"Now, then," he mused, "I'll start in on the business that brought me here. I'll go to the nearest police station first. I don't know where it is, so to save time I'll take a cab." As he thus ruminated, he mechanically felt in his pocket. The next moment he uttered an involuntary exclamation. His money was gone, and so were his watch, and the ring that had been presented to him in Boomville. He had not, after all, escaped scot-free from the "Reverend David Ferguson." CHAPTER XXVII. AN UNLUCKY ERROR. Al's self-esteem had suffered a severe shock. He had considered himself quite competent to look out for "Number One," but this plausible swindler, the very first person he had met on the train, had easily succeeded in swindling him out of all the valuables he had about him. He had lost about a hundred and fifty dollars in cash, his watch, which was worth at least another hundred, and the valuable diamond ring that had been presented to him on the stage of the Boomville Opera House. He was alone and penniless in a great city at two o'clock in the morning, with a mission to perform that would almost necessarily involve the outlay of money. While he stood at the entrance of the Grand Central Depot the brakeman who had addressed him on the car came along. Noticing the look of dismay on the boy's face, he said: "There's nothing the matter, is there?" "I should say there was." "What is it? That bunco man didn't get the best of you, after all, did he?" "Rather." And Al proceeded to inform the man of his loss. His companion uttered a low whistle. "Well, he did soak it to you, for fair," he said. "He don't generally play that game; as a rule he works the thing in a more artistic way than that. Well, he got the money, all the same. It was a pretty good haul, too." "I don't see how he got that ring off my finger without waking me up," said Al, ruefully. "Oh, he can do more than that," grinned the brakeman. "He'd manage to rob you of your eyeteeth if he happened to take a fancy to them. He's a daisy!" "I wish you had warned me when you saw him talking to me on the train." "I couldn't very well do that; but I kept an eye on you both, and if I had seen him up to any funny business, I should have spoken. Hasn't he left you any money at all?" "Not a cent." "Well, see here, I'll let you have a few dollars if you'll promise to return 'em as soon as you get funds." "Of course I will, and I am very much obliged to you," said Al, surprised at this unexpected offer. "Here you are, then." And the man handed him a small roll of bills. "Give me your address," said Al, "and I'll return this to you within a day or two, with something to boot." "I don't want anything to boot. I'll write down my address, if you'll lend me a pencil a minute."