"Swindlers? Was dem nicely dressed gen'men swindlers?" inquired the porter.

"Swindlers, upon my word, they are the very worst kind," put in De Royster. "The idea of tricking me into letting them see my watch, and then keeping it, don't you know! I shall report them to the authorities."

"I'm afraid it will not do much good," remarked Roy. "They are far enough away by now, and we're getting farther off from them every minute."

"That's so. Well, then, my watch and diamond pin are gone," and the dude seemed to accept the loss quite calmly.

"Excuse me, sah," broke in the colored man, addressing De Royster, "but has youh a ticket for dis parlor car?"

"Not yet. I could not buy one at the little station back there, but you may get me one, from the conductor, don't you know," spoke the well-dressed youth, taking a roll of bills from his pocket. At the sight of the money the eyes of the colored man shone in antic.i.p.ation of a tip he might receive. His opinion of the stranger went up several points. Such is the effect of money, and it is not always the right one.

"Are you going to travel in this car?" asked Roy.

"Yes, it looks like a fairly decent coach. I am really quite particular how I ride."

Roy was rather amused at the airs Mortimer De Royster a.s.sumed, and he did not quite know whether to like him or not. The youth had an affected manner of speaking, and some oddities, but, in spite of these Roy thought he might be all right at heart.

The boy from the ranch had learned, from his life in the west, not to judge persons by outward appearances, though they often give an indication of character.

"I don't believe I thanked you for what you did for me," went on De Royster to Roy, when the porter returned with his ticket and the change. The colored man's heart was made happy by a generous tip.

"I don't know that I did anything in particular. I didn't think they were going to take your hide off, or I would have warned you sooner."

"My hide off? I don't quite catch your meaning, my dear chap--Oh, yes, I see. You mean they were going to skin me. Oh, yes. That's a good joke. Ha! Ha! Well, thanks to you, they didn't."

"Still they got something."

"Yes, that watch was a valuable one, and one my father gave me as a present. The diamond was worth considerable, too. But I am glad they did not get my money. Only for your timely warning they might have.

Some of it is mine, but the most of it belongs to the firm I work for."

"They tried to get me into some swindling games, but I refused to have anything to do with them," and Roy told of the efforts of Baker and his cronies.

"I was easily taken in," admitted Mortimer De Royster. "I am ashamed of myself."

"Do you carry a valuable stock?" asked Roy, wondering if it were not dangerous to have so much jewelry about one.

"Quite valuable, yes, but all traveling jewelry salesmen belong to a league, and if thieves get away with anything belonging to any member, we have the services of a good detective agency to run the criminals down. The professional thieves know this, and, as capture is almost certain in the end, we have little fear of being robbed. These swindlers took my personal property, and nothing belonging to the firm, I'm glad to say."

"Perhaps you will get it back," suggested Roy.

"No, I'm afraid not. But I say, my dear chap, where are you going?

You don't look as if you had traveled much."

"I haven't. I am going to New York on business for my father."

"To New York? Good! Then I shall have company on the way. That is unless you don't like to be seen with one who lets himself be robbed so easily."

"That would not make any difference to me."

"Thank you. Perhaps I may be able to be of some service to you in New York. I know the town fairly well."

"That will be very kind of you. I know nothing about it, and I'm afraid I'll be rather green when I get there. I have lived on a ranch all my life."

"On a ranch? Fancy now! Really, don't you know, I often used to think I would like to be a cowboy," drawled the dude.

Roy looked at the slim figure, and delicate features of Mr. De Royster, and thought that he would hardly be strong enough for the rough life on the plains. But he was too polite to mention this.

"Yes," went on the well-dressed youth, "if I had not gone into the jewelry business I might now be a 'cow-puncher,'--I believe that is what you call those gentlemen who take charge of wild steers?" and he looked at his companion inquiringly.

"Yes, some folks call 'em that."

"It must be a very nice sort of life. Now this sort of thing is rather tame, don't you know."

"Well, you had it exciting enough a while ago."

"So I did," admitted Mr. De Royster with a smile. "But that doesn't happen every day. I wish I could do you some favor, in return for what you did for me."

"I didn't do much. I wish I could have gotten them in time to have saved your watch and chain. But they stampeded before I could rope them."

"Stampeded?"

"Yes, I mean they started to run."

"Oh, yes. And--er--rope--"

"Oh, I forgot you didn't understand my lingo. I meant catch them.

Whenever we want to catch anything on the ranch, we rope it. Throw a lariat over it, you know."

"Oh, yes, a la.s.so. I should like to have seen you la.s.so those chaps.

Have you a la.s.so with you?"

"I have one in my large valise."

"Where are you going to stop in New York?"

"I don't know yet. I'm going to look around for a good place to get my grub, and a bunk after I get there."

"Your grub and bunk?" Mr. De Royster seemed puzzled.

"Well, I mean my meals and a place to sleep."

"Ah, then perhaps I can be of service to you. I know most of the best hotels, and I can introduce you to the managers of some of them. Do you intend to remain in the city long?"

"I can't tell. I don't just know how long my father's business will keep me. Probably I shall be there several weeks."

"Then I'll tell you what I'll do," said De Royster, in a friendly tone.

"I'll get you fixed up at a good hotel, and then I'll show you the sights."

"But how can you spare the time from your business?" asked Roy, who was beginning to think he had found a real friend in the rather eccentric person of Mortimer De Royster.