He and Smith saved themselves by leaping to the pavement, sustaining slight bruises, but the great machine crashed through the barricade and dropped to the bottom of the trench far below.

To Smith's grief and Brewster's delight the automobile was hopelessly ruined, a clear loss of many thousands.

Monty's joy was short-lived, for it was soon learned that three luckless workmen down in the depths had been badly injured by the green meteor from above.
The mere fact that Brewster could and did pay liberally for the relief of the poor fellows afforded him little consolation.

His carelessness, and possibly his indifference, had brought suffering to these men and their families which was not pleasant to look back upon.

Lawsuits were avoided by compromises.