Page:Harry Castlemon - The Steel Horse.djvu/49

 distinguishing trait, so to speak. At any rate the interest that Joe and his chums seemed to take in the well-filled windows attracted the attention of a spruce young fellow, who after following them for an entire block, and looking up and down the street as if to make sure that his movements were unobserved, stepped up to the nearest of the boys and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Beg pardon," said he, smilingly, as Arthur Hastings turned and faced him. "You young gentlemen are wheelmen, I take it."

Arthur replied that the stranger had hit center the very first time trying.

"Members of the L. A. W.?"

"No, but we hope to be next year. You see we are not quite eighteen yet. Do you ride?"

"Certainly. Owned a bike ever since I was knee-high to a duck. Wouldn't know how to exist without it. Going anywhere? If you are, perhaps some of us can be of assistance to you."

"You're very kind, and I'm sure we are obliged to you," said Arthur. "We've