Waldo Emerson and Ross Fishbaugh made several attempts to rid themselves of the shabby-looking Kansas Charley while they were in Sidney, Nebraska. When all else failed they told Charley to wait for them on a certain street corner. And, of course, Emerson and Fishbaugh never showed up to meet him later.
Charley Gets Dumped Temporarily
While Kansas Charley waited for his friends, getting hungrier by the moment, Emerson and Fishbaugh were each wolfing down a full meal at a local lunch counter. After the two had had their fill they stopped and played pool a while, then visited a local saloon.
Evidently Charley had had enough of street corner standing and went wandering himself. It was in the saloon that he caught up with Emerson and Fishbaugh. At least there Fishbaugh bought Charley a drink, even if he did make a grand show of doing so as he pulled out a ten-dollar bill to pay for the drink. To top off the show of wealth he even bragged that it was the second one he had busted that day. After consuming several more beers, Waldo and Ross bought a bottle of whiskey to take with them when they hopped their next train west. The two young men also bought some bullets for Ross' gun, as Charley later noted.
Hunger and a Friendly Gesture
While Charlie's two friends continued to eat and drink the afternoon away he followed the smell of fresh baked bread. It was a smell that led him to the back door of Hugh McFadden's bakery. After doing some chores for McFadden Charley was rewarded with some bread, a piece of cheese, and two pieces of pie.
Charley ate the bread and cheese but when he caught up again with Emerson and Fishbaugh he made the friendly gesture of giving them the two pieces of pie.
That night, about nine-thirty, another train pulled out of Sidney, Nebraska. It was headed for Cheyenne, Wyoming. Hidden aboard it were Kansas Charley and his two new acquaintances.
Kansas Charley Gets a Dirty Deal: Riding the Rails Again For Cheyenne , continues with Kansas Charley Alone and Starving: Whiskey and Hunger: A Deadly Mix.
Previous: Kansas Charley Reaches Nebraska: A Hobo Camp and a Day at the Fair.
