I recalled the words of the engine coupler at Mobile. When I parted with him, his last remark was, "Look out for the Hoodlums." They are a set of young city bloods and toughs of the worst stripe, banded together to rob, murder and steal. I met a well dressed young man in a large park there one night, who told me confidentially that he was a "Hoodlum"; said he thought he and I would make good friends, and that he might be able to get me in as a member, but I declined the invitation with thanks. Yes, New Orleans is a great place in many ways. On the day I left, while standing on the street corner taking a last view of the place, a man bearing a large basket, carefully covered over, approached me and said: "Crawfish? Crawfish?" "What about crawfish?" I asked. He looked at me in surprise. "Good to eat," he said; "only five cents a pint." I told him they were used down home for fish bait, whereupon he got mad and went strutting up the street. I had caught a glimpse of the crawfish, though. There was no mistaking it; they were real crawfish all right, and were what we term "little teenie" ones. The man said they had been cooked very carefully and were well done. Of course the head is thrown away, and it is only the tail part that is eaten. CHAPTER V. _A Hungry Ride of 308 Miles--"Hello, Hello in the Pipe There!"--To Work Again--Nabbed by a Cop._ Late one afternoon I crossed the river on a freight ferry to the Texas Pacific railroad yards. That night I beat a freight train 208 miles to Boyce, La., reaching Boyce about 11 o'clock next morning. Another freight on the same day bore me to Marshall, Tex., 100 miles from Boyce. All day long I had had nothing to eat and it was 9 o'clock at night when we reached the city of Marshall. I had just one hour to get something to eat and get back to the depot, for the Dallas freight would pull out at 10 p. m. I went four or five blocks up a side street and knocked on a cottage door. The occupants had retired, but a second knock brought the madam to the door. I told the lady a sad story of how hungry I was, and ended up by asking for a pan of water to wash my face and hands, if it would not cause her too much trouble. She called to her husband, who came hurrying into the hall in his stocking feet. After I had told my story again a pan of water was brought into the hall and I was invited in. They told me, while I was washing, they had nothing in the house to eat. I took out my note book. "If you will loan me five cents," I said, "I'll take your address and return it. I'm very hungry, sir, and will appreciate it more than I can tell you." The man loaned me a dime, but would furnish no address; and hastily thanking them, I hurried out the gate and started on a run for the railroad restaurant. A big, fat fellow runs the railroad restaurant at Marshall--a Dutchman or Irishman, I couldn't decide which, but he is as good natured as he is large.