Buffalo Roost: A Story of a Young Men's Christian Association Boys' Department

A fierce thunderstorm rolls across the prairie, turning the D. & P.W. line into a rattling serpent of steel and rain. Train No. 6 careens through the darkness, its passengers tossed as the car jolts, windows shatter, and a sudden derailment throws everyone into panic. Amid the clamor of broken glass and frantic cries, a mother clutches her infant while a frantic brakeman battles the storm‑soaked tracks.

In the midst of the chaos, young Willis Thornton leaps into action. He raises his arms just in time to shield his mother from a falling leather suitcase, his quick reflexes saving her from injury. As the train lurches and the freight engine barrels toward disaster, Willis’s instinct to protect the vulnerable becomes a vivid portrait of courage under pressure.