Darke Darrell, the Boy Detective — page 34: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

DARKE DARRELL. 25. screams, groans, outcries, the hissing of steam, etc. Darke was thrown violently forward, but succeeded in keeping his feet. He knew that an accident had occurred, and that a num- ber of the passengers in the forward cars had been hurt. Nerving himself for the sight, he issued from the cars, hop- ing that he could be able to make himself useful. A fearful wreck had followed the accident; the engine was upreared; cars were piled on top of each other; trunks and mail-bags were strewn about in every direction; men were crushed under the wheels; hands were stretched out from among shattered seats and timbers; voices called for help from this direction and from that; groans and shrieks were intermingled with the loud vociferations of the con- ductors and train hands. The sufferers, comprising men, women, and children. were deposited on the grassy bank, and made as comfort- able as possible. ‘““We must send for physicians and the repair train,” Darke heard the conductor say to a consulting group. ‘‘We hada telegraph operator on board, but he has been killed.” ‘‘Ts his instrument uninjured?” Darke was bold enough to ask. ‘‘ Yes,” and the conductor shot him a keen glance. ‘‘ Are you an operator?” ‘‘T am, and will be glad to oblige you,” answered Darke. ‘¢'Yonder is the instrument, and a coil of wire. Ill write out the dispatches.” Darke was rapid in his movements. He got the instru- ment, set the battery in operation, attached a wire to the line of wire overhead, secured the requisite connections, and found himself in communication with the various offices on the line. | ‘* Here,” and the conductor thrust several slips of paper Eomichbooks (E(@) im