“Yes,” chimed in Steve Lovell, “who saved the train, anyhow? Then what happened, Kid?”
“Then,” continued Kid, warming to his work, “I saw that they were going to stop and I sank exhausted at the side of the track.”
“It was lucky you had that red sweater,” said Billy Spooner. “Red’s the danger color, you know.”
“Sure I know! Don’t you think I thought of that?” demanded Kid witheringly. “And that’s funny, too, fellows. Something told me to put that sweater on when I went out. I didn’t need it, for it was real warm yesterday, but something seemed to whisper to me ‘Put on your red sweater! Put on your red sweater!’ And I did, and I was pretty glad afterwards, you can bet!”
“What happened when the train stopped?” asked Lanny.
“Why, the engineer leaned out of the engine and said ‘What’s the matter, Kid?’ and I——”
“How did he know your name?” asked Small suspiciously.
Kid shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know,” he replied, “but that’s what he said. Then I said ‘There’s been a slide in the cut and if you go on you’ll be ditched.’ Then he said ‘Good Heavens!’ just like that; ‘Good Heavens!’ And then the conductor came running up and I told him and he shook my hand and said I’d saved many lives—three hundred, I think it was——”
“The paper said only two hundred,” Small objected.
“Oh, papers never get things right,” said Ben. “Shut up, Small, and let him tell it.”