en, the laughing and joyous lad of yesterday, was nursing a
blistered hand and arm and stalking about the car in stocking feet and a
pair of trousers two sizes too big for him. Murray, now that the
corporal was no longer able to retain active command, had resumed his
truculent and swaggering manner. Almost the first thing he did was to
demand more money of Foster, and call him a liar when told that every
dollar was burned. Then he sought to pick a fight with Hunt, who had, as
he expressed it, "roped him like a steer," but the carload by this time
had had too much of his bluster and made common cause against him.

Two brawny lads gave him fair warning that if he laid a finger on Hunt
they would "lay him out." Then he insisted on seeing the corporal and
complaining of ill-treatment. And with such diversion the long day wore
on.

Stuyvesant, refreshed by several hours of sleep, yet looking somewhat
singed and blistered, went through the car to see the sufferers along
towards eleven o'clock. He had inquired of the porter for Miss Ray, who
was not visible when he had finished his toilet, and was told that she
had remained up until after the doctor came aboard, and was now
sleeping. Finding three of the men stretched in the berths with comrades
fanning them, he ordered cooling drinks compounded by the steward, and
later, as they began the climb of the Sierras and the men grew hungry,
he sought to get a substantial luncheon for them on the diner, but was
told their supply on hand was barely sufficient for the regular
passengers.

So when the train stopped at Truckee he tumbled off with three of the
party, bought up a quantity of bread and cheese, soda crackers and
fruit, and after consultation with the conductor wired ahead to
Sacramento for a hot dinner for eighteen men to be ready at the
restaurant in the station, it being now certain that they could not
reach San Francisco before midnight. "The company ought to do that,"
said the trainmen, and "the company" had authorized the light breakfast
tendered earlier in the day. In view of the fact that every item of
personal property in possession of the recruits had been destroyed,
together with every crumb of their rations, nobody questioned that the
company would only be too glad to do that much for the men so nearly
burned alive in their travelling holocaust.

Not a doubt was entertained among either passengers or trainmen as to
the origin of the fire. It had started undern