"It's a mercy we weren't all of us tossed out of the windows when
the train stopped so suddenly, the way it did," said a little old
woman.

"It's a mercy, too," smiled another woman who had previously made
friends with Jan and Teddy, "that the Curlytops did not come hurtling
down out of those upper berths."

Mr. Martin, after making sure his family was all right, partly
dressed and went out with some of the other men. The train had come
to a standstill, and Jan and Ted, looking out of the windows of their
berths, could see men moving about in the darkness outside with
flaring torches.

"Maybe it's robbers," said Teddy in a whisper.

"Robbers don't stop trains," objected Janet

"Yes they do!" declared her brother positively, "Train robbers do.
Don't they, Mother?"

"Oh, don't talk about such things now, Teddy boy. Be thankful you
are all right and hope that no one is hurt in the collision."

"That's what I say!" exclaimed the fat man. "So it's a collision, is
it? I dreamed we were in a storm and that I was blown out of bed."

"Well, you fell out, which is much the same thing," said the thin
man. "Our car doesn't seem to be hurt, anyhow."