At last Jack was less than a hundred yards from the track. The train had been coming slowly, but now, as the wreck was left behind, the engineer increased the speed. Then Jack bounded on the track, took off his coat and waved it wildly.
On and on came the train. Would it stop? Jack was almost afraid his signal would not be heeded, for the great locomotive glided past him, thundering loudly. Then the brakes were applied, and with a jerk the long train slowed up.
“Hurrah! She’s stopped!” came from Fred, and in a few seconds more the three Rover boys came up alongside of the young major.
As soon as the train halted the conductor had a porter open one of the vestibule doors so that he might ascertain the cause of the new delay. The train official saw the boys and could not help but grin as they came up to him all out of breath.
“Almost got left, eh?” he said genially. “Well, it might have served you right. You had no business to leave the train.”
“Are you all there?” came a voice from over the conductor’s shoulder, and Tom Rover appeared, his face full of anxiety. “I’ve been looking all over for you. I thought you might be on some other part of the train.”
“We’re all here safe and sound, Dad,” answered Randy. “But we’ve had one experience, believe me!”
“What kind of an experience?” questioned the conductor. And then he added quickly: “Any more to come aboard?”
“No.”
“All right then, we’ll go ahead,” and the vestibule door was closed again and the long train proceeded on its way.