Passengers were alighting all along the train and hurrying forward to join those who crowded the scene of the wreck.

“It was a narrow escape for us,” said Endicott as the two looked down upon the mass of broken cars about which the rapidly falling waters of the stream gurgled and swirled.  “Had we not been running an hour late this train would in all probability, have plunged through the trestle.”

“Was anybody hurt?” asked the girl.  The train conductor nodded toward the heap of debris.

“No’m, the crew jumped.  The fireman an’ head brakeman broke a leg apiece, an’ the rest got bunged up a little; but they wasn’t no one hurt.

“I was just tellin’ these folks,” he continued, “that they’ll be a train along on the other side in a couple of hours for to transfer the passengers an’ mail.”

The girl turned to Endicott.  “There isn’t much to see here,” she said.  “Let’s look around.  It’s such a funny little town.  I want to buy something at the store.  And, there’s a livery stable!  Maybe we can hire horses and ride out where we can get a view of the mountains.”

As the two turned toward the little cluster of frame buildings, a tall, horse-faced man clambered onto the pilot of the passenger locomotive and, removing his hat, proceeded to harangue the crowd.  As they paused to listen Alice stared in fascination at the enormous Adam’s apple that worked, piston-like above the neckband of the collarless shirt of vivid checks.

“Ladies an’ gents,” he began, with a comprehensive wave of the soft-brimmed hat.  “Wolf River welcomes you in our town.  An’ while you’re amongst us we aim to show you one an’ all a good time.  This here desastorious wreck may turn out to be a blessin’ in disguise.  As the Good Book says, it come at a most provincial time.  Wolf River, ladies an’ gents, is celebratin’, this afternoon an’ evenin’, a event that marks an’ epykak in our historious career:  The openin’ of the Wolf River Citizen’s Bank, a reg’lar bonyfido bank with vaults, cashier, an’ a board of directors consistin’ of her leadinist citizens, with the Honorable Mayor Maloney president, which I introdoose myself as.

“In concludin’ I repeet that this here is ondoubtfully the luckiest wreck in the lives of any one of you, which it gives you a unpressagented chanct to see with your own eyes a hustlin’ Western town that hain’t ashamed to stand on her own legs an’ lead the world along the trail to prosperity.

“Wolf River hain’t a braggin’ town, ladies an’ gents, but I defy any one of you to name another town that’s got more adjacent an’ contigitus territory over which to grow onto.  We freely admit they’s a few onconsequential improvements which is possessed by some bigger an’ more notorious cities such as sidewalks, sewers, street-gradin’, an’ lights that we hain’t got yet.  But Wolf River is a day an’ night town, ladies an’ gents, combinin’ business with pleasure in just the right perportion, which it’s plain to anyone that takes the trouble to investigate our shippin’ corrals, four general stores, one hotel, an’ seven saloons, all of which runs wide open twenty-four hours a day an’ is accommodated with faro, roulette, an’ poker outfits fer the benefit of them that’s so inclined to back their judgment with a little money.