Chapter 8

The next day, Judy took Ivan out on the observation platform at the rear of the coach. The general was sound asleep in bed and all the officers were forward doing whatever they needed to do. The train began crossing the Mississippi River.

“What do you think of that?” asked Judy.

“Big River . . . Misipy” said the lad.

“Big river in deed. Oh, Look, river boats,” she said pointing at an old paddle wheeler going up the river.

His eyes were wide with excitement.

“Oklahoma,” he said pointing ahead of the train.

“No! It’s Missouri, and then it will be Oklahoma,” she said.

“Good land, my new home,” said the lad.

“Yes, it’ll be your new home. I hope you will be very happy there and your family too,” she said joyfully.

“What’s this?” asked the Captain standing in the coach door behind them.

“Oh! Dear,” she gasped “Tom . . . ah . . . well . . . ah.”

“Are you two timing me?” he asked.

“Tom this is Ivan, Ivan this is Tom,” she said and the officer leaned forward and shook the boy’s extended hand.

“Good day, young sir,” said the officer to the boy and then rising to the level of his girl friend “Now what in blue blazes is going on here?”

The young woman explained the situation and her young man became hysterical with laughter.

“No! No!” he said “There is no way this lad could come all this way from New York on the trains as a stowaway. Honey, it just can not be done.”

“Click, click man help Ivan . . . send west on train,” said Ivan.

“The telegraphers did all that,” the officer said. “I still don’t believe it.”

“Just keep quiet about it until the boy is in Oklahoma,” she begged “Then he’ll be off to find his farm.”

“Oklahoma is a big state,” he pleaded “Where’s he going in Oklahoma to find a farm, to what town?”

“No town, country good farm land,” said the boy.

“When we stop at a station you go have the telegrapher send some inquires about a good place to find some farm land and then we’ll put the boy on a train to there,” the young woman suggested.

“You! We! Are you dragging me into this ‘hair brained scheme?’ Well no thanks lady,” he said sternly.

“What! Are you afraid of helping a little boy?” she yelled. “Are you a coward?”

“No! But, I could get . . .”

“You could get what?” bellowed the general standing in the doorway.

“Daddy,” gasped the woman.

“Sir,” said the officer as he snapped to attention.

“What’s all this yelling about out here?” bellowed the elder officer “and what’s this boy doing here?”

“Daddy, I can explain the whole thing,” she said.

“You damned well better,” growled the old general.

She took his arm and led him inside the coach. It took several minutes of explaining, arguing, yelling back and forth, and lots of tears, plus the making up. Then the woman came and took Ivan by the hand. She led him in front of the general now seated in his overstuffed chair.

“Daddy, this is Ivan Yanosh and he’s from Romanian, Ivan this is my father the general,” she said.

“Not much of anything is he,” said the old man.

“Daddy,” scolded the woman.

“How do you do sir?” asked the general as he shook the hand of the boy.

“Pleased sir,” replied the lad.

“So you say you’re going to find a farm,” said the general.

“Farm land good Oklahoma,” said Ivan.

“It just could be,” said the elder man “Captain!”

“Sir,” snapped the officer.

“Do you believe the boy’s story?” asked the general.

“No! Sir, I do not, sir,” he answered loudly.

“Why the hell don’t you?” barked the elder officer.

“It’s impossible, Sir,” said the captain.

“Well, we are going to find out, aren’t we . . . private?” said the general with a big smile on his face.

“What is the general’s wish, Sir?” He swallowed hard.

“Don’t you know?” said the old man “Haven’t you got a brain? Can’t you figure it out for yourself?”

“Yes, Sir,” said the captain “When we stop at the next station, I’ll send some messages and we’ll get some answers, Sir.”

“Answers, captain,” shied the old officer “answers to what questions?”

“Sir, is the boy who he says he is?” spouted the officer very nervous “and, is his story true, sir?”

“What else? Captain” asked the general.

“Sir,” he asked very nervously.

“How about . . . where’s the best place to look for a piece of good farm land?” shouted the general. “After all, that’s what the lad’s come all this way to find. Don’t you think so, captain?”

“Sir, yes sir, right away, sir” sputtered the officer. He turned to leave.

“Captain, where are you going?” asked the general.

“To the telegraph, sir,” replied the young officer.

“Are we still on the train?” asked the General “Oh! Yes sir,” was the reply.

“You can wait ‘til we make our next stop at a station. So at ease, captain and enjoy the company of my daughter while I return to my nap,” said the man as he walked toward the bed room. “Now hold it down so I can get some rest.”

“Yes sir,” said the captain with a smile on his face.