tell about poor beds, mean men, dirty food, and unprincipled
competitors all came back to me in a distorted fashion, and if I
didn't have a nightmare I must have experienced a slight touch of
delirium tremens.

"How much of a town is Albany?" I asked the conductor.

"No town at all; just a crossing."

"No hotel there?"

"Oh, yes; they call it a hotel."

This was exactly what I expected. Probably no one would be up and I
could walk around the town for the next four hours. What an idiot I
was! By thunder, I would break my leg or my arm the first thing I did
and get out of this foolish--

"Albany!"

What, so soon! Those were the two shortest hours I had ever known.

No lights anywhere; no one about; nothing but--

"Hotel, sir?"

Good; here was a ray of comfort. "Hotel? Well, I should say so. Where
is your light?"

"Here it is." And a lantern came around a corner as the train dashed