e who crowded the scene of the wreck.

"It was a narrow escape for us," said Endicott as the two looked down
upon the mass of broken cars about which the rapidly falling waters of
the stream gurgled and swirled. "Had we not been running an hour late
this train would in all probability, have plunged through the trestle."

"Was anybody hurt?" asked the girl. The train conductor nodded toward
the heap of debris.

"No'm, the crew jumped. The fireman an' head brakeman broke a leg
apiece, an' the rest got bunged up a little; but they wasn't no one
hurt.

"I was just tellin' these folks," he continued, "that they'll be a
train along on the other side in a couple of hours for to transfer the
passengers an' mail."

The girl turned to Endicott. "There isn't much to see here," she said.
"Let's look around. It's such a funny little town. I want to buy
something at the store. And, there's a livery stable! Maybe we can
hire horses and ride out where we can get a view of the mountains."

As the two turned toward the little cluster of frame buildings, a tall,
horse-faced man clambered onto the pilot of the passenger locomotive
and, removing his hat, proceeded to harangue the crowd. As they paused
to listen Alice stared in fascination at the enormous Adam's apple that
worked, piston-like above the neckband of the collarless shirt of vivid
checks.

"Ladies an' gents," he began, with a comprehensive wave of the
soft-brimmed hat. "Wolf River welcomes you in our town. An' while
you're amongst us we aim to show you one an' all a good time. This
here desastorious wreck may turn out to be a blessin' in disguise. As
the Good Book says, it come at a most provincial time. Wolf River,
ladies an' gents, is celebratin', this afternoon an' evenin', a event
that marks an' epykak in our historious career: The openin' of the Wolf
River Citizen's Bank, a reg'lar bonyfido bank with vaults, cashier, an'
a board of directors consistin' of her leadinist citizens, with the
Honorable Mayor Maloney president, which I introdoose myself as.

"In concludin' I repeet that this here is ondoubtfully the luckiest
wreck in the lives of any one of you, which it gives you a
unpressagented chanct to see with your own eyes a hustlin' Western town
that hain't ashamed to stand on her own legs an' lead the world along
the trail to prosperity.

"Wolf River hain't a braggin' town, ladies an' gents, but I defy any
one of you to name another town that's g