Hobo Quilts by Debra G. Henninger

Author:Debra G. Henninger
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: F+W Media, Inc.
Published: 2011-05-26T16:00:00+00:00

Fig. 1 (Throw, Twin and Full)

Fig. 2 (Lap and Queen)

Two fellow travelers invited me to share their humble breakfast. Al, a tall, flaxen-haired Canadian, had jumped the border at Winnipeg and was headed for Frisco to try for a job appearing in stock. Tony, an Italian who had been run out of Chicago as an unsavory character, was very proud of his collection of newspaper clippings about himself which he carried in his shoes.

The three of us strolled into Reno and looked the town over, but what can a fellow do with ten cents in the lining of his hat? Later we wandered down to the station. A railroad plainclothesman was kind enough to tell us we would receive thirty days on the road gang if we tried to board the overland Limited. I thanked him kindly and strolled down the track as the engineer gave the highball and the train gathered speed. I ran quickly to grab the engine ladder step. I was jerked straight out into the air like a flag waving in a strong wind. My buddies pulled me onto the engine.

The Limited began to climb slowly up the Sierra Nevadas, through green mountains of pine, with Lake Tahoe a deep, cold blue in the distance. As the train wound around a horseshoe curve, we could almost touch the people sitting on the observation platform. Tony said people were suckers to ride the cushions and have to pay, while we had a better view and no conductor to bother us for tickets.

We hopped off as we reached Truckee and hid in some bushes, waiting for the overland to highball. With the shriek of its whistle, we began running for our seats, but we were met by a reception committee: two railroad cops, who proceeded to stomp on our fingers as we grabbed for the rung of the engine ladder. The train stopped. We ran around to the other side, followed by the cops. We climbed up on the engine, but the cops were on to our trick and cut off our escape. Al began running over the top of the coaches as the train started again. We followed madly, with the cops running alongside on the tracks below. When we were almost the observation car, there to be cornered like rats, we heard the scream of a fast freight as it come up beside us, headed in the same direction. In a split second, Tony cried, “Let’s go!” With a running leap, he landed on the moving freight car. Al followed, but I hesitated. It flashed through my mind what would happen if I didn’t make the jump safely; Potter’s field for me. Suddenly, I ran along the top of the coach, swerved with a high, forward leap in the air. What a wonderful feeling to hug that boxcar, and look back as we left the Limited and our dear enemies far in the distance. Once again we settled down on our Limited to continue our journey west.

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