"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.
"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 on the track right away," said Dave. "They'll have to have the wrecking train and crew down here."
When appealed to, the conductor said he did not know how soon they would be able to move again. Probably not in three or four hours, and maybe not until the next morning.
"I'll have to walk back to Raytown and telegraph to headquarters," he explained.
"We are in a pickle, and no mistake," was Roger's comment. "I must say I don't feel like staying on the train all night--it's too cold and uncomfortable."
In the group of passengers was Isaac Pludding, storming angrily at everything and everybody.
"It's an outrage!" he declared, to a bystander. "I must get to Oakdale by seven o'clock. I've got a business deal for some cattle I must close. If I don't get there, somebody else may buy the cattle."