When I came to, I was surrounded by a sympathetic
crowd of passengers and trainmen, and a doctor, who happened to be on
the train, was pouring something down my throat that soon made me feel
better.
As soon as I had recovered myself sufficiently, I telegraphed the
despatcher what had happened, and the chief, who in the meantime had
been sent for, told me to close up my office, and come east on the
flyer, to report for duty in the morning in his office as copy operator.
That is how I won my promotion.
CHAPTER III
IN A WRECK
The change from Alfreda to the chief despatcher's office in Nicholson
was, indeed, a pleasant one. The despatchers, especially the first trick
man, seemed somewhat dubious as to my ability to do the work, but I was
rapidly improving in telegraphy, and, in spite of my extreme youth I was
allowed to remain. But the life of a railroad man is very uncertain, and
one day we were much surprised to hear that the road had gone into the
hands of receivers. There were charges of mismanagement made against a
number of the higher officials of the road, and one of the first things
the receivers did was to have a general "house-cleaning.
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