Red, "and I will then inform you how any man

without former experience on sea or ship, neither being a sailor,

fireman or cook, can not only work his passage to England, but be paid

for doing so."

 

We had had no intoxicating liquor for several months, and, though we

had passed one or two of these places on our way to St. Joseph, on

which he had gazed in a rather too friendly manner, his courage, up to

this moment, had not been equal to an invitation. "Well," I said,

pleased with the prospect of not only saving my passage money, but

also of earning my train fare in England--"it will certainly be cold,

taking this deck voyage across the lake in the early hours of morning,

and a glass of whiskey will keep some warmth in us." Alas! the usual

thing happened--we got full; and what with the dead effects of the

drink, and a rough passage across, we arrived in Chicago feeling cold,

stiff, and in many other ways uncomfortable.

 

I have often heard salt water mariners sneer at these fresh water

sailors, but, after crossing the Atlantic some eighteen times, and

making several passages across the lakes, my opinion is that these

vast inland lakes are more dangerous to navigate, and far less safe

than the open seas.

 

Of course, we had to have more whisky, after the voyage, and, having

had to sleep, its effect was almost instantaneous. Not altogether

losing my senses, I suggested to Red that we should go to some hotel,

have breakfast, and then go to bed for an hour or two, say till dinner

time, which would refresh us. It was now eight o'clock in the morning,

and Red had unfortunately got into conversation with a gentleman who

knew something of Australia. "Yes," he said, gravely, after listening

to my proposal--"you are young, and you certainly look drunk and

sleepy, and had better follow your own advice. The hotel is next door

but one to this, and you will find me here when you return." Not

liking to take him by the shoulder, and to gently try to force him

away from this stranger in whose conversation he evidently seemed to

take a great delight, not to mention doing such an action before the

landlord's face, I left him, made arrangements at the hotel for two,

and then went to bed. Having had a good sleep, and a substantial meal,

and feeling thoroughly refreshed, I now returned to Red, whom I found

in the centre of half a dozen loafers, besides the gentleman to whom I

have already referred. On my appearance, he staggered to his feet and

came to meet me, and then, taking me on one side, began in this way:

"You have just come in the nick of time, for the glasses, as you see,

are empty. Pay for all drinks called for, and I will make it all right

with you in the morning." "What is the matter?" I asked. "What have

you done with over eighty dollars?" Winking artfully, and with a smile

meant to be cunning, he said--"I have hidden my money, as I usually do

in these cases. Most likely it is in the lining of my coat; but,

wherever it is, you may depend on it as being quite safe." If he had

had the assistance of a score of the most inveterate drunkards, I know

he could not in this short time have squandered between eighty and

ninety dollars. Red had earned ninety-five dollars and a half, and, up

to the time of my leaving him, had spent but very little. I came to

the conclusion that he had been robbed, and that this befell him in

all his sprees. After calling for a round of drinks, I left the house,

knowing that Red would soon follow, which he did, and at once. I

persuaded him to bed, and the next morning saw the same peculiarities

as before--his going into corners, up side streets, to feel the lining

of his clothes. He was not satisfied at seeing no tear in the lining

of his cap, but must hold it in his hand and feel every inch of it.

"Somewhere on my person," he reiterated, "I have secreted three twenty

dollar bills. I have a distinct recollection of doing so, but for the

life of me I cannot remember what part." "You have been robbed," I

answered, with a little disgust. Not willing to leave him in his

present circumstances, and only too sorry that I had not done so when

he was almost as well off as myself, I shared my dollars with him,

saying in an offended manner--"The sooner we squander this stuff the

better it will please us." We spent it in one week in Chicago, and

were again without a cent. "Again," I said with some exaggeration,

"winter is here, and we are in the same position as at the end of last

summer. What now?" "We are without money," said Red, "but there is

still nothing to prevent us from our first intention of visiting

England. We will beat our way to Baltimore without delay. I am known

in that port by the cattle foremen and owners, and we are almost sure

of a ship as soon as we arrive." After all, I thought, eager for a new

experience, one trip will not come amiss.

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER X

 

THE CATTLEMAN'S OFFICE

 

 

We found the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad easy to beat, and were at the

end of our journey in a very few days. When we entered the cattleman's

office, from which place owners and foremen were supplied with men, it

was evident to me that Red was well known in this place, hearing him

make enquiries of Washington Shorty, New York Fatty, Philadelphia

Slim, and others. At this place I made the acquaintance of Oklahoma

Sam, an extremely quiet man, very much respected in that he had a cold

blooded fashion of whittling wood and paring his nails with a steel

blade nearly a foot long. Another queer character was Baldy, of whom

Australian Red related this anecdote. When stranded in Liverpool and

hungry, he once took up a position in front of a confectioner's shop,

and, being an extremely lazy man, placed his shoulder against the

lamp-post, and settled himself for a long reverie. He might have been

there an hour or more, when the baker came out and complained of

Baldy's person, being ragged and dirty, as the reason why people

hurried past his establishment; telling Baldy straight that his

presence was detrimental to the trade of any shop that catered to the

inner man. Baldy, too lazy to speak, much less show any signs of

anger, took a firmer bearing on the post and settled to a more

prolonged reverie. Two or three hours elapsed when the baker, who had

come several times to stare at him through the window, rushed out and

shouted with much irritation--"For Heaven's sake, go: here, take this

sixpence, and let me see the last of you." Baldy, who had not wished

the baker good morning, wished him good afternoon, and strolled

quietly away, with the price of a good meal in his hand. Nobody, who

thoroughly understood Baldy's disposition, would wonder at this; for

this success, after all, was only the result of laziness, but most of

his companions gave him credit for using unique strategy in obtaining

money.

 

Shelter only was supplied at this office, and that of the barest kind,

being no other than the hard floor, and blanketless. Owing to this the

men, who, after making a trip often had to wait sometimes two or three

weeks for another chance, were all good beggars. Some of them had

begged Baltimore off and on for ten years, and knew every good house

in the city. One would say--"I shall go to the dressmaker for my

breakfast"; another intended to go to the dairy, the fat woman, or the

dentist; the latter being always good for money in the shape of a ten

cent piece.

 

We had been at this office three days, when the shipper sent

Australian Red and myself, with four others, to rope cattle at the

yards. Seven hundred and fifty head of cattle had to be shipped that

night, and the ropes had to be placed on their necks or horns, with

which they had to be fastened to their places aboard ship. After Red

had taken a rope, and given me a practical illustration of what was to

be done, the cattle began to arrive. They were very wild, having just

come from the plains of the west. There was a long narrow shoot in the

yards, with one end blocked, and when a number of cattle had been

driven into this, and had wedged themselves too close and fast to be

capable of any wild movement, it was our business to slip a noose

around their horns, or necks, draw this rope as tight as possible, and

fasten it with a knot, so as to prevent it from slipping. When this

was accomplished, the end of the shoot was opened, and they were

rushed out with their ropes dangling, and a fresh batch were then

driven in and served likewise. After which they were put in cars and

sent to the ship. Now the foreman, knowing Red, asked him if he would

like to go with him, to which Red answered yes, at the same time

putting in a good word for me, which at once met with the foreman's

approval. We were not therefore surprised, on our return, when the

shipper called us into his private office to sign articles--Red to

receive two pounds for the trip, and myself thirty shillings, an

amount seldom paid to a raw hand, except on the recommendation of owner or foreman.