For the next few days, Jack wanders until he is weak with hunger and exhaustion. He joins a couple of men who live near the train tracks, and they take him in, naming him “Spot” because of the white patch on his tail. One man gives Jack a piece of chicken. Jack devours it and then lies down beside the men. The man’s pack smells like food, and Jack resolves to remain close by in the hopes of receiving more food.

The next day, the men steal food while Jack runs at their side. He does not really understand what is happening. The next day, they teach Jack to play dead, and while one man puts on a show of Jack’s “death,” the other man pickpockets the people who gather to watch. A few days later, it snows, and the men decide to stow away on a train to go south for winter. Jack falls asleep while waiting for the train and wakes up at the sound of the whistle. The men jump aboard the train, but when Jack tries to join them, he can’t because a thick length of rope is tied around his neck.