"Say, that was a close call for us," remarked Andy, when the excitement had somewhat calmed down.
"I should say yes," agreed his brother.
"And on our first day out," added Billy. "I'm afraid you fellows will think I got you in bad, having a railroad smash to start off with."
"That part's all right," said Andy. "We like the excitement, but——"
"Well, if he hasn't nerve!" exclaimed Frank. "Is that all the sympathy you have for the ones who were hurt?"
"Of course not!" snapped Andy. "I'm as sorry as you are that any one was injured, but as long as we're in for excitement we might as well have a railroad wreck as anything else."
"You're the limit," said Frank. "Well, now that the boiler has gone up, and there's no danger from that, let's finish looking at what we started to see when the steam went off."
But it was not easy to approach very close, as the splintered box cars, into which the locomotive had plowed, were now blazing fiercely. There was no means of extinguishing the fire, and it simply had to be allowed to burn itself out. The wounded had been carried to places of safety, and were now resting on the car seats. The man who had followed our heroes was the worst hurt of any, and the doctor did not have much hope for him.
The trainmen were getting out the baggage of the passengers, and helping the express and mail clerks to save the contents of their cars before the fire should spread to them.
In a great measure, however, the excitement caused by the wreck had calmed down, when it was found there was no loss of life.