Part 13 (1/2)

”I love to see a snowdrop Ahanging on a tree, Aglistening in the suns.h.i.+ne As happy as can be.”

”Great red-headed snakes!” burst out Jack. ”Andy has turned poet!”

”Don't you think you ought to take something for it, Andy? Cough mixture, or measles eradicator, or something like that?” questioned Fred.

”I think what he needs is a good dose of codliver oil, served hot,” came from Gif.

”No codliver oil for me!” cried the fun-loving Rover. ”You deal that out to Spouter. It will help oil his tongue and make his flow of oratory better.”

”Speaking of cough mixtures, I think I'll get a bottle of some sort when we get to Timminsport if they have a drugstore,” said Jack. ”Some of us may catch cold and need it.”

With such talk going on, the journey continued. They were now running for a small station named Enwood, where they were to pick up two extra cars from a small side road coming down from the north. In this section there was a good deal of snow, and the train, consequently, had to run rather slowly.

”I think I could get out and walk almost as fast as this train is moving,” remarked Spouter presently.

”It isn't as bad as that, Spouter,” returned Jack, looking out of the window. ”We are making at least fifteen miles an hour, and you couldn't hoof it as quick as that.”

”It certainly seems awfully slow,” remarked Fred. He was beginning to grow sleepy, and now he rested his head on the back of the seat and closed his eyes.

”Perhaps we won't be able to get through to Timminsport,” came from Randy. ”That would be a fine state of affairs, eh?”

”I don't see any houses along the line. We'd have one sweet job finding a place to go to if the train became s...o...b..und,” said Andy.

”They generally manage to keep this road open, no matter how bad the storms are,” declared Gif. ”You see, the hunters are coming and going all the time, as well as the lumbermen and the folks that live in and around Timminsport and Enwood. They don't like to be cut off from the rest of the world, even for a day or two.”

”I hope we don't have to wait for that other train when we get to Enwood,” said Spouter. ”That may be awfully late, you know.”

”I asked the conductor awhile ago, and he said they hoped it would be on time. It comes down hill most of the way, and that is in its favor. If they had to pull uphill much, they might get stuck.”

Presently they pa.s.sed a small lumber camp, and one of the other pa.s.sengers told the boys they were now within half a mile of Enwood.

”And that is only twelve miles from Timminsport,” said Gif. ”We ought to be there in about half an hour or so.”

They had struck a portion of the track which was comparatively free of snow, and the engineer of the train was now trying to make up some of the lost time. The boys were congratulating themselves on this when they suddenly heard a shriek of the locomotive whistle, followed instantly by the sudden application of the steam brakes. The train shuddered and shook, and two seconds later there came a crash from the front, and then the train came to a sudden stop.

The Rover boys and their chums had leaped to their feet at the first shock. The second threw Spouter headlong, and Randy went down almost on top of him. Fred was awakened from his brief nap by having his forehead b.u.mped upon the seat ahead of him.

”What's the matter?”

”What did we strike?”

”Are we going to upset?”

”Let me get out of here! I don't want to be smashed up!”

Such were some of the cries which rent the air while the train was still in motion and after it came to a standstill. Every pa.s.senger had been shaken up, and not a few were knocked down. Fortunately, however, no one in that particular car seemed to be much hurt, although several were bruised and every one was more or less nervous.

”Are you hurt, Fred?” questioned Jack quickly, as he saw his young cousin feeling of his forehead.