d. "The rails may hold--like a bridge. We're not heavy. And we
may as well take one more chance."

Alex debated. "All right! Come on! And jump quick when I say! I think I
can tell when we are near it."

Once more the car was flying onward through the haze.

"Here we come! _Now!_"

With a bound Jack was back in the car. Alex made a final rush, and sprang
after. The car dipped forward and sideways, a breathless instant seemed
to hang in mid-air, then righted, and shot forward smoothly. Uttering a
hoarse shout of joy, the boys leaped out, and were again running the car
ahead, and a moment later gave vent to a second and louder cry.

In their faces blew the cooler air of a clearing.

A few yards farther they halted.

"I can't see a thing. Can't open them," declared Jack, as they stood
rubbing their eyes, and recovering their breath.

"Neither can I. Give me your hand, and we'll soon fix it. There is a path
here down to the water." Feeling with his foot, Alex found it, and
pulling Jack after, hastened down, and in another moment both were on
their stomachs on the river-bank, their faces deep in the cooling water.

Ten minutes later, greatly revived, but with faces and hands intensely
smarting from their burns, the boys replenished the cans of water--for
they still had a two miles' run through the smother of smoke--and lifted
the car onto the main-line rails.

As they did so, from far to the west came a whistle.

"A train! Can't we stop her?" suggested Jack.

"They'd never see us in the smoke."

"Then, say, let us throw the old car across the tracks, so they'll strike
it. They would probably stop to see what it was."

"It might derail her. No. I've got it. Come on, and get the car started
so she'll cross the bridge, and I'll explain."

"Now," said Jack, as they rolled out on the trestle.

"You remember the steep grade just over the bridge? Well, we'll stop
about fifty yards this side, wait till the train whistles the last
crossing, then hit it up for all we are worth, and--"

"And let the train catch us?" cried Jack. "But, gracious! won't that be
taking an awful chance?"

"No, for she won't be going very fast, on account of the curve at the
bottom, and we'll be going like a house afire," declared Alex,
confidently. "And when she bunts us, we'll jump for her cow-catcher, and
five minutes later we'll be out in the glorious fresh air again."

[Illustration: CLOSER CAME THE ROARING MONSTER.]

"Well, all ri