“Then I’m going out, too,” declared Will, with sudden zeal, as he snatched up his camera and threw the strap over his shoulder.

He scented a chance for a striking picture, and to obtain that Will would have risked even a possible encounter with train robbers.

Frank and Bluff would not be left behind, and quickly the entire quartet had reached the platform.  They found that the stop was at a little country station.  A signal had suddenly flashed before the eyes of the engineer, telling him he must not think of running past, which accounted for the quick work of the compressed-air brakes.

No need to tell what was wrong.  Up the track a quarter of a mile could be seen a fire, and one glance was enough to tell the chums that, just as Jerry had said, a trestle of some sort seemed to be burning.

Loud shouts attested to the fact that every available man was hurrying to the scene, in the hope of saving the trestle before it was so far gone that nothing could be done.

“Come on, fellows!  Our train must stay where it is until this thing is done burning, one way or the other.  Perhaps we can help put the fire out with buckets.”

That was the first thought Frank had, to be of some assistance.

The four of them ran with the rest of the passengers.  Such a spectacle could not be witnessed every day, and every one was desirous of getting closer to the scene of action.

“How did it catch?” asked Frank of a railroad man who was hustling about, handing buckets to a line of men extending down to the water of the creek far below.

“Don’t know.  Perhaps from sparks left by the six-seventeen freight.  Lend a hand here, lads; we need all the help we can get,” replied the other.

“Sure!  That’s what we came for.  Get along, boys, and pass these buckets!” cried Jerry, suiting the action to the words.

Once the string of buckets got to going, and the contents began to be cast upon the creeping flames, there sprang up a hope that the trestle might be saved.

Seeing this, the workers redoubled their efforts, and faster rose the full buckets, the empties going down at the same rate.  It is really astonishing what a large amount of water can be carried by such an endless chain.

“Hurrah!  We’re besting it, lads!  Keep it up!” shouted the agent, who was the man Frank had first addressed.

Will had not joined the relay.  There seemed to be plenty of recruits without him, and, truth to tell, he was bent on getting a picture of the scene.  Doubtless many present were startled by a sudden brilliant illumination as he set off his flashlight cartridge; but those who were in ignorance as to what it meant were soon set wise by others.

Once they began to get the upper hand of the fire it became easy.  Fortunately, there was not a breath of wind at the time.  Had it been otherwise, no efforts on their part could have saved the trestle.