第 33 节
作者:飘雪的季节      更新:2023-05-02 09:53      字数:9322
  on   the   uphill   side   of   the   car;   else   he   must   have   been   crushed   to   death。
  But so thoroughly dazed was he that he was unable to move。
  Finally someone discovered him and picked him up。
  〃Here's one of them;〃 announced a bystander。               〃It's a kid; too。〃
  Mr。 Sparling came charging down the bank。
  〃Who is it?      Where is he?〃 he bellowed。
  〃Here。〃
  〃It's   Phil   Forrest;〃   cried   one   of   the   showmen;   recognizing   the   lad;
  whose face was streaked where it had been cut by the jagged glass in the
  broken window。
  〃Is he killed?〃
  〃No; he's alive。      He's ing around now。〃
  Phil sat up and rubbed his eyes。
  All   at once he   understood   what had happened。            He   staggered   to   his
  feet holding to a man standing beside him。
  〃Why   don't   you   do   something?〃   cried   Phil。     〃Don't   you   know   there
  are people in that car?〃         〃It's burning up。       Nobody  dares get in till   the
  wreckers can get here and smash in the side of the car;〃 was the answer。
  〃What?〃 fairly screamed Phil Forrest。             〃Nobody dares go in that car?
  Somebody does dare!〃
  〃e   back;   e   back;   Phil!       You   can't   do   anything;〃   shouted   a
  fellow performer。
  But    the  lad  did   not  even    hear  him。    He    was   leaping;    falling  and
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  rolling down the bank; regardless of the danger that he was approaching;
  for the flames already showed through a broken spot in the roof of the car;
  which was lying half on its side at the foot of the embankment。
  Without an instant's hesitation Phil; as he came up alongside; raised a
  foot; smashing out the remaining pieces of glass in a window。                  Then he
  plunged in head first。
  The spectators groaned。
  〃Dimples!      Dimples!〃 he shouted。         〃Are you alive?〃
  〃Yes; here。     Be quick!     I'm pinned down!〃
  Phil   rushed   to  her   assistance。   Her     legs  were   pinioned    beneath    a
  heavy   timber。     Phil   attacked    it  desperately;   tugging   and   grunting;    the
  perspiration rolling down his   face; for the heat in there was now   almost
  more than he could bear。
  With a mighty effort he wrenched the timber from the prostrate woman;
  then quickly gathered her up in his arms。
  〃I knew you'd e; Phil; if you were alive;〃 she breathed; her head
  resting on his shoulder。
  〃Do    you   know    where    Teddy    is?〃  he   asked;   plunging    through    the
  blinding smoke to the window where voices already were calling to him。
  〃At the other endI think;〃 she choked。
  The lad passed her out to waiting arms。
  〃e out!       e out of that!〃 bellowed the stentorian voice of Mr。
  Sparling。     But Phil had turned back。
  〃Teddy!〃   he   called;    the   words   choked   back    into   his  throat   by   the
  suffocating smoke。
  〃Wow!      Get me out of here。        I'mI'm;〃 then the lad went off into a
  violent fit of coughing。
  By this time two others; braver than the rest; had climbed in through
  the window。
  〃Where are they all?〃 called a voice。
  〃I don't know。      You'll have to hunt for them。          I'm after you; Teddy。
  Are you held down by something; too?〃
  〃The whole car's on me; and I'm burning up。〃
  Phil; guided by the boy's voice; groped his way along and soon found
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  his hands gripped by those of his little panion。
  〃Where are you fast?〃
  〃My feet!〃
  It proved an easy matter to liberate Teddy and drag him to the window;
  where Phil dumped him out。
  Mr。 Sparling had climbed in by this time; and the wrecking crew were
  thundering at the roof to let the smoke and flames out; while others had
  crawled in with their fire extinguishers。
  There were now quite a number of brave men in the car all working
  with desperate haste to rescue the imprisoned circus people。
