Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-08-31

| NeAto hhtAl VI htoktll OTutIS.
But II il is hot up there, where the
breeze Is blowing. il is far wore down
where Gaskell and the others are. IL
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 Gaskell to
one man; 'leave off your swearing and
go TO work. IL AIT a-going to be no
cooler for all your cussingr
An you're right there. Muster Gas
kel, comments n hrawny Irshman
near; ''it's not swearin' that'll cool the
air for Mike, and it's like to make il a
dale hotter for him in the next worruld,
or else Father Casey's liar.
There is laugh at this. aud Mixes
grumblings and curses are silenced for
n time
ITS time Mahafrey was back Gas
kell Is beginning. when handful of
sand and gravel falls close 10 him
Mind what you're about up there"
he calls, but as he looks up ne sees
there Is no one near the ed &c. and just
then n larger handful Of earth falls on
the other side of him. He turn, to see
from whence it has fallen. and all the
color in his cheek leaves il instantly,
for all along on the western wall Of the
cutting, where he had declared boards
should lie placed. pebbles are falling
and the loose sand Is sliding down.
Gaskell well knows what all this
means.
"Make for the ladders. menr' he calls.
"And quick. too" 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-
ccivc 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, Caskcll thinks; but what of the
others?
Hurry, men! hurry he calls sharp
", and swiftly the men. their faces
hlanched with fear. fly past him.
And now the sand j. sliding down
rapidly, and the cutting is shallOwer Nv
foot or more in the half minute since
Gaskell gave the alarm. and still the
men are running past and are Crowd'ng
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 Gaskell
looks ut the thrOng.
Pretty poor chance for me-" he
says To- himself; and just then the sand
stops sliding, and for moment the rat
Ting of pebbles stops.
"a false alarm, may be-" Gaskell
saws, half aloud.
The men are nearly all up the ladder
by this time. and Gaskell himself is
moving toward il rs The last laborer
comes near him. He is an old man.
too old for such work. Gaskell has often
said, and he did not mean to have him
employed below the surface.
- didn't know YOU were here, Jim"
he says To the elder man. johnson
should have kept YOU up there with
him. But you must he mighty quick
now to get out of this
The other scarcely needs what Gas
kell is saving. byt pushes on as fast rs his
rheumatic legs will let him. and Gas
kell follows. When they have gone n
few feet further the sand once more be-
gins sliding and the pebbles fall more
rap dly. Frank gives groan as he
perceives this.
Hurry, Jim," he calls; YOU are
older than ], so you must go up the lad
der first"
, A. they hasten onward over the Weld
, ing sand now covering the bottom of
the dark path an abandoned tool. which
! the uncertain feet of the old man have
, strangely missed. is stumbled upon by
GaSkcll. who falls heavily.
! Hurry, Jim,n he calls once more. as
, he rises, bruised, and with difficulty;
"yOu' II get there SAFE
10 is but few moments since the
, alarm was given, but now the sand is
, falling all about him. and as Frank adj
, Vances n few PAGES from where he fell,
part OF the western wall comes down
, upon him in one swift, terrible rush.
Round about him rises the soft yellow
sand. To his knees. To- his waist. then
higher To his neck, and the rush is
stayed.
,
, A. Jim painfully tolls up the ladder
and reaches the surface, dozen voices
. call To- him:
! where Mr. Gaskell?"
Down there answers Jim. point
! ing In bcwildcred way To the pit from
: which lac has escaped
, AZ this the others hasten 10 the edpe.
= Just rs the western wall falls, but few
I feet 20 the north Of them.
r " It's all mp with poor Mr.. Gaskcll, "
: say several voices.
? " No, it isn't; can see him." some
; one says who is peering cautiously over
D lest the treachcrOus earth should give
= way at that point also. and then they
+, hear Franks clear voice:
: m here, boys. Sorry to give YOU
: another job, but I guess you'll have to
! dig me out of this; can't get out alone,
! you know
''Indade, Muster Gaskeu. well
v wurruk to get yez out n long rs we've
: got arrums,' eXclaim the men. i'm great
/. relief at hearing his voice again.
a but how to do this is not easy to tell.
o The sand has stopped falling. but even
n fOotstep on the bank near NAV cause
= Il To fall. The eastern wall, however.
= seems firm, and on that side the men
o begin their work. Ii will be long task.
! To work northward toward Gaskel
a from the bottom Of the cutting will i'm.
Z evitably bring down more earth upor
= him. and the only available plain seem,
l. to be to make n transverse cutting from
the eastern side, and endeavor TO reacl
a him in that way. The news of the dis
n aster has spread very rapidly through
= the city, and in n short time crowds ar,
hurrying toward Poplar street. Blu
IN only the wOrkmen are allowed near IN,
Is opening. All others, except n couple O
le reporters. are sternly kept back by IN,
is police. The work goes on slowly
though many willing hands are engaged
IL The Herald reporter. n tall, well-mad
IF fellow. goes TO the edge Of the openin,
above Gaskell.
" Courage, Frank" he says; tender
Dt ~; they'll have you out of thi
A. shortly"
Up ''Oh, yes, the boys will do their best,
s. Gaskcll answers.
rs GLOW did you happen to be the onl
one left down there? asks the other.