"No you won't, captain," cried Terry, springing up with eyes shining
with emotion; "nothing of the kind. If ever I do get to be one of the
bosses, you shall be captain of the best ship the firm owns, and go
round the world in her, if you like."

Captain Afleck gave the boy a tender smile as he took hold of his hand.

"I know you mean every word of it, Terry; and, who knows, perhaps some
of it may come true some day."

And so they whiled away the time as the swift train sped northward.
Shortly after nightfall Terry went to sleep, and the captain, growing
weary of the confinement of the car, took advantage of a lengthy
stoppage at a junction to get out and stretch his legs. There were
trains on both sides of the platform, and it fell out that the mariner,
little used to land travel, presently lost his bearings, with the
result that, hearing the shout, "All aboard," and seeing a train move
off, he jumped on to the rear car, thinking it was all right.

Not until he had passed through to the next car did he discover that he
was mistaken. But by that time the train had gathered such speed that
to jump off was to risk life, so with a groan of, "Oh, but I'm the
dunderhead. How is poor Terry to get along now?" he threw himself into
a seat to wait for the conductor, from whom he might learn how soon he
could leave this train and set off in pursuit of the right one.

When the conductor did appear the captain was dismayed to find that he
was flying off due west in the direction of Chicago, instead of due
north in the direction of Boston, and that it would not be possible for
him to retrace his way until the following morning, while the train
which carried Terry would reach Boston that very night.

"Well, it's no use crying over spilt milk," soliloquized Captain Afleck
on receiving this information. "I must only make the best of it for
myself; but poor little Terry, who's to look after him? and he hasn't a
copper in his pocket."

It was some little time after the train had moved off without the
captain before Terry awoke. When he did, and looked about him for his
companion, his first thought was,--

"Oh, he's gone into one of the other cars," and he gave himself no
concern.

Presently, however, beginning to feel lonely, he thought he'd go in
search of him, and accordingly he went through the four passenger cars,
looking eagerly for the stalwart sailor.

Discovering no signs of him, he grew anxious, and questioned th