Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1883-08-30

| cutting III HIS UlIcCllOu, dllu Wilt III
PAGES back and forth a dozen or NOR,
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 mer
on the surface who are hosting up th'
earth removed by the shOvels OF the Ia
borers below: them banks amt none
too strong, YOU know. Johnson" hi
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
edge along there; and be mighty quick
about it, too.
1t 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. Ii
is not very light there, and the ar is
close and heavy. Some OF the younger
men are complaining Of the heat in nc
gentle tones.
That's no good says Gaskell to
one man: '.leave off your swearing and
60 to work. 1t amt a-going to be no
cooler for all your cussing."
AN you re right there, Muster Gas
kell," comments a brawny Irishman
near; ''it 5 not swearin that'n cool the
| air for Mike, and it's like to make it a
dale hotter for him in the next worruld,
or else Father Caseys a liar.
There is a laugh at this, and Mikes
grumblings and curses are silenced for
a time.
"lt's time Mahaffey was back" Gas
kell is beginning, when a 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 larger handful of earth falls on
the other side of him. He turns to see
from whence it has fallen, and all the
color in his cheek leaves it instantly,
for all along on the western wall of the
cutting. where he had declared boards
should he placed. pebbles are falling
and the loose sand is sliding down.
Gaskell well knows what all this
means
"Make for the ladders, mcn'' he calls.
"And quick, too he adds, h,lrriedly.
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
ly, and swiftly the men, their faces
blanched with fear. fly past him.
And now the sand is sliding down
rapidly, and the cutting is shallower by
a foot or more in the half minute since
Gaskell gave the alarm. and still the
men are running past and are crowd NO
about the foot OF the ladder nearest, too
ladders beyond, where they might be
safe. From where he stands Gaskell
looks at 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
says, hall aloud.
The men are rearly all up the ladder
by this time. and Gaskell himself is
moving toward it as 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.
Il 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 be mi ghty quick
now to get out of this
The other scarcely heeds what Gas
kell is saying. but pushes on as fast as his
rheumatic legs will let him, and Gas
kell follows. When they have gone
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 60 up the lad
der first"
AS they hasten onward over the yield
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
Gaskell, who falls heavily.
Hurry, Jim," he calls once more, as
he rises, bruised, and with difficulty;
you'll get there safe.''
1t is but few moments since the
alarm was given, but now the sand is
falling all about him, and as Frank adj
vances a 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.
As Jim painfully tolls up the ladder
and reaches the surface, a dozen voices
call to him:
Where Mr.. Gaskell?'
"Down there answers Jim, point
ing in bewildered way to the pit from
which he has escaped.
AT this the others hasten TO the edge,
Just as the western wall falls, but q few
feet to the north of them.
Its all up with poor Mr.. Gaskell,"
say several voices.
mo, it isn't; can see him." some
one says who is peering cautiously over
lest the treacherous earth should give
way at that point also, and then they
hear Frank clear voice:
I'm here, boys. Sorry to give YOU
another job, but | guess you'll have to
DIG me out of this; | can't get out alone, |
you know i
''Indade, Muster Gaskell, we'll |
to get yez out as long as we've
got arrums,' exclaim the men, in great
relief at hearing his voice again.