CHAPTER XI

PUTTING UP THE TENTS

After the first paralyzing shock of the crash the passengers seemed to come to their senses. Women who had been screaming ceased, and children stopped their frightened crying. Men began to gather themselves together, to crawl out from under seats where the sudden stop had thrown them, and prepared to leave the car.

"What's the matter, conductor?" called Bart to that official, as he was hurrying 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 one good thing."

"No, and it doesn't seem to have left the track," observed Frank. "Maybe we only hit an obstruction."

By this time the four chums were out of their car, and they were followed by a number of men passengers. From other cars a like stream was pouring.

One glance sufficed to show that whatever the wreck was, it was not a terrible one, for there were no telescoped coaches, and, in fact, none seemed to have left the rails, while as for the engine that, too, seemed to be in its usual place at the head of the coaches. The crowd was moving toward the forward end, and thither Bart and his companions went. Matters were becoming quiet, and it was evident that no one was seriously hurt.

The boys found quite a throng around the engine, and they could now see that the cab, on one side, was splintered, and that the forward end of the coach next to the engine, which was the baggage car, was also damaged.

"What's the matter? What happened?" scores of voices asked the railroad men, who, including the fireman and engineer, were examining the locomotive.

"Driving rod broke," explained the conductor. "It threshed around like a flail, and smashed the cab, on the fireman's side of the engine. Luckily he was putting on coal, or he'd been killed. Then the engineer threw on the 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?" the conductor asked the crowd.

"I guess bruises and cuts from broken windows will be about the extent of the injuries, conductor," replied a fat man. "But how long are we likely to be delayed here? I have an important engagement in Vailton to-day."

"We'll have to wait until we can telegraph for another engine," replied the railroad man. "It will take several hours, I'm afraid."

There were some expressions of dismay, but, in general, the crowd was thankful that it was no worse. The engineer and fireman were busy trying to get the bent driving rod loose from where it had jammed up somewhere in 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 out without their overcoats. The other passengers were returning to their coaches by this time, leaving the problem of moving the train with the railroad men.

The four chums had been in their seats but a short time, having found their possessions somewhat scattered, but safe, when a brakeman came hurrying in. He hastened to the glass-fronted toolbox, fastened near the ceiling in the center of the car.

"I've got to get out that sledge-hammer, axe and saw," he explained to a woman, who was sitting in the seat under the case. "May I ask you to move, madam?" She did so, and then the brakeman was in a quandary, for it was necessary to break the glass in order to get at the tools. The trainman 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," Bart produced the black, lucky stone which Jed had given him, and threw it through 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 out with 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 flag stick just as well, if he had thought of it."

While the engineer, firemen, and some of the brakemen worked over the disabled engine, another trainman walked back to the nearest telegraph office to summon a relief engine. Meanwhile the passengers waited with what patience they could.

"Well, suppose we eat now," proposed Bart.

"Good!" exclaimed Frank. "Pass out the sandwiches," which Bart proceeded to do.

In the seat across the aisle from the boys was a little girl. Hungrily she eyed the food as it came out of the baskets, and, in a voice that could 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 was in a hurry. "By Jove, I wish I'd thought to bring a snack. I will, next time I travel on this road."

"But, mamma, I'm awful hungry," insisted the child, as she gazed eagerly at the chums who were munching away in great enjoyment.

"Hush!" begged the mother, but the child repeated her request for something to eat.

"Here," spoke Bart, suddenly, and passed over a chicken sandwich to the little 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 Bart handed the woman one, which she received with thanks.

"I'll give you a dollar for two sandwiches, young man," said the fat man, 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 must be several of them, and they're all hungry. It will be some time before they can get to where there's lunch."

To the credit of the Darewell Chums be it said that they did not hesitate 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'll have to dine off chocolate caramels, I guess."

Bart's plan was soon in operation, to the delight of a number of boys and girls, no less than their distracted mothers. As for the chums, they had each eaten a sandwich before giving away their lunch, and they thought they could stand it until they got to Cannistota. They were given an informal vote of thanks by the grateful parents.

Then ensued tedious waiting until the relief engine came. There were many murmurs, and much fault-finding, but there was no help for it. The candy boy sold out his stock of sweet stuff in record time, even down to the chewing gum. At length a welcome whistle was heard, and soon the train was under way again.

"Well," remarked Ned, as he settled back in his seat, "we will enjoy our supper, anyhow."

"Yes," remarked Bart. "I don't altogether believe in Jed's good luck signs. 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 can eat whenever we feel like it."

The chums were late in arriving in Cannistota, and they went at once to a hotel. They had arranged to do this anyhow, as they knew there would not be time to put up tents the same day that they started off on their camping trip. After a substantial meal, to make up for their light dinner, they inquired at the express office, and learned that their camp stuff had arrived safely. They arranged for a teamster to take it to the woods where they had decided to pitch their tents, and early the next morning they were under way.

"It's a dandy day," observed Fenn, as he looked at the cloudless sky overhead, and saw the piles of snow on every side.

"A little too warm," was Bart's opinion. "Still, it may not be thawing so much in the woods. I'm anxious to get a shot at something. We can't hunt deer, you know, when there's tracking snow, but I hear there are bears where we are going."

"A feller I know killed a big one last week, not a great ways from where you're going," observed the teamster.

"That's the stuff!" cried Bart, as he looked to make sure he had his favorite rifle.

In due time the camping site was reached, the teamster helped them unload, and then drove back, leaving the four chums alone in quite a lonely stretch of wilderness. But they were used to depending on themselves, they knew they had plenty of food, and they hoped to procure more with their guns.

"First thing on the programme is to make the camp-fire, and then set up the tents," declared Bart, who constituted himself a sort of leader.

Previous experience stood the boys in good stead, and in a short time a roaring fire was blazing, and a kettle of soup in the making was suspended over it. Then the canvas shelters were put up.

It was not easy work, and the boys labored hard, but at last the white tent stood among the trees, making a picturesque spot in the wilderness. Then the cooking shelter was put up, and the stove set, after which Fenn, who constituted himself cook on this occasion, served dinner.

The rest of the day was spent in cutting firewood, seeing to the fastenings of the tents, putting up cots, arranging their baggage and food supplies, and in putting together their shot guns and rifles, for each 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 stumbled over something, and nearly fell.

"What's that, a tree root?" asked Bart. "If it is, chop it out, or we'll all be doing the same thing."

"It wasn't a tree root," observed Fenn, as he turned to examine the object. "By cracky, boys!" he exclaimed. "Look here! It's a whopping big mud turtle!"