EVERYTHING went well until about midnight of the fourth day out, when Billy Jr. and his companion were awakened by a terrific crash, a bumpity-bump-bump, and the door of the car broke from its hinges and fell to the ground. At the same time there was a noise as if an avalanche of snow were scraping and rattling on the top of the car.
“What do you suppose has happened?” said Billy Jr.
“I think either we have run into some other train or it has run into us,” answered Star.
And the latter is what it proved to be. The freight was behind time and an excursion train had tried to make the next station before the freight started out. The consequence was that the excursion train, running at a high rate of speed, did not notice the freight, which was behind a deep bend in the road, until it was too late, and crashed into it. Both engines were thrown off the track and two or three cars of the excursion train were smashed to splinters, while one was suspended in mid-air over a deep precipice of the mountain and the only thing that kept it from going over was the coupling between it and the other car.
For a second after the crash everything was still; then the cries of women and children were heard above the noise of escaping steam and crackling wood, as fire spread from one car to another and added its horror to the already disastrous wreck.
“Billy Jr., I smell smoke,” said Star. “You are not tied while I am. Can’t you jump out and see where it comes from; for if the train is on fire, what will become of me? I am tied up so tight I can’t possibly get loose.”
“Try to pull back and break your strap,” said Billy Jr.
Star tried, but it would not break.
“I’ll tell you how; rub your head against the side of the car and try to slip your bridle over your ears,” suggested Billy.
Star did this and the bridle dropped off. But he was no better off than before, for he found himself boarded in his stall away from the open door.
“I’ll tell you how you can fix that,” said Billy Jr. “You kick with all your might and throw your body against the boards and I am sure they will give way, for they are nailed on loosely from this side. While you do that, I will jump out and see what is the matter and if there is any danger of the fire reaching our car.”
So while Star threw his weight against the boards and kicked for dear life, Billy ran forward to see how bad the wreck was.
He came upon a sight weird and appalling to the last degree. The night was inky black, while the flames, as they licked up car after car, lit up the landscape with a red glare like some scene at the theatre; while for a background stood the tall, black mountains silent and still, like sentinels around a bivouac fire. Running hither and thither were men and women trying to save their companions from the burning train, and many acts of heroism were performed, while lives were bravely risked to save friend or stranger wedged in between the broken seats of the smoking mass.
Billy waited only to take one look and then he ran back to tell Star that he must get out as soon as possible, as the flames were spreading fast in his direction.
While Star was kicking at his partition with vehemence and Billy was trying to help butt him loose, there was a terrific explosion and they felt themselves being hurled through space. The car ahead of them had contained some gasoline and when the fire reached it, it had exploded, blowing up the car and the one next to it.
But, strange as it may seem, neither Star nor Billy Jr. were hurt seriously. Star got a sprained shoulder and Billy a skinned leg, that was all.
The wreck delayed them thirty-six hours, and while they were waiting for the wrecking train to come to their assistance, clear the track, and put the engines on again, Billy Jr. and Star had a fine time roaming around the mountains and rummaging among the debris; or rather, Billy Jr. did while Star stood off and watched.
Billy Jr. would nose around among all the broken boxes, packages, trunks, etc., until he smelt some one’s luncheon; then he would eat it up, pasteboard box and all, if he could not get the lid off. At last he came to the remains of the dining-car, and amongst the wreckage he found some fine apples and pears. He called to his friend, but Star felt too timid to come at first until Billy persisted, but after awhile he picked his way to where the apples were, half covered by the broken pieces of the car.
While feasting on these the horse felt a hand laid on his mane, and on looking around to see who it was he heard Pete, the man who had been sent to take care of them, say:
“By all that is merciful, how did you and Billy escape from being blowed to smithereens? I thought ye’s were both flying around the dog star by now. But it’s mighty glad I am to find ye’s both alive, for me master’s very fond of ye’s both and I wouldn’t ’a’ had anything happen to ye’s for worlds while ye’s was in my care.”
Pete led Star off and, finding a piece of rope, tied him to a tree to wait until another train was sent to carry them on, while he sat down and commenced to smoke, too lazy to help clear away the wreckage. He let Billy roam at will, for he knew he would not go far from the horse, they were such good friends.
Presently they heard the purring and blowing of a train coming up the grade to pick them up and carry them along on their journey. When Pete heard it he said:
“It’s mighty glad I am to hear that, for I am as hungry as a bear, not being able to ate tin cans and raw pertaters like you, Mr. Billy Jr., and grass and herbs like you, Mr. Star.”
The train presently reached them, and by the help of many hands, everything was soon packed on board and they were off for the West once more.
They did not have any more mishaps and reached Chicago one raw, windy morning. As their train pulled into the yard, where it was to lie until their car was switched on to the Santa Fe train that was to carry Billy Jr. to the far West, he remarked:
“So this dirty, flat-looking city is Chicago, the far-famed first World’s Fair city! Well, I don’t think much of it from what I have seen.”
“Oh, but you shouldn’t judge any city by what you see of it from a train, for remember, the tracks always run through the worst parts of the city. You should see this city’s boulevards and parks. They would make you change your mind, for they are among the finest in the world. I saw them on my way East, for Mr. Wilder stopped here a week and during that time kept me at a livery stable and every day he took a horseback ride. In that way I saw all of the city, its handsome residences, business districts, parks, and boulevards; and I can tell you there are none finer, not even in your beloved Boston.”
“Don’t you think I could manage to run away and see it all?” asked Billy.
“Not unless you wish to give up your trip West, for if you once left this car you could never find your way back among all those hundreds of others in the yard here that look just like it.”
“I could easily find my way back if that was all,” said Billy Jr., “but the thing I am afraid of is that they might start West and leave me, or switch you off to another yard where I could not find you.”
Their conversation was interrupted here by a man bringing them something to eat and a bucket of water.
“I do not see why they did not run this car over to the Stock Yards so these animals could have been taken out and fed and watered and their car cleaned in proper shape,” Billy Jr. heard a red-headed man say, as he pushed back the sliding door that shut them in. “For heaven’s sake! I thought it was two horses we had been sent to look after and not a car of goats,” as Billy Jr. appeared at the door.
“You can have the job,” said a jolly-looking, fat man. “I throw up my share right here. I had all I wanted to do with goats when I was a boy.”
“Why, what did they ever do to you that you should take such a dislike to them?” said the red-headed man.
“Well, I’ll tell you. The first thing they did to me when I was a little shaver was to chew my hair off.”
“Chew your hair off! How in the world did they get a chance to do that?”
“It happened in this way,” said the fat man, “I went to sleep on a bank by the side of the road one hot day, and when I woke up my hair was all chewed off, and the old Billy had commenced on one leg of my trousers. I stoned him good for this, but he got even a week after when he met me coming home from one of the neighbors with a basket of eggs in one hand and a pat of butter in the other. The first thing I knew I was standing on my head in the pat of butter and the eggs were all broken beside me with the basket turned upside-down. From that day on that goat and I were enemies. He would do me a mean trick and I would pay him back the first chance I got. But somehow or other he always seemed to get the best of me. And this goat is as much like him as two peas; and how do I know but what it is the same goat, though that was years ago? Goats may live to be a hundred for all I know, and I don’t care to take my chances; so I will attend to the horse and you look after the goat.”
As these words left his mouth Billy Jr. made a plunge for him and, landing in the yard clear over his head, ran off and disappeared behind some freight cars.
“Now, what did I tell you! He has got us in trouble right off, for most likely he will never come back and we will have to pay for him. Drat goats, I say! and double drat this one in particular!”
