The engineer and firemen had jumped when they saw the crash coming, the engineer having put on the emergency air brakes, however, which locked the wheels. But the train had been going too fast to stop in time.
Billy saw Frank and Andy approaching, each of them having turned their charges over to others.
"Well, we got out of that lucky," said Frank, with a shake of his head as he looked at the burning wreck.
"I should say so," agreed Andy. "No more smash-ups for mine!"
"I wonder if everyone is out?" mused Billy. "Let's take a look."
As all about them was confusion, with half-frenzied men and women crying aloud, and with the injured ones moaning, the boys realized that no one might think of the helpless ones possibly imprisoned in the cars, that would soon be consumed by the flames.
As they approached the fire they saw a man leap from one of the forward coaches. At the sight of him, Billy exclaimed:
"There he is! I thought we'd left him behind!"
"Who?" asked Frank.
"That man—Shackmiller."