“Then I suppose we must wait here until the wrecking crew comes,” said one man.
“No,” answered the conductor, “we will go back, and get aboard the Express, just behind us. There is a switch, not far away, and we can go around the wreck, and proceed to Denver, though we’ll stop at the nearest hospital with the worst wounded.”
“On to Denver!” exclaimed Jerry. “Then we’ll beat the Limited after all. We’re going on ahead.”
“Yes, but Noddy is still in front of us,” spoke Ned in a low voice. “We’ll never catch up to him.”
“It can’t be helped,” remarked Bob. “Say, but we run into excitement and adventures when we least expect it.”
“That’s better than running into a wreck,” replied Jerry. “Hello, here’s someone evidently forgotten!”
The boys and Professor Snodgrass were walking back toward the Express, and were somewhat by themselves, when Jerry noticed the figure of a man lying on a pile of seat cushions on the railroad embankment.
“Let’s carry him back to the doctor!” cried Ned, and he advanced to take hold of one corner of the seat, which was like an improvised stretcher. The man on it never moved.
“We four can carry it nicely,” said Jerry. “Catch hold here, Professor.”
Mr. Snodgrass used one hand to reach for the corner of the plush-covered seat. His left he held clenched, some distance away from his body. As might have been expected, with only one hand, he could not lift his corner.