Chapter 2

Ten days later, early in the morning before dawn:

“Poppa, are yo sure they will help my baby reach west?” there were tears in her eyes as she dreaded the departure of their only son.

“Yaw, mama,” said Johann with a shaky voice, for he too was dreading leaving the boy in the hands of strangers. His only son was soon going away and there was a chance he would never see him again. Now he knew exactly how his own father had felt, as he too had watched his only son and family leave, never to see them again. If it was not for the chance of a much better life, there would not have been any need for a parting of the families.

“Is the boy ready to go?” asked Mac the telegrapher outside the station.

“Yaw,” said Johann.

“Okay! When no one is looking you put Ivan into that mail car there,” he was pointing to a dark green rail car setting a few feet away. “There's a man inside who will hide him. When they reach the end of the run, he will then pass the boy off to another key man, who will take it from there.”

“Yaw,” said Johann “when no one is looking.”

“Mister, how we know about Ivan, and where farm?” Anna asked with a shaky voice.

“We’re sending him to Oklahoma. There is lots of free land there and I understand its good farm land,” explained the key man. He placed a large envelope with a string around Ivan’s neck. In it were instructions for those who would come in contact with the boy in his travels to the west. “When he gets there the key man will send us a message. Now Ivan, if any thing goes wrong, whatever, you go to the train station and see the telegrapher, you know the key man.”

“Yaw, I go see key man at station,” replied Ivan.

“Does the boy have any money?” asked Mac.

“He got two dollars each shoe, five dollars his shorts” said Johann.

“Are you crazy?” Mac said “that’s not enough . . . he’ll need at least $30 just get out of the state of New York.”

“That what we saved is all,” said Johann.

“I must really be stark raving nuts,” said Mac as he pulled out his wallet. He removed the only bill he had, it was a $10. “I’ll just have to skip eating lunch this week.” He then put it into the hands of Johann who, in turn placed the bill into the boys underwear.

“Ivan, my son,” said Johann as he knelt before his son. “Yo are a man now . . . I try to do right by you . . . all you can do is the best you can . . . find us good farm . . . write to us and we come to you soon. If yo be lost to us . . . then have happy life.”

“Yaw, Poppa,” said Ivan as he wiped the tears from his face and eyes. “I find us good farm.”

“This, my son,” Johann said as he held him close to his chest. They both could feel the other shaking with sobs.

Anna held Ivan in her arms for the last time. Her tears were flowing like a river.

“Yo good boy,” she said “Now you be good man.” She smothered him with kisses. His sisters too covered the boy with kisses, and said their goodbyes with lots of tears.

The family huddled close to the boy and each one prayed for the lad. Being Catholic they each crossed themselves repeatedly.

Johann placed Ivan aboard the train as he was instructed. A man in a suit bearing the emblem of the railroad was there to take charge of the lad.

“This, my son,” said Johann as he gave Ivan’s small suitcase to the man. “Yo take good care . . . or there be trouble for yo.”

“He’ll be just fine,” reassured the man.

Ivan was taken to a large wooden box in the mail car. The end of the crate was open.

“Get inside and don’t make any noise,” instructed the man. “Once we’re clear of the station and the conductor has gone forwards then, and only then, you can get out. When ever I tell you to get back inside, you do it, real quick like.”

“Yaw,” said Ivan entering the box.

The man quickly closed the end. Ivan was now in the dark. However his eyes soon located a few small cracks in the boards. Through these he could see outside of the crate. The man went about his business and Ivan found a pile of wood shavings and papers used in packing. He lay down on the pile. As the train rumbled along he listened to the sounds of the wheels clicking on the tracks. Soon he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

“Charlie, are you ready for the next mail pickup?” yelled the Conductor as he entered the mail car.

“You bet,” replied the mail clerk.

The shouting of the men woke Ivan from a sound sleep. It had been night when he came aboard the train, but now it was daylight.

“Get your hook out,” said the conductor and he went forward to the next car.

