“Here’s work for us, fellows!” he cried.
“That’s right!” shouted a brakeman. “Get busy!”
The motor boys could see the havoc wrought by the wreck. The engine lay on its side, down a slight embankment, and one car—a combined mail and express coach—had followed. The other cars were on the track, with the exception of one, which had fallen on its side, and was partly smashed. It was from this coach that the cries were proceeding, but fortunately that was not the car that was burning. The one on fire was an express car.
“There are people imprisoned in this car!” cried the conductor of the train, who was directing operations. “Chop and saw away at the windows, so we can get ’em out! Lively now, everybody!”
“But the fire!” cried a man, pointing to the express car. “Hadn’t we better try to put that out?”
“Can’t be done,” replied the conductor briefly. “We have no water.”
“But the poor souls——” cried the man.
“None in there,” was the quick answer. “The express messenger got out, and the stuff will have to burn. All the people in danger are in this car, and we’ve got to get ’em out. There’s no danger from the fire. It will have to burn out. Lively now!”