MacFarlane hurt--serious--will recover. Break
news gently to daughter.
Bolton Asst. Engineer
Other despatches had met the party on the way down; one saying,
"No change," signed by the trained nurse, and a second one from
Bolton in answer to one of Peter's: "Three men killed--others
escaped. MacFarlane's operation successful. Explosion premature."
Their anxiety only increased: Why hadn't Jack telegraphed? Why
leave it to Bolton? Why was there no word of him,--and yet how
could Bolton have known that Peter was with Ruth, except from
young Breen. In this mortal terror Peter had wired from Albany:
"Is Breen hurt?" but no answer had been received at Poughkeepsie.
There had not been time for it, perhaps, but still there was no
answer, nor had his name been mentioned in any of the other
telegrams. That in itself was ominous.
This same question Ruth had asked herself a dozen times. Jack was
to have had charge of the battery--he had told her so. Was he one
of the killed?--why didn't somebody tell her?--why hadn't Mr.
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