manded the stout man, eyeing the boys
in rage.

To this there was no answer.

"I guess you threw it," went on Isaac Pludding, and caught Dave by the
arm.

"Let go of me," said Dave, eyeing the man steadily. "I did not throw it.
Let go."

Isaac Pludding wanted to argue the matter, but there was something in
Dave's manner that he did not like. He dropped his hold and drew back a
little.

"Don't you dare to shove me again--not once," continued the youth. "If
you do you'll regret it. I have stood all from you that I am going to
stand."

"Oh, you're no good," muttered the stout man, lamely, and passed on to
the end of the car.

The train was coming to a halt at a place called Raytown. They were now
but eight miles from Oakdale, and the students began to wonder if
anybody would be at that station to meet them.

"If Horsehair comes down with the carryall, he'll have all he can do to
get through the snow," said Dave.

"Perhaps he'll come down with four horses," suggested Roger.

"One thing is certain, Doctor Clay will see to it that we get to Oak
Hall somehow," said Ben.

"What a rickety old railroad this side line is!" declared Phil, as the
car gave several lurches. "It's a wonder they don't fix the track."

"Not enough traffic to make it pay, I fancy," answered Dave. "They carry
more milk and cattle than they do passengers."

It was growing dark and still snowing briskly. The car was cold, and
more than one passenger had to stamp his feet to keep them warm. On they
plunged, through the snow, until of a sudden there came a lurch and a
jerk and then a series of bumps that caused everybody to jump up in
alarm. Then the train came to a stop.

"What's the matter now?"

"I think we must be off the track."

"It's a wonder the train didn't go over."

"It couldn't go over, for we are down in a cut."

As one end of the car was up and the other down, the boys knew something
serious was the matter. Taking up their hand baggage, they followed some
of the passengers outside and jumped down in the snow.

It did not take long to learn the truth of the situation. A turnout on
the track had become clogged with ice, and the locomotive and two cars
had jumped the track and bumped along the ties for a distance of two
hundred feet. Nobody had been hurt, and even the train was not seriously
damaged, although one pair of car-trucks would have to be repaired.

"I don't believe they can get the cars and the locomotive back o