R XVII

SEEKING A JOB

The stopping of the Limited at the little settlement of Fairfax was
sufficient to arouse the curiosity of the dozen or so men who were
lounging about the station, and when they saw that such an unusual
proceeding was to allow a mere boy to alight, they stared at him with
unfeigned interest.

"Must be the son of some big bug," hazarded one of the idlers.

"Or else he was put off for trying to beat his way," declared another,
whose surly disposition was evident in his words.

"Can't a person get off here without starting a guessing match?"
commented a third.

"Of course," replied the surly man. "But it don't seem natural."

During these remarks Bob was engrossed in gazing at the place he had
chosen in which to build his fortune, and the prospect was not
reassuring.

About half a mile from the station he could see a score or more of
houses built in all sorts of shapes, and possessing anything but an
attractive appearance. Beyond the settlement and on all sides, the
prairies stretched in awesome vastness.

As he surveyed the surroundings, Bob could not restrain a sigh, but
quickly checked it as a pleasant-faced, powerfully built man stepped
briskly from the cabin which served as station and said cheerily:

"You're Bob Nichols, I suppose. My name is Henry Thomas. Your father
wired me to be on the lookout for you. I had to report the train or I'd
have come out sooner. What can I do for you?"

Hearing himself addressed as Nichols was a distinct shock to the boy,
but to be taken for the son of the vice-president of the railroad
completely dumfounded him, and for a moment he was on the point of
denying the assumption. Then his promise to adopt the name recurred to
him and he decided that Mr. Nichols' failure to disclaim relationship
was probably with a purpose, so he just muttered something as though in
answer to the first question and said aloud:

"I should be obliged if you would direct me to the hotel. I suppose they
will send for my trunk."

"I'll direct you, of course," returned the agent, "and you can't very
well miss it because it's the only one in town. But if you don't mind,
I'd like to have you put up here with me." Then he added in a low voice:
"The Red Indian isn't the sort of place you're used to and I'd feel
safer to have you here."

"Oh, all right," laughed Bob. "I shan't be in town very long; that is,
if I can find a ranch where they'll take me."

"So you're bound to r