The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-11-25

wall OF the ravine. Before had tiny
idea Of how Dick intended to scatter
him, he grabbed up can Of nitrogly-
cerin and hurled it with all his might
at the animal, which was not more than
20 feet away. The can struck the side
OF the lynx with a dull thump, and the
yielding flesh and fur did not offer re-
s:stance enough to explode it. The
force of the blow keeled the lynx over on
it's back, and the can began to roll
slowly down q gradual decline that led
from where the lynx lay to the edge Of
the :ravine wall. I am not ashamed to
say that I stood somewhat aghast at
this display of genius on the part of
Devil Dick, for knew that the instant
the can rolled over the wall and dropped
on the rocks at the bottom the explo-
sion that had been averted by the lynx's
body would surely follow, and that the
man I had an important engagement
with at Jones' new driller that day
would look. for me in vain.
"Quick as could do it, and it must
have been pretty quick, jumped from
the wagon, tore like mad up the ravine,
and stood beneath where the torpedo
| would roll over the edge of the ravine,
with my hands raised to catch it as it
came down, and prevent it from strik-
ing the rocks. A scraggy bush of some
kind grew on the edges of the rocks
at the top of the wall, and just as got
to my post in the ravine the can of
nitroglycerin had rolled> to the edge
and struck against the main stem of the
bush. The can struck it little out OF
| the center, and the heavier end dipped
down until it hung over the wall two
inches, and in that position the can
| stopped. It seemed as if breath of
wind moving the bush must dislodge it.
"All this had taken but very few sec.
onds. The instant saw the can lodge
against the bush I started back for
Dicks wagon as fast as could go, for
give you my word was afraid the tor
pedo would drop before we got away
from there and scatter Dick and me as
we'll as the lynx, and I wanted to hurry
Dick up. When 1 got to the wagon,
though, there stood Dick with another
can of glycerin raised, ready to hurI
after the first one. He lowered it.
though, and looked around at me with
disgust and disappointment on his face,
and, merciful me, how he was swear
ing!
"'The Internal varmint has give me
the slip and took to the woods!' he hol-
Tered. Lord! How I'd like to bust one
o these shells on his carcass!'
"Dick put the can back and we drove
on, Dick swearing till I had a notion to
get out and walk. Before 1 had made
up my mind fully roar and a rumble
came following US down the road, and a
shower of rock thumped and battered
on all sides of us. We hadn't got away
half minute too soon. The torpedo
had lost it's hold on the bush and
dropped to the bottom of the ravine.
"It's too thunderin' bad!' Devil Dick
ripped out before the rocks were done
falling. How that'd a-scattered that
Internal varmint of lynx if it had only
struck right
"That was Dick-Devil Dick Warner
Genius? should say so! And to think
that after handling nitroglycerin in
his whole-souled and off-hand man.
ner for ten years and more he
should die of a carbuncle. Poor Devil
Dick! You should have enjoyed know.
ing him, I'm sure you would."-N. Y
| Sum- 4