With heavy hearts they prepared and ate their evening meal; for there was only food enough left for a slender breakfast, and they had no money with which to purchase more. After supper they began seriously to consider their plans for the future, of which they had talked but vaguely thus far.
“Isn’t it too bad that we can’t go all the way in this boat?” said Arthur.
“It is so, Honey,” replied Uncle Phin, “but dars no use er frettin. We’ll go by de kyars and be dar in mos no time now.”
“Do you think we’ll get money enough to pay for riding on the cars, Uncle Phin?”
“Sho, Honey! You doesn’t know much about trabblin, dats a fac; why it don’t take no money fer to ride on de kyars. De man wif de brass buttens, what owns ’em, jes gib you a lil ticket, and den you ride as long as you like.”
Arthur was inclined to doubt this statement; but Uncle Phin was so positive, that he tried to believe it. The truth was that, on the only two railroad journeys he had ever taken in his life, Uncle Phin’s tickets had been bought and paid for without his knowledge, and handed to the conductor by Mr. Dustin, together with the others for his little party. Then a conductor’s check had been stuck in the old man’s hat-band, and he had ridden unquestioned to his journey’s end. Thus he was led to believe that railroads were built, and cars run upon them, for the free accommodation of all who were compelled by a hard fate to move restlessly from place to place, and he felt very grateful for the kindness thus extended.
“But Brace Barlow said we could sell the Ark for enough money to carry us the rest of the way when we got here, you told me so, yourself,” said Arthur, “and what did he mean if it isn’t going to cost anything?”
“Why, Honey, he mean to pay fer de grub we mus hab while we is a trabblin, an fer de candies and picshur books, what de boy in de kyars hans roun. You is jes nacherly ’bleeged to pay fer dem, ob cose. Yo fader allus done dat,” answered the old man.
“Then we will have to sell the Ark to-morrow, I suppose,” said Arthur, looking regretfully about the rude little cabin that had been so pleasant a home to him.
“To be shuah, Honey. We jes drap a bit furder down de ribber, inter de bizness place ob de city, fust ting in de mornin. Den we sell de boat, an take to de kyars what’s boun fer ole Ferginny, an maybe by to-morrer night we is all safe an soun at Dalecourt.”