ow things were returned
to the coach to help other passengers. Underneath me seemed to be a
dying man. He was in a dreadful condition and at his last gasp, etc.,
and he made more row than the rest put together. Reaching down and
removing mattresses, he grasped my hand, jumped up and thanked me
profusely for _saving_ his life. He was not hurt a bit, indeed was the
only man in the lot who escaped serious injury. The men behaved much
worse than the women. However we soon had everybody out and the injured
laid on blankets. Meantime a relief train had arrived with the doctor,
etc. He examined us all, asked me if I was all right, to which I replied
that I was, as I really felt so at the time. But in half an hour I was
myself lying on a stretcher and unable to move, with a sprained back and
bruised side, etc., and a claim for damages against the railway company.

Another time, when riding in the caboose (the rear car) of a long
freight train, with the conductor and brakeman, the train in going down
a grade broke in three. The engine and a few cars went right on and left
us; the centre part rushed down the hill, our section followed and
crashed into it, and some seven or eight cars were completely
telescoped. I had been seated beside the stove, my arm stretched round
it, when, noticing our great speed, I drew the conductor's attention to
it. He opened the side door to look out. Just then the shock came and he
got a frightful lick on the side of the head, and myself was thrown on
top of the hot stove; but none of us were seriously hurt.

Again, once when making a trip to Kansas City and back, the whole
Pullman train went off the track and down the embankment; and on the
return journey we ran into an open switch and were derailed and one man
killed. Both might have been very serious affairs.

With the closing out of the Mortgage Company's interests of course my
salaried employment came to an end. But before closing this chapter it
should be mentioned that I had in the meantime suffered a nasty accident
by a pony falling back on me and fracturing one leg. It occurred at the
round-up, and I was driven some thirty miles, the leg not even splinted
or put in a box, to my ranch. I sent off a mounted man to Las Vegas, 130
miles, for a surgeon, but it was a week before he got down to me and the
leg was then in a pretty bad shape. He hinted at removing it, but
finally decided to set it and put it in plaster, which he did. He then
left m