All about her the direst confusion prevailed. Men were hurrying hither and thither. Women were weeping and moaning, and wandering about calling piteously for lost ones, while children were screaming with fright and pain. It was lighter now, for two of the cars were burning, having taken fire from overturned lamps, and Virgie made her way more easily back into the sleeper she had left. “Mina! Mina!” she called, springing toward the berth she occupied, and to her intense relief a muffled sound came back in reply, and she knew that she was not dead. She found that the top of her car had been smashed in, and the girl, thus pinioned to her berth, was half-suffocated by the pressure from above. Virgie never could tell afterward how she managed to release her, but by dint of encouragement and commands she succeeded in making the girl exert herself, and, using all her own strength, she by degrees got her to the edge of the berth and finally out of it. “Are you badly hurt Mina?” she asked, as she supported the half-fainting girl, and wrapped a blanket around her trembling form. “Yes, marm, my left arm is dreadful,” the girl moaned, and Virgie could feel that it hung limp and helplessly by her side, and she knew it was broken. “Well, we must hurry out of the car, for it is filling with smoke, and I fear has taken fire somewhere,” she said. They were just turning to leave the place when, from the very midst of the smoke there pealed forth a heartrending shriek: “Help! help! Will no one save me?” Virgie felt every nerve in her body creep at the sound. “Oh, some poor creature is there, and will be burned to death if help does not come. What shall we do?” she cried. Clearly Mina could do nothing with her broken arm, for she was moaning with every breath, and there was no one else at hand; every one who was able had deserted the car long since, and was either looking out for number one or assisting others elsewhere; but Virgie felt that she could not leave the sufferer, whoever it might be, to the terrible fate of being burned to death. She helped Mina from the car, told her where she would find little Virgie, and then she flew back to find the origin of that pitiful cry for help. “Where are you?” she called, as she groped her way toward the spot from whence it had seemed to proceed. “Here. Oh! come quickly! I am almost suffocated! I shall be burned alive!” was the agonized response, accompanied by groans of pain. It was a woman, Virgie knew by the tones, and all her sympathies were instantly aroused. She found her at last, and her heart sank within her as she saw her condition, for the poor creature was wedged between a demolished berth and the side of the car in such a way that it seemed impossible to rescue her. It was a sickening sight, for, already, Virgie could see little tongues of flame leaping up all about her and shooting out toward her as if eager for their prey, while the smoke was rapidly growing denser.