"I will give you a letter to Mr. Greene, our agent in Cleveland," said Mr. Pusher, "and you can consult him as to your best field of operations."

 

The letter was hastily written and handed to Walter.

 

"Good-by, Mr. Pusher," he said, preparing to leave the office.

 

"Good-by, my young friend. I shall hope to hear good accounts from you."

 

[Pg 217]

 

So Walter went downstairs, and emerged into the street. He had no particular motive² for remaining in New York, and felt eager to commence work. So he went at once to the Erie railway depot³, and bought a through ticket to Cleveland, via Buffalo⁴ and Niagara Falls. Though he had not much money to spare, he determined⁵ not to neglect the opportunity he would have of seeing this great natural wonder, but to stop over a day in order to visit the falls.

 

He selected a comfortable seat by a window, and waited till the train was ready to start. He realized that he had engaged in rather a large enterprise for a boy of fifteen, who had hitherto had all his wants supplied by others. He was about to go a thousand miles from home, to earn his own living,—in other words, to paddle his own canoe. But he did not feel in the least dismayed. He was ambitious and enterprising, and confident that he could earn his living as well as other boys of his age. He had never been far from home, but felt that he should enjoy visiting new and unfamiliar⁶ scenes. So he felt decidedly cheerful and hopeful[Pg 218] as the cars whirled him out of the depot, and he commenced his Western journey.

 

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