St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-09-01

sure OF the lOOser earth behind 1t. Sud
denly he turns about angrily.
''Didn't [ tell you last night to have
this place right here boarded on both
sides?" he says to one of the men near
est to him.
IT belive you did," stammers the
man, "but there want no good boards
here then, and Jim Mulligan said he
| would bring some the first thing this
morning, but he hasn't come yet. .
Gaskell hardly hears the excuse, he
is so occupied with his examination OF
the walls Of the cutting.
| 'sThis ought to be boarded for fifty
feet each side,'' he says, ..and it's got
to be done this morning. Send Ma
haffey here to me at once. He's up
above there by the Sixth street cross
ing;' and the man thus hidden hastens
away.
Tie place where Gaskell is now
standing is about midway of the
length Of the sewer cutting, and be-
tween him and the northern end some
thirty laborers are digging busily.
Toward the southern end the excava-
ton is shallower, and several ladders
near furnish the means of ascent or de-
scent. One of these is about sixty feet
south of Gaskell. While he is waiting
he surveys the distance between it and
himself with his eye.
81 don't like the looks of things
along here" he says, half aloud. 81
believe I'll have boards put up as far
as that ladder, anyway he continues,
as he walks toward the south.
The men at the northern end are
working toward him, deepening the
cutting in his direction, and while he
| PAGES back and forth dozen or more
of the workmen are rapidly extending
their work toward that part OF the ex-
cavation.
BE careful how you jump round
there he calls sharply to some men
on the surface who are hosting up the
earth removed by the shovels OF the la
borers below; s.them banks amt none
too strong, you know. Johnson he
SAYS to one Of the men who are peer
ing down at him from above, ''set some
/ one to moving the dirt further from the
7. edge along there; and be mighty quick
about it, too.
! cit is too hot to hurry" grumble
some of the men at the top as johnson
tells them of Gaskell's orders.
/ But if it is hot up there, where the
breeze is blowing, it is far worse down
where Gaskell and the others are. It
is not very light there, and the air is
close and heavy. Some of the younger
men are complaining of the heat in no
| gentle tones.
/ "That's no good" says Gaskall to
one man; ..leaVe. off your swearing and
90 to work. 1t amt a-going to be no
cooler for all your cussing.''
j "An' you're right there, Muster Gas
i ke1l,h comments a brawny lrishman
near; s'it's not swearin' that'n cool the
air for Mike, and it's like to make it y
dale hotter for him in the next Worruld,
or else Father Casey'sa liar.
/ There is a laugh at this, and Mikes
grumblings and curses are silenced for
| a time.
s.It's time Mahafey was back" Gas
|. kell is beginning, when handful Of
sand and gravel falls close to him.
/ mind what you're about up there, !"
he calls, but as he looks up he sees
/ there is no one near the edge, and just
then a larger handful of earth falls on
i the other side Of him. He,turns to see
i from whence it has fallen, and all the
1 color in his cheek leaves it instantly,
for all along on the western wall of the
cutting, where he had declared boards
should be placed. pebbles are falling
and the loose sand is sliding down.
Gaskell well knows what all this
/ means.
! snake for the ladders, men!" he calls.
tsAnd quick, too,'i he adds, hurriedly.
]. Some of the men have already pushed
| their work beyond him, and these are
/ between him and the nearest ladder.
Almost as soon as Gaskell, they per-
ceive the danger, and, dropping their
tools, they hurry toward the ladder.
hustling and beating each other in their
mad haste. These will save them
selves, Caskell thinks; but what of the
others?
/ Hurry, men! hurry" he calls sharp
u ". and swiftly the men, their faces
blanched with fear, fly past him.
i And now the sand is sliding down
rapidly, and the cutting is shallower by
foot or more in the half minute since
! Gaskell gave the alarm, and still the
men are running past and are crowding
! about the foot OF the ladder nearest, too
much crazed by terror to hasten to the
ladders beyond, where they might be
safe. From where he stands GaskeH
| looks at the throng.
4 Pretty poor chance. for me, y he
says to himself; and just then the sand
stops sliding, and for moment the rat
Ting Of pebbles stops.
i "A false alarm, may be, Gaskell
says, half aloud. 2.s.s b.. I,
i The men are nearly all up the ladder
i by this time, and Gaskell himself is
moving toward it as. the last laborer
4 comes near him. He is an old man.