They walked past the passenger train station in the middle of town. "Why don't we just buy a ticket and get on the passenger train?" asked Max. "We have some money."
"Maxie, think abou' it. That don't make no sense. We don't know where we're 'eadin', so no one could even tell us 'ow much is the ticket."
"Yeah, I guess so," said Max. He hadn't thought of that.
"'However. There is another wye. Th' baggage car; they pu' the baggage in front o' the door. We c'n riode on th' platform front o' that. Ain't no one will see us then."
Charlie went up to the ticket window. He tipped his hat to the lady. "When's th' next train departin' in a southerly direc'tion?" He leaned on the wooden window sill and grinned at the lady.
"Where do you want to go?" she said curtly.
"Wha' plyces would yer rec'mmend, Ma'am?" asked Charlie flirtatiously. He tipped his hat. This lady wasn't pretty or young or nice, but he tried anyway.
"You don't know where you're going?" she asked.
"Jus' wytin' fer th' roight place t' go, Ma'am." She was counting money. He put his hand over hers and stroked it. She pushed him away roughly and pulled the money out of his reach.
"Get away from the money, you little tramp. Why don't you go ride the freights? I'll tell the bulls and they can pick you up."
Charlie shook his finger at her in mock displeasure. "Bad attitude, Ma'am," said Charlie. "Y' won't neveh sell no tickets wi' a look on yer fyce loike tha'." Charlie knew she couldn't reach him to slap his face from behind the partially opened ticket window. He smiled winningly. "Why don't y' smoile pre'ty and tell me wha' I need t' know?"
Suddenly Charlie felt someone lift him up by the back of his coat and turn him around. It was an enormously tall man with a huge mustache and formidable eyebrows. He was wearing a train conductor's uniform. "Are you pestering my wife, little tramp?"
Still up in the air, Charlie tipped his hat at the man and smiled self-consciously. "I ain't pesterin' 'er; she won't give me no inf'mytion. I need th' schedule so I c'n roide th' train!" The man finally put Charlie down.
"So, what do you want to know?"
"When's th' next train 'eadin' south?"
"Where do you want to go?"
Max was still listening. Charlie wouldn't give up. He seemed to like teasing and pestering people sometimes. It was funny, but probably not to the people being pestered.
"What places would yer rec'mmend?" said Charlie again. The conductor slapped Charlie in the face and knocked him down. Charlie jumped up and kicked the man in the pants. Then he grabbed Max and they ran to a small park nearby where they collapsed on a park bench, laughing hysterically.
Max said, "While you were having fun pestering people, I asked for a train schedule. Here." He handed Charlie a folded schedule with quite a few pages. Charlie squinted at the small print, then pulled out his rimless reading glasses.
"Hmmm," he mused. "Them trains is goin' many good plyces." He turned to Max. "Y'know, boardin' trains after dark is the best thing t' do. We can't be seen so well. An' we 'ave th' rest o' t'dye t' lollygag about'. We still 'ave money. We c'n procure a good meal, then…I see'd one o' them movin' picture theatres over there…would yer loike t' go?"
"Sure, Charlie! I'd love to go!" said Max excitedly.
When the two vagabonds emerged from the theatre, it was nearing supper time. They had a quick supper at the local diner, then sauntered over to the train station again. According to Max's schedule, there was a train bound for Memphis, Tennessee, due in a half hour and departing shortly thereafter. Charlie and Max sat next to the building, in the shadows, where they would be least likely to be seen.
"Now Maxie, we sh'll be jumpin' aboard th' train when it's in the station. We mus' do this after dark and when th' train is just startin' t' roll…yer un'erstan' me, lad?"
"Yes, sir." Max looked thoughtful. "Have you ever been caught by the bulls, Charlie?"
"Yeah, once."
"What do they do to you?"
"They arrest yer an' throw yer in gaol or send yer t' th' work farm. I was lucky, I escap'd." Charlie put his arm around the boy. "But we won't be caught. 'Ow didja loike yer noigh' in jail, Maxie?"
"Wasn't too bad. And I guess they have to feed you there, so if you don't have any food, you find something to do that will get you locked up in jail and then you can get a square meal."