Charlie opened the door and swung the mail pouch hook out the door. The engineer gave a long toot on the train whistle. A few seconds later there was a loud thud and a bag of mail was swung aboard the train. In the mean time Charlie had thrown out a bag of mail as the train went past the station. He quickly closed the door, then took the bag down from the hook and dumped the mail onto a large table.

Ivan stuck his head out of the crate.

“I come out, yaw,” he said.

“You can come out now,” said Charlie as he began to sort the mail and put pieces into different bags, or ‘pigeon holes’ in a large cabinet mounted to the wall of the mail car.

Ivan went to a small window and watched the country speeding past. There were lots of trees and hills with a spot, or two of open land, farms with livestock of all kinds. He watched people on the farms as they worked. No task master could be seen anywhere. Once he even saw a lad, very much like himself, riding a horse out in the field. They were at a full gallop as they raced across the landscape.

“I get me a horse one day,” said Ivan to himself as he dreamed about the future. “A big house for family, garden for mama, big barn for poppa, flowers for Joanna, kitty for Natasha, maybe nice doggie.” He sat there by the window on some boxes, watching and dreaming of the new life in the west for the whole family.

Charlie hadn’t noticed Ivan for some time, so he sort of misplaced him being out of the box. However, while sorting the mail, he soon just plainly forgot the lad even existed. He got the next bag to deliver ready and he opened the door and swung out the mail hook. He stood ready to throw out the next sack. There came the long whistle and a second or two later he tossed out the bag and with the thud another bag of mail was swung aboard.

He quickly shut the door and dumped the mail bag onto the table. Just as he was ready to sort the mail the conductor came into the Mail Car.

“Charlie,” shouted the conductor “We’re going to stop at the next station to load some freight.”

Ivan realized he was not in the crate like he had been told. However, if he moved the conductor would see him for sure. When the man had his back to Ivan, he ducked behind some boxes.

“Right,” shouted Charlie “I’ll be ready.”

The conductor went back to the caboose that brought up the rear of the train. Ivan quickly ran back to the safety of the large crate. Charlie caught a glimpse of the boy as he scurried into the box. He let out with a big sigh. A minute later the conductor came back into the mail car.

“Cookie says lunch is ready, so as soon as the mail is done you go have some,” said the Conductor.

“Right,” said Charlie.

The conductor continued on toward the front of the train. Ivan felt his stomach as he was reminded of food. Where did he put those sandwiches his mother made? Then he remembered he laid them on a crate at the station when the family was saying their goodbyes. In all the excitement, the sandwiches were forgotten and now Ivan felt a very large spot in his stomach that needed to be filled to relieve the pains of hunger.

Charlie went to the caboose and ate his lunch. While he was gone, Ivan was once more drawn to the window. He was sitting there when the conductor came into the mail car. He saw Ivan right away, because he wanted to place the shipment at the next station right where the empty crate now occupied. Ivan was at the small window just behind it.

“What the hell?” Asked the conductor when he caught sight of Ivan. Ivan ducked back into the wooden crate. The Conductor grabbed the youth by the shirt tail and pulled him out. “What have we here?”

“Ivan Yanosh,” he said. Ivan stood straight and tall as much as his forty inches would permit.

“What are you doing on my train?” the Conductor barked.

“I go west . . . find farm . . . bring family,” said Ivan.

“What?” said the Conductor? He saw the envelope around the boy’s neck. He took it and read the page of instructions. “Well, I’ll be . . . if that don’t beat all.”

Just then the mail clerk came into the mail car. His heart leaped into his throat as he saw the two together.

“Charlie,” the conductor yelled “are you nuts? If the rail road ever finds out about this they’ll fire you, maybe the whole crew? Oh Lord, (gulp) me too? They might even burn the train.”

“Bill,” pleaded Charlie “I got a wife and a family.”

“Hell man, so do I,” yelled Bill the conductor “So do I,” He said lowly as he sat down on a stool next to the table.

