CHAPTER XI
PUTTING UP THE TENTS
After the first paralyzing shock of the crash the passengers seemed tocome to their senses. Women who had been screaming ceased, and childrenstopped their frightened crying. Men began to gather themselvestogether, to crawl out from under seats where the sudden stop had thrownthem, and prepared to leave the car.
"What's the matter, conductor?" called Bart to that official, as he washurrying out of the car.
"Don't know--yet," was the answer flung back over his shoulder.
"We'll go see," spoke Ned. "Anyhow, our car's not smashed; that's onegood thing."
"No, and it doesn't seem to have left the track," observed Frank. "Maybewe only hit an obstruction."
By this time the four chums were out of their car, and they werefollowed by a number of men passengers. From other cars a like streamwas pouring.
One glance sufficed to show that whatever the wreck was, it was not aterrible one, for there were no telescoped coaches, and, in fact, noneseemed to have left the rails, while as for the engine that, too, seemedto be in its usual place at the head of the coaches. The crowd wasmoving toward the forward end, and thither Bart and his companions went.Matters were becoming quiet, and it was evident that no one wasseriously hurt.
The boys found quite a throng around the engine, and they could now seethat the cab, on one side, was splintered, and that the forward end ofthe coach next to the engine, which was the baggage car, was alsodamaged.
"What's the matter? What happened?" scores of voices asked the railroadmen, who, including the fireman and engineer, were examining thelocomotive.
"Driving rod broke," explained the conductor. "It threshed around like aflail, and smashed the cab, on the fireman's side of the engine. Luckilyhe was putting on coal, or he'd been killed. Then the engineer threw onthe emergency brake, and the front end of the baggage car crumpled up.Luckily it's no worse. Has any one heard of any persons being hurt?" theconductor asked the crowd.
"I guess bruises and cuts from broken windows will be about the extentof the injuries, conductor," replied a fat man. "But how long are welikely to be delayed here? I have an important engagement in Vailtonto-day."
"We'll have to wait until we can telegraph for another engine," repliedthe railroad man. "It will take several hours, I'm afraid."
There were some expressions of dismay, but, in general, the crowd wasthankful that it was no worse. The engineer and fireman were busy tryingto get the bent driving rod loose from where it had jammed up somewherein the interior of the locomotive.
"Let's go back in our car, and look after our things," proposed Bart."We can't do any good here, and it's cold," for they had rushed outwithout their overcoats. The other passengers were returning to theircoaches by this time, leaving the problem of moving the train with therailroad men.
The four chums had been in their seats but a short time, having foundtheir possessions somewhat scattered, but safe, when a brakeman camehurrying in. He hastened to the glass-fronted toolbox, fastened near theceiling in the center of the car.
"I've got to get out that sledge-hammer, axe and saw," he explained to awoman, who was sitting in the seat under the case. "May I ask you tomove, madam?" She did so, and then the brakeman was in a quandary, forit was necessary to break the glass in order to get at the tools. Thetrainman looked about helplessly, for he had not been on the road long.Bart saw his difficulty.
"Here, I'll break the glass," volunteered the lad. "Stand back," Bartproduced the black, lucky stone which Jed had given him, and threw itthrough the glass front.
There was a crashing, splintering sound, and the glass was in fragments.The brakeman could get at the tools, which he quickly did, hurrying outwith them.
"Well, that lucky stone came in handy, after all," remarked Ned.
"It sure did," agreed Bart, "though he could have used the end of a flagstick just as well, if he had thought of it."
While the engineer, firemen, and some of the brakemen worked over thedisabled engine, another trainman walked back to the nearest telegraphoffice to summon a relief engine. Meanwhile the passengers waited withwhat patience they could.
"Well, suppose we eat now," proposed Bart.
"Good!" exclaimed Frank. "Pass out the sandwiches," which Bart proceededto do.
In the seat across the aisle from the boys was a little girl. Hungrilyshe eyed the food as it came out of the baskets, and, in a voice thatcould be heard from one end of the car to the other, she piped out:
"Mamma, I'm hungry. Why didn't we bring some lunch?"
"Hush, dear," said the child's mother. "We will soon be at our station,and we can get something to eat."
"Not very likely to be there soon, ma'am," observed the fat man, who wasin a hurry. "By Jove, I wish I'd thought to bring a snack. I will, nexttime I travel on this road."
"But, mamma, I'm awful hungry," insisted the child, as she gazed eagerlyat the chums who were munching away in great enjoyment.
