d
been so great, that when the trainmen came in to release me, I at once
lost consciousness. When I came to, I was surrounded by a sympathetic
crowd of passengers and trainmen, and a doctor, who happened to be on
the train, was pouring something down my throat that soon made me feel
better.

As soon as I had recovered myself sufficiently, I telegraphed the
despatcher what had happened, and the chief, who in the meantime had
been sent for, told me to close up my office, and come east on the
flyer, to report for duty in the morning in his office as copy operator.

That is how I won my promotion.

CHAPTER III

IN A WRECK

The change from Alfreda to the chief despatcher's office in Nicholson
was, indeed, a pleasant one. The despatchers, especially the first trick
man, seemed somewhat dubious as to my ability to do the work, but I was
rapidly improving in telegraphy, and, in spite of my extreme youth I was
allowed to remain. But the life of a railroad man is very uncertain, and
one day we were much surprised to hear that the road had gone into the
hands of receivers. There were charges of mismanagement made against a
number of the higher officials of the road, and one of the first things
the receivers did was to have a general "house-cleaning." The general
manager, the general superintendent, and a number of the division
superintendents resigned to save dismissal, and my friend the chief
despatcher went with them. He was succeeded by Ted Donahue, the man who
had been working the first trick. Ted didn't like me worth a cent, and,
rather than give him an opportunity to dismiss me, I quit.

I was at home idle for a few weeks, and then hearing that there might be
an opening for operators on the C. Q. & R., a new road building up in
Nebraska, I once more started out. It was an all night ride to the
division headquarters, and thinking I might as well be luxurious for
once, I took a sleeper. My berth was in the front end of the last car on
the train. I retired about half past ten and soon dropped off into a
sound sleep. I had been asleep for perhaps two hours, when I was
awakened by the car giving a violent lurch, and then suddenly stopping.
I was stunned and dazed for a moment, but I soon heard the cracking and
breaking of timbers, and the hissing of steam painfully near to my
section. I tried to move and rise up, but found that the confines of my
narrow quarters would not permit it. I then realized that we were
wr