The fact caused him to take further notice of the man, about whom he felt there rested quite a little air of mystery.
As they walked along the road headed for town, Thad's curiosity got the better of his dislike and suspicion.
"In all this twenty years of knocking about, ail over the world, as you claim, I suppose now there have been times when you've struck pay dirt--what I mean is that I sort of think you haven't always been what you are now, just a tramp?
How about that, Wandering Lu ?" "What, me ?" chuckled the other.

"Say, I've dug gold in Alaska, hunted pearls down near Ceylon, been at work in the diamond fields out in South Africa, and in lots of other places in the world took my turn at playing for high stakes with old Dame Fortune.

Why, younkers, I've had fortunes several times, and let the same slip out of my hands.

Some time, mebbe, if so be, I conclude to stay around this section of country, which pleases me a heap as far as I've seen the same, why I'd like to spin you a yarn or two that'd make your eyes look as big as them there individual butter plates they use in restaurants.

I've run up against heaps and heaps of queer adventures.