  〃All   out!〃   bellowed   the   foreman   of   the   wrecking   crew。  〃The   roof
  will be down in a minute!〃
  〃All out!〃 roared Mr。 Sparling; himself making a dash for a window。
  Others piled out with a rush; the flames gaining very rapid headway
  now。
  〃Phil!   Phil!    Where's Forrest?〃 called Mr。 Sparling。
  〃He isn't here。    Maybe〃
  〃Then he's in that car。      He'll be burned alive!       No one can live five
  minutes in there now!〃
  The    fire  department    had   arrived  on   the  scene;   and   the  men   were
  running two lines of hose over the tracks。
  〃Phil in there?〃
  It was a howla startled howl rather than a spoken question。 The voice
  belonged to Teddy Tucker。
  Teddy rushed through the crowd; pushing obstructors aside; and hurled
  himself through the window into the burning car。 He looked more like a
  big; round ball than anything else。
  No sooner had Tucker landed fairly inside than he uttered a yell。
  〃Phil!〃
  There was no answer。
  〃Where〃
  Teddy went down like a flash; bowled over by a heavy stream of water
  from the firemen's hose。
  As it chanced he fell prone across a heap of some sort; choking and
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  growling with rage at what had befallen him。
  〃Phil!〃
  〃Yes;〃 answered a voice from the heap。
  〃I've   got   him!〃   howled   Teddy;   springing   up   and   dragging   the   half…
  dazed   Phil   Forrest   to   the   window。     There   both   boys   were   hauled   out;
  Teddy and Phil collapsing on the embankment from the smoke that they
  had inhaled。
  〃Phil!    Teddy!〃 begged Mr。 Sparling; throwing himself beside them。
  〃Get a net!〃 muttered Teddy; then swooned。
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  CHAPTER XXII
  WHAT HAPPENED TO A PACEMAKER
  〃Find out how that car came to tumble off;〃 were the first words Phil
  uttered after they had restored him to consciousness。
  Teddy; however; was bemoaning the loss of the sandwich that he had
  bought but had not eaten。
  〃The    accident   shall  be   investigated   by   me   personally    before   this
  section leaves the yard;〃 said Mr。 Sparling。          〃I am glad you suggested it;
  Phil。   How do you feel?〃
  〃I am all right。   Did somebody pull me out?〃
  〃Yes; Teddy did。       You are a pair of brave boys。         I guess this outfit
  knows now the stuff you two are made of; if it never did before;〃 glowed
  Mr。 Sparling。
  〃How many were killed?〃
  〃None。     The   head   steward   has   a   broken   leg;   one   waiter   a   few   ribs
  smashed in; and another has lost a finger。         I reckon the railroad will have
  a nice  bill   of damages   to pay  for this   night's   work。 Were  you   in   the  car
  when it occurred?〃
  〃Yes。    They had been handling it rather roughly。           We spoke of it at
  the   time。   We    were    moving    down    the  yard   when    suddenly    one   end
  seemed to drop right off the track as if we had e to the end of it。〃
  Mr。 Sparling nodded。
  〃I'll go into it with the railroad people at once。      You two get into your
  berths。    Can you walk?〃
  〃Oh; yes。〃
  〃How about you; Tucker;〃
  〃I can creep all right。    I learned to do that when I was in long pants。〃
  〃I guess you mean long dresses;〃 answered the showman。
  〃I guess I do。〃
  The boys were helped to the sleeper; where they were put to bed。 Phil
  had been slightly burned on one hand while Teddy got what he called 〃a
  free   hair   cut;〃  meaning     that  his  hair   had   been   pretty   well   singed。
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  Otherwise   they   were   none   the   worse   for   their   experiences;   save   for   the
  slight cuts Phil had received by ing in contact with broken glass and
  some burns from the coffee boiler。
  They   were   quite   ready   to   go   to   sleep   soon   after   being   put   to   bed;
  neither awakening until they reached the next show town on the following
  morning。
  When   the  two   lads pulled   themselves   up   in   their  berths   the  sun   was
  we