News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-06-29
The rafting sound was followed bv a

The rafting sound was followed by
strange scufiing 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 go, and,
at an exclamation of wrath and fright
from Walt, fastened to look down into
the well.
The glimmering pool was no longer
visible; but in its place lay dark heap,
perfectly motionless, at the bottom of
the pit.
That was Russ, half concealed 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 its way to the powder of the
blast.
"He groans he is alive |" said Luff.
"But he'll blown to thunder in
minute |" 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
frightfuI 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 spark in the fuse.
500 down and put the fire ont - he
cried, in answer to Waits question.
"Quiek -
"And get blown to pieces along with
him !" said Walt. ''Will you risk it,
Luff. You tumbled the stone"
There amt time" said Luf elf
we only had some water to throw
down !"
"The blast is going r' Walt exclaimed,
in the terror and confusion of the mo-
ment "We can't do anything r And he
began hurriedly to draw up the bucket
"No nor said Milt, excitedly. ''Let
it down let it down I"
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
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 burned into the
tamping, and he could not get hold to
pull it out. There was only one other
thing to be done.
He drew his grooming brother out of
the pool, and found still water enough
where he had lain, so that little could
be scooped up with his hands.
This he used; and there, over the blast
which might at any time explode, with
rock tearing and earth-shaking force,
he dashed dripping handful after hand
full upon the tamping, down under which
the fuse had disappeared, and extin-
guished the last spark of fire. Then he
fell fainting beside his brother at the bot
tom of the well.
! ho 70 1,fr,ea1f ha
lying on tine ground in the open air.
Russ, hatless, with blood trickling
down his cheek, 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 Luff stood looking
on, both very anxious and very much
abashed.
SIS Russ all right ?" was Little
Brothers first question.
Gle is all right, or will be soon,"
said his father. "And SO are you, I
hope"
"Pm BETTER" said the boy, also sit
ting up. "I'm so glad 1 didn't turn
faint till I had put the fuse out !"
Chow could you do such thing T.?
my precious, noble boy !" sobbed his
mother.
81 saw that somebody must do 1t, or
Russ would be killed, and thought I
had time, if L did it at once" Milton
said, with feeble smile; adding mod
estly, Walt and Luff helped"
mighty little we helped p Walt ex-
claimed, with an outburst of honest
feeling. "Russ might have been blown
TO flinders, for anything we would have
dared to do. There's more true courage
in Little Brother than there is in both
our great lubberIy hulks -
He was not the only one who at that
moment felt that to see great danger,
ard 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
begin ?" Russ inquired, hardly yet re-
covered from his stupor.
81 began it, I'm ashamed to say"
Luff confessed, following Waits exam
pie, and speaking from the deepest feel
ing of winch he was capable. 81 was
fooling with Little Brother, when I
knocked a stone down on your head"
Pooling with him again, Luff P"
said his father reproachfully.
Yes, sir" Luff replied, with frank I
self condemnation. 81 was going to hold
him while the blast went of, because
he always showed that he dreadedit SO,
aud thought he was such coward ?"
ga coward, my son - exclaimed their
mother, clasping Milton to her heart.
"Tve been mean, cowardly ruffian
myself, and that's a fact - said Luff.
GAS Walt says, Little Brother has more
courage than both of us. I hope you'll |
all remind me of it, if ever lay rough
hands on him again"
son, but I'm sure you never will I'
said Little Brother, hopefully and for
givingly.
And Luff never did. Youths Com
pdniOn.
About Checkers.