"The train!" cried Isabel. "Oh, the train! Cora, the train is
coming!"

"I hear it," spoke Cora calmly, but she pressed her foot down harder
on the brake pedal, and tried to use the compression of the
cylinders as a retarding force, as Paul had showed her.

"Can't you slow up?" pleaded Elizabeth. There was a note of alarm
in her voice.

"I'm--I'm trying to!" almost shouted Cora, as she exerted more
strength on the brake lever. "I've done all I know, now, but but we
don't seem to be stopping!"

She spoke the last words in a curiously quiet voice.

"Put on the brakes!" called Bess.

"They are on!" said Cora fiercely.

"Oh, Cora!" screamed Isabel. "I see the train! There at the foot
of the hill! We'll run into it! I'm going to jump! We can't stop!"

"Sit still!" commanded Cora energetically.

Elizabeth covered her face with her hands. She shrank back into her
seat. Her sister leaned up against her. Below could be heard the
puffing of the train. Then the engineer, seeing the auto rushing
down to destruction, blew shrieking whistles, as if that could help.