The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-08-16

Walt was well able alone to draw the
bucket up; but Luff 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 of, if il
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, Luif put
back one foot, which struck loose stone
and sent it tumbling over the mound of
rubbish into the we'll
The rafting sound was followed by
strange scuiliing movement below, then
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 90, and,
at an exclamation of wrath and fright
from Walt, FASTENED to look down into
the well.
The glmmering pool was no longer
visible; but in its place lay dark heap,
perfectly motionless at Che bottom of
the pit
That was Russ, half-conccaled by the
bucket hanging over him. Beside him
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" said LuT
"But he'll be blown to thunder in
minute" said Walt. And, still holding
the windiass to keep the bucket from
falling, bis pipe broken at his feet, be
looked about for help, eXclaiming des-
perately, what in the world can we
dO?h
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 groaning heap at the bottom, and
the relentless, eating sparks in the fuse,
$50 down and put the fire outr' he
cried, in answer to Waits question.
Quick
And get blown to pieces along with
him." said Walt "Will you risk it,
Lutf? You tumbled the stone"
There amt time" said Luf IF
we only had some water to throw
DOWN.
The blast is going" Walt exclaim-
ed, in the terror and confusion of the
moment. 1--WE can't do anythingm
Aud he began hurriedly to draw up the
bucket
NO! nor' said Milt, excitedly. LET
it down! let it down."
He made a spring at the rope, caught
it, and clasping il with hands and
knees, slid down to the bucket. Then
he called out wildly, Let down. let
down. his delicate, pale, excited face
turned up at his brothers in the soften
ed light which shone into the well.
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 burnt into
the tamping, and he could not get noId
to pull it out. There was only one 9TH
er thing to be done.
He drew his groaning brother out of
the pool, and found still water enough
where he had lain, so that a little could
be scooped up with his hands,
This be used; and there, over the
blast which might at any time explode,
with rock-tearing and earth-shakipg
force, he dashed dripping handful after
handful upon the tampiug down under
which the fuse had disappeared, and ex-
tinguished the last spark Of fire. Then
he fell fainting beside his brother at the
bottom of the well
When he came to himself he was ly-
ing on the ground in the open air
Russ, hatless, with blood trickling down
his check, and locks of matted hair
struggling over his eyes, was sitting up
beside him His father was there, on
one knee, and his mother came running
from the house, with bottle in her
hand. Walt and Lutr stood looking on,
both very anxious and very much
abashed.
is Russ all right?n was Little Broth
er's first question.
ale is all right or will be SOON"
said his father. And so are you, L
hope H.. ho,, .,,o q,
ting up. I'm so glad | didn't turn
faint till had put the fuse OUT
How could you do such thingP my
precious, noble boy" sobbed his moth
err
II saw that somebody must do it, or
Russ would be killed, and | thought
had time, if did it at once Milton
said, with feeble SMILE adding mod
estly, "Wat and Luf helped"
Mighty little we helpcdN' Walt ex-
claimed, with an outburSt of honest feel
ing. Russ might have been blown to
flinders, for anything we would have
dared to do. There's more true cour-
age in Little Brother than there is in
both our great lubberly hulksn
He was not the only one who at that
moment felt that to see n great danger,
and greatly to dread it, and yet to have
the heart and resolution to brave it for
another's sake, is the very highest cour-
age.
How did it all happen? how did it