sounded faint above the din.

"Where are you, Jack?" he heard Mark shout in reply.

Then all became dark, and the boys lost their senses as they were hurled
into the splintered mass of wreckage.




CHAPTER III

A STRANGE RESCUER


"For de land sakes, Perfessor, hurry up! Heah's de stupenduousness
conglomeration dat eber transcribed dis terresterial hemisphere!"
exclaimed a stout, jolly looking colored man a few seconds after the
crash of the wreck had ceased echoing.

"What is it, Washington?" asked a mild mannered elderly gentleman, with
long flowing hair and beard, who, with the negro, had been walking in a
field close to the railroad.

"I doan perzackly know, Perfessor, but it seems like there was a
discontinuation ob de transportation facilities, when some sudden
construction on de elongated tempestuousness attached to de railroad
made de cars go bump! bump! Bang! Smack! Crash!"

"Washington! Washington! When will you stop using words that don't mean