Connecticut western news., 1882-06-14
the we'll and at h safe distance from it before the blast should explode.


 Lutf seemed never to have been think ing less of Q trick than at that moment when he was diligently considering how he should capture Little Brother, and how near he should vel ture to hold him when the explosion came,
 The we'l vas about twenty-five feet deep, 8 gloomy pit but under the shade of their hat-brims they could see two lit tie gleams of light at the bottom. One came from pool of water in hollow of the ledge, rejecting the summer sky had just struck.
 Having touched the end of the fuse and seen it catch and. sparkle, Russ stepped quickly into the bucket, laid hold of the rope, and, calling out, "Haul away P was drawn up by Luff and Milt as W< had been before.
 Walt, meanwhile, had carried away from the we'll the powder which came up in the bucket with him and, having lighted his pipe, he was now walking leisurely back to the windlass.
 ''Take my place nere, won you, Waltz" Milton said, when the bucket was about half way up.
 It is uncertain whether he suspected Luff's intentions toward him, or whether he simply wished to get AS far away as possible from the sound of the blast. Luff made no objections, and Walt, pipe in mouth, laid hold of the spokes of the windlass.
 Probably Milt did not think that even the reckless Luff could neglect his im- portant trust for little cruel sport at 8 time like that He drew aside. from tho windlass, as Walt took his place, passing almost within Luff's reach.
 Hold on, Walt!" cried Luff, the moment he saw the spokes in his broth CTS powerful grasp. And letting gohis own hold with one hand, he made [. swoop with 1t it unsuspecitng Little Brother, and caught by the arm.
 "Oh, quit your fooling now !'' said Walt, with the pipe in his lips while Little Brother struggled to get away.
 Walt was we'll able alone to draw the bucket up I; but LuG was still trying to help him, while holding on to Milton with one hand.
 "Don't kick don't squeal !" he said, laughingly. "No use You've got to stay here till that blast goes off, if it blows us both into the middle of next week !"
 Terrified at this threat, Milton gave so violent jerk that he nearly got free. To save and balance himself, Luff put back one foot, which struck loose stone and sent it tumbling over the mound of rubbish into the we'll.
 The rattling sound was followed by Q strange scuffling movement below, then a heavy plunging thud, and the bucket was empty. The stone had struck Russ on the head. and he had fallen to the bottom.
 This frightful accident brought Luff to his senses. He let Milton go, and, at an exclamation of wrath and fright from Walt, hastened to look down into the we'll.
 The glimmering pool was no longer visible; but in it's place lay dark heap, peri ectly motionless, at the bottom of the pit.
 That was Russ, half concealed by the bucket hanging over him. Beside him a little spark was to be seen. That was the fuse, the fire in which was steadily eating it's way to the powder of the blast.
 ''He groans he is alive p said Luff.
 "But he'll blown to thunder in 8 minute l' said Walt. And, still holding the windlass to keep the bucket from falling. his pipe broken at his feet, he looked about for help, exclaiming des- perately, "What in the world can we do ?"
 Little Brother, after escaping from Luff's grasp, had not run far, when this frightful catastrophe brought him back to the well. Forgetting, or overcoming, for the moment his terror of the blast, he too looked down at the motionless but grooming heap at the bottom, and the relentless, eating spark in the fuse.
 "Go down and put the fire out !" he cried, in answer to Waits question. "Quick !''
 "And Eet blown to pieces along with him !' said Walt. "Will you risk it, Luff. You tumbled the stone."
 ''There ain't time," said Luff. "If we only had some water to throw down P
 ''The blast is going!' Walt exclaimed, in the terror and confusion of the mo- ment "We can't do anything !' And he began hurriedly to draw up the bucket
 ''No no p said Milt, exctedly. "Let it down let it down! p
 He made spring at the rope, caught it, and clasping i. with hands and knees, slid down to the bucket. Then he called out wildly, "Let down let down p his delicate, pale, excited face turned up at his brothers in the softened light which shono into the we'll.
 The firm daring with which he went down to what seemed certain death fas- cinated his brothers above. Instead of retreating to avoid the blast, as they were on the point of doing, they let him rapidly down.
 He was out of the bucket before it touched the bottom. He snatched at the fuse, but it had already burned into the tamping, and he could not get hold to pull it out. There was only one other thing to be done.