“No! No! I’m not hurt! But look! A snake! A snake is coming into the car! Oh, stop it!” The boys looked to where she pointed. Through the crack in the roof something long and sinuous was thrust inside, and began feeling about. It was a dull slate color. “Snake!” cried Joe. “That’s no snake!” “What is it, then?” demanded Blake. “It’s a trunk--an elephant’s trunk!” “An elephant!” screamed Miss Lee. “Yes, we----” “Then we’ve wrecked a circus train!” cried Blake. He put Miss Lee in a seat, and looked out of the window. “That’s what’s happened!” he yelled. “We’ve run into a circus train, and the wild animals are all over the track--most of ’em alive, too!” CHAPTER IV A GREAT OPPORTUNITY Blake’s ringing words caused no little excitement in the car--excitement that was already intense, owing to the crash of the wreck. “What’s that you said?” cried Mr. Duncan, for there was so much confusion that Blake’s words did not carry clearly. “We’ve struck a circus train,” replied the boy. “Not a bad smash, I guess, for I don’t see many cars piled up. But a lot of the animals are out.” “I knew it!” cried C. C. Piper. “I knew something would happen! If I don’t drown I’m saved to be eaten by a lion! Oh, why did I ever go into this business?” “Is there any danger, Blake?” cried Mr. Duncan, coming to the side of his son’s chum, as Blake was looking out of the window. “Can you see if anyone is hurt?” “No--none, though some of the animals seem to be killed. Joe, come on out and----” He was interrupted by a roar, unmistakably that of a lion. “Oh!” screamed Miss Lee. “That’s a jungle beast, sure! Even though it wasn’t a snake I saw, that’s a lion.” “Yes, it’s a lion,” said Blake, withdrawing his head from the window; “but it’s in a cage. They’re running it off one of the smashed flat cars. The lion can’t get out, Miss Lee.” “Thank goodness for that!” she exclaimed. “Oh, I’m so frightened.” The chorus of uncouth sounds kept up, but seemed to be lessening. Those in the car picked themselves up from the places whither they had been tossed. No one seemed to be much hurt, though C. C. was wiping blood from a cut on his hand. “It’s all right!” cried a brakeman, entering the private car at that moment. “It wasn’t a bad crash. None of the passengers is killed.” “Are the lions and tigers loose?” asked Miss Shay. “I--I guess not,” said the brakeman, but the boys noticed that he appeared ill at ease. “You’re to stay in here,” he added. “We may bring some other passengers in here, as one of our cars is badly smashed.” “Bring ’em all in!” exclaimed Mr. Ringold. “There’s plenty of room, and I’m something of a doctor. We’ve got a first-aid kit here.” “All right--thanks,” spoke the brakeman, as he hurried out, and Blake noticed that he took care to shut the door after him. To the boy this meant something.