"I don't see how it can be avoided," replied Jack. "This track has to
come to an end somewhere. When it does, look out, that's all!"

On and on rushed the train! It's speed was now fearful, for the down
grade had increased. It was of no avail to twist the brakes, for no
strength would avail to slacken the awful speed. The boys, in common
with the brakemen, could only cling and wait in terror for what was to
come.

The cars swayed as they went around a curve. Jack lifted his head and
peered forward.

"Hold fast!" he shouted. "We're going to strike something in a minute!"

He had looked up in time to see that the track siding came to an abrupt
end about a quarter of a mile further on, the rails stopping in a sand
bank.

Hardly had the boys time to take a tighter grip with their fingers on
the boards to which they were clinging, when the whole string of freight
cars seemed to crumple up like a collection of paper vehicles.

There was a grinding, sickening crash, a succession of heavy jolts, a
piling up of one car on top of another, a splintering of wood, a rending
of iron and steel, and then with one terrible smash, with one final
roar, the runaway freight piled itself up in a mass of shattered cars
against the sand hill, at the base of which the rails came to an end. It
was a fearful wreck.

"Hold fast!" were the last words Jack cried to his companion. His voice