"Hush!" begged the mother, but the child repeated her request forsomething to eat.
"Here," spoke Bart, suddenly, and passed over a chicken sandwich to thelittle girl. "Will you let her take it?" he asked the mother.
"Certainly, but I'm afraid it will be robbing you."
"Not at all, we have plenty. Perhaps you'd like one too?" and Barthanded the woman one, which she received with thanks.
"I'll give you a dollar for two sandwiches, young man," said the fatman, eagerly.
Bart hesitated. At the same time several other children in the car,seeing the girl eating, began to demand food.
"I say, fellows," said Bart, quickly. "I'll tell you what's let's do!We'll distribute our lunch among the youngsters on the train. There mustbe several of them, and they're all hungry. It will be some time beforethey can get to where there's lunch."
To the credit of the Darewell Chums be it said that they did nothesitate a moment.
"Go ahead," exclaimed Ned, and the others nodded assent.
"I wish you'd accept my offer before you came to that conclusion,"sighed the fat man. "But go ahead. The kids will be glad to get it. I'llhave to dine off chocolate caramels, I guess."
Bart's plan was soon in operation, to the delight of a number of boysand girls, no less than their distracted mothers. As for the chums, theyhad each eaten a sandwich before giving away their lunch, and theythought they could stand it until they got to Cannistota. They weregiven an informal vote of thanks by the grateful parents.
Then ensued tedious waiting until the relief engine came. There weremany murmurs, and much fault-finding, but there was no help for it. Thecandy boy sold out his stock of sweet stuff in record time, even downto the chewing gum. At length a welcome whistle was heard, and soon thetrain was under way again.
"Well," remarked Ned, as he settled back in his seat, "we will enjoy oursupper, anyhow."
"Yes," remarked Bart. "I don't altogether believe in Jed's good lucksigns. I'd just as soon he would have omitted some of 'em."
"Oh, well, we'll be in camp to-morrow," announced Frank. "Then we caneat whenever we feel like it."
The chums were late in arriving in Cannistota, and they went at once toa hotel. They had arranged to do this anyhow, as they knew there wouldnot be time to put up tents the same day that they started off on theircamping trip. After a substantial meal, to make up for their lightdinner, they inquired at the express office, and learned that their campstuff had arrived safely. They arranged for a teamster to take it to thewoods where they had decided to pitch their tents, and early the nextmorning they were under way.
"It's a dandy day," observed Fenn, as he looked at the cloudless skyoverhead, and saw the piles of snow on every side.
"A little too warm," was Bart's opinion. "Still, it may not be thawingso much in the woods. I'm anxious to get a shot at something. We can'thunt deer, you know, when there's tracking snow, but I hear there arebears where we are going."
"A feller I know killed a big one last week, not a
great ways from whereyou're going," observed the teamster.
"That's the stuff!" cried Bart, as he looked to make sure he had hisfavorite rifle.
In due time the camping site was reached, the teamster helped themunload, and then drove back, leaving the four chums alone in quite alonely stretch of wilderness. But they were used to depending onthemselves, they knew they had plenty of food, and they hoped to procuremore with their guns.
"First thing on the programme is to make the camp-fire, and then set upthe tents," declared Bart, who constituted himself a sort of leader.
Previous experience stood the boys in good stead, and in a short time aroaring fire was blazing, and a kettle of soup in the making wassuspended over it. Then the canvas shelters were put up.
It was not easy work, and the boys labored hard, but at last the whitetent stood among the trees, making a picturesque spot in the wilderness.Then the cooking shelter was put up, and the stove set, after whichFenn, who constituted himself cook on this occasion, served dinner.
The rest of the day was spent in cutting firewood, seeing to thefastenings of the tents, putting up cots, arranging their baggage andfood supplies, and in putting together their shot guns and rifles, foreach lad had two weapons.
By this time it was nearly night-fall, and some lanterns were lighted,and hung within and without the tent, giving the place a cheerful look.
As Fenn was walking about, getting ready for a late supper, he stumbledover something, and nearly fell.
"What's that, a tree root?" asked Bart. "If it is, chop it out, or we'llall be doing the same thing."
"It wasn't a tree root," observed Fenn, as he turned to examine theobject. "By cracky, boys!" he exclaimed. "Look here! It's a whopping bigmud turtle!"
Bart Keene's Hunting Days; or, The Darewell Chums in a Winter Camp Page 11