“Bill, what are you going to do?” asked Charlie real nervous.

“What the hell can I do?” Bill said loudly. “If I turn you in (sigh) I’ll get canned. If I don’t turn you in and the railroad still finds out, (choke) I’ll get canned.”

The two men thought about it for a few minutes. The train began to slow down, and then the engineer gave out with the whistle again “Oh! My God,” shouted Bill “We’re coming into Lodge Pole. Quick! Hide the boy.”

Charlie pushed Ivan toward the large crate.

“No! Not in there, I need that space for the shipment at the depot,” yelled Bill. “I got to get forward.”

Charlie took Ivan by the hand and led him to the caboose.

“Is that your new hired help?” asked Cookie jokingly.

“Oh! I forgot about you,” cried Charlie. “Look Cookie, hide this boy and I’ll explain all about it later.” He left Cookie with a bewildered look on his face and ran back to the mail car.

“What’s your name lad?” asked Cookie.

“Ivan, not lad,” replied Ivan.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” said Cookie holding out his hand.

“Pleased too,” replied Ivan. The pair shook hands.

“You hungry?” asked Cookie “I have plenty left over.”

“I big hungry,” said Ivan.

When the train stopped at the Lodge Pole station, Charlie handed the mail bag to the station man and received the next bag of mail. A couple of men went aboard the mail car and removed the large crate Ivan used to hide inside. They then placed a very large crate in its place. Charlie closed the door and the train was once more on its way west. As soon as the mail was sorted and the next bag ready, Charlie went to the caboose.

Ivan was setting in the ‘observation tower.’ He was watching the country roll by as the train sped once more toward the west and a new life for the Yanosh family.

“Cookie,” explained Charlie loudly “you’ve got to keep your mouth shut about the boy. If the head office ever finds out about this (sigh) we’ll get fired.”

“What?” Cookie shouted. “What have you brought down on me now?” Charlie explained the story to Cookie. “Well, if that don’t ring the bell,” exclaimed Cookie. “I thought he was some prince, or other, and we were sworn to protect him.”

“Just keep thinking that,” said Charlie.

Just then the conductor came into the Caboose. “Where’s the boy?” asked the Conductor. The two men pointed to the observation tower. “What? Are you two insane? Somebody along the tracks will see him, get him down now,” screamed Bill. However, Ivan was stretched out on the seat, asleep, so they left him there. “Cookie you keep an eye on the boy,” instructed Bill “Charlie, it’s business as usual, so get to the mail.”

“What are you going to do?” asked Cookie.

“Have a nervous breakdown,” said Bill. “We’ve got to get rid of that boy just as soon as we can.”

“You mean . . . throw him off the train?” asked Cookie in horror.

“No! You idiot,” barked Bill “I mean to pass him along to the next fool who agreed to take part in this hair brained stunt. That will be at the end of our run. Until then . . . keep him out of sight.”

It was dark when the train came to a stop in a town. A few minutes later, Bill the conductor came to the caboose with another key man.

“Here’s the boy, you damned fool,” said Bill to the key man.

“Haven’t you ever wanted to do something exciting?” asked the key man.

“Hell no,” said Bill annoyed and looking all around to see if some one was watching.

Before Ivan was led from the train, He turned to the conductor and held out his little hand.

“Pleased meeting you,” Ivan said “Thank you, sir.”

Bill felt a lump come up in his throat. He leaned over and took the frail hand and gently shook it.

“It has been a pleasure (sniff) and you, sir are most welcome,” said the conductor. “May God bless and keep you safe.”

Ivan then shook the hands of the other two. Each one of them felt sad for the boy. They watched as Ivan faded from view into the darkness of the night with the key man.

“Let’s get to the hotel,” Bill said. “But first, I need a drink, and bad.”

“Bill, you don’t drink,” snapped Charlie.

“Working with you damn fools has driven me to it,” he said.