The little girls huddled together, shivering from cold and possibly from fear. Both of them had deep brown skin and glossy black hair. The smaller girl hid her eyes with her hands, and Ewan smiled. Did she think it would make her invisible?

—Byways #2, Aboard the Train: A Ewan Johns Adventure

Ewan Johns is the eldest son of Liberty’s Postmaster and a reliable young man … but far from outgoing. As his train winds its way into the northern mountains, he has trouble striking up conversations with fellow passengers. Normally he wouldn’t even bother, but Ewan needs to team up with two more people. And quickly.

In Book #2, Aboard the Train, Ewan stumbles across a pair of young stowaways who force him to change his plans. Sure, he has a race to win, but he’s equally certain Father wouldn’t want him to abandon two helpless children. Ewan decides it’s more important to reunite Tamaqua and Juniata with their family. Assuming he can find them.

Tamaqua’s and Juniata’s names are taken from places in Pennsylvania, which was the second state to be ratified. (Find out more about this game within the series ➽ Byways: State by State.) Aboard the Train is filled with cities, towns, counties, and landmarks from all over the state. For instance, Tamaqua is a Pennsylvania town, and Juniata is both a river and a county. Here’s how I pronounced them:

Tamaqua • tuh-MAW-qwah
Juniata • JOO-nee-AH-tuh

Last Time: Jovan Johns
Next Time: Zane’s Team