"Spoken like a true tramp, me lad! But y' don't commit no crimes, lad, jus' them little things like sneakin' on the train or pinchin' a bit o' food. Things y' need t' do anywye. I don't steal nothin' unless I'm 'ungry, Maxie. Wha' I said about bein' loight-fingered b'fore, well, I used t' think it was funny. But it ain't funny to the person what loses what y' tyke. I only do tha' now in self-defense…when there ain't no other choice…loike the lydy what pinched me watch. Understand, lad?"
"Yeah, Charlie. Well, I knew that before. My Mom told me never to steal or lie."
"Yer Mum sounds like a wise lydy, Maxie."
"I guess. I miss her. Not my Pop, though. Wish I knew where they went. I'd like to see her again." Max felt tears rising in his eyes and he was glad Charlie couldn't see his face in the darkness. Charlie didn't say anything, just kept his arm around Max and hugged him.
The train arrived shortly and Charlie pointed out the baggage car. "We walk around th' other side o' the train, and jump on when it start t' roll."
It was a long ride and Max fell asleep. He was back to back with the tramp and they had to keep still and not stand up. Max kept his arms wound around the carpetbag.
After riding for what seemed hours, Max was starting to feel a little sore from not moving. He turned around to where he could talk to the tramp. "How much longer till we get to Memphis?" said Max.
"Don't know, Maxie. There's some stops before Memphis, accordin' to the schedule, but I forgot what they was and it's too dark to look again. I think it woise t' get off at th' first stop. Me back is killin' me. Wha' abou' you?"
"I'm pretty sore too, Charlie."
At the next stop, the two vagabonds jumped off the baggage car platform surreptitiously, but were seen by the rail police. Charlie and Max took off and evaded the bulls by running into a local wooded area where they scaled a tree. The bulls gave up and the two tramps were on their way again. They walked further away from the tracks and came upon a hobo jungle where they joined some tramps and hoboes at a campfire and shared some food.
They walked the rest of the way to Memphis. They stayed in the area for the rest of the summer and into the autumn. Charlie was concerned that Max wouldn't be warm enough at night, so he found some old, discarded, but still serviceable clothes for him. He found an old coat and hat and a vest that was a little too big, but made Max feel rather grown up. Charlie found another blanket, this one nicer than his ragged and worn one. He placed it in the carpetbag for Max to use at night.
Max and Charlie did odd jobs, entertained and made enough money to eat well most days and rent rooms for the night. One morning, Max awoke in their rented room alone. Charlie's hat, walking stick and coat were gone. He started to panic, thinking Charlie had left like his parents had. Then he spotted the carpetbag sitting in a chair. Charlie wouldn't have left without the carpetbag.
Max wanted to get a closer look at Charlie's violin. Maybe he could learn to play it. He hoped it was still in the carpetbag. He opened the bag. He smiled when he saw the violin case. He carefully removed it and put it on the bed. He sat down next to it, and opened the case carefully. He picked up the violin and put it under his chin like he had seen Charlie do. He plucked one of the strings. It sounded pretty. He took the bow and drew it across the strings. It made a horrendous sound. Max dropped the violin on the bed, then picked it up again, hoping he hadn't damaged it.
"Wha' are y' doin', lad?" asked Charlie's soft voice from behind him. Max hadn't heard Charlie come in.
Max turned around and stood in front of the bed with the violin behind his back. He scrunched up his face. "Nothing, Charlie."
"Yer loyin' t' me, lad. Pu' th' violin awye."
Charlie sat down on the bed next to Max. He put his arm around the boy. "So, lad, wha' were y' doin'?"
"I was fooling around with your violin, Charlie. I wanted to see if I could play it."
Charlie laughed. "It takes a lotta learnin' and practice to play it, lad. I c'n give y' lessons, if yer interested. But I don't never want y' t' touch me violin again, 'less yer learnin' on it. Y' know, it's me liveli'ood. If th' toime comes when I'm too old t' chop wood n' such, I still c'n play me violin. I don't 'ave no money t' replace it, if it's broken. Yer un'erstan' me drift?"
"I'm sorry, Charlie."
"An' I don't wish t' 'ear no more loyin, either, un'erstand, Maxie?"
"Yes, sir," said Max, solemnly.
"It's a'roigh', Maxie, already forgotten." He pulled several papers out of his pocket. "I 'ave news, lad."
