The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-01-20

heah wild dem fuZees albumin Yoll
be mekkin' tracks round dat cliff down
yander wild de rest o dem bout dat
time. You will, for shot,
At length only the drillholder and me
two hammermen remained on the bench
below, and they were preparing to leave.
The long drill, dripping with yellow
| mud, was drawn from the hole and
passed up out of the cut. and the bronze
athlete flung the two hammers far out
upon the upper embankment,
The foreman lighted a match and
bent over one of the fuses. His helper
climbed out of the cut, and the cry of
Fire in de rock!" was passed from lip
to lip.
The boys had scrambled to their feet,
and were watching the lighting of the
fuses with bated breath. ready for a
swift skurry back into the shelter of
the woods when the foreman should
take to his heels.
Phil Chisholm leaned over the edge,
and his eyes frightened with excite
ment at the thought of even the remote
danger incurred by the gang boss.
What if his foot should slip as he wal
climbing out of the cut? What if any
one of a dozen trivial accidents Shout.
happen to keep him from getting out
of range?
The speculation fascinated him. but
he came to himself with a start when
one of the boys shouted: Run, Phil,
run! They're a-going!'
The foreman was already half way
| up the slide of loose earth at the head
Of the cut, and the cry of Fire in de
rock" went up again. Phil turned
back for farewell glance, and saw
| thing that made his blood run cold.
The athletic young Zimmerman was
striving to make good his boast of
climbing out over the loaded blasts.
Twice he essayed it, and twice slid
back to the ledge upon which he had
| been al work. 1t was too late now to
retreat down the series of giant steps
10 safety below. His only hope lay in
climbing to the head of the cutting be-
| fore the fire reached the powder.
Phil was transfXed with horror. He
could not have moved if he had tried,
not until he had seen the end of the
struggle. Again the young negro
breasted the cliff, and this time made
good his footing upon the ledge where
the fuses were splitting.
He realized his danger, but he was
too thoroughly terrified to be cautious.
and in his frantic dash up the slope
above he slipped again and rolled help
lessly back to the bench of death.
Phil saw him try to rise, saw one leg
bent at curious angle and in place
where no joint was, and was face to
face with the trial he had vowed towith-
stand. His first impulse was to cover
his eyes and run away, but he would
not yield to it.
But like flash of inspiration his ia
theirs words rang in his ears. IF his
life or that of anyone else ever depends
upon his courage
One glance at the disabled mu IL on
the rocks below, and another at the soft
slide of loose earth in the upper part
Of the cut, and his determination was
taken. Pulling his cap down over his
eyes he backed away for a running
jump which carried him clear off the
cliff and landed him upon all-fours in
the dump of soft earth, whence he
rolled swiftly down to the side of the
terrified negro.
Ignoring the two deep holes, into
which the fire was already burrowing.
he grasped the smoking fuse of the
small blast and strove to pull it out.
The tamping held it firmly, and he
could not bulge it. While he tugged
and strained the fire burned ZIP into his
hands, but he held on until it ate its
way through his clenched fingers, and
the charred end of the primer fell spit
ting and kissing on the rock.
Then he tried TO stamp it out under
his heel, and when that failed he went
down on his face and began to gnaw
the tough fuse with his teeth.
Again the fire overlook him. burning
his cheek and lips, but not before he
had bitten into the powder and so
broken its continuity.
The respite could be measured in sec
onds, but it saved two lives. The men
at the head of the cut saw what he had
done, and while he was Juggling and
lifting at the crippled Zimmerman the
foreman and two others rushed down
the dump.
They were none too soon. The res
cuers and the rescued had but barely
reached the top of the slide and safety
when the two deep blasts went off with
a sullen roar like that of subterraneau
thunder.
For few seconds the air was full of
flying missiles, and the men dragged
Phil and the young negro back under
the trees. A Gathering as of a shower
of mighty hailstones followed, and then
the noontide silence was unbroken save
by the groans of the injured man.
Philips companions received him
with becoming decorum. There are
situations too big for speech, and they
all felt that this was one of them. But
on the way down the mountain, well on
the way, in fact, and just as Phil was
turning off to go home, Dave Llewellyn
said:
Look ahere, fellows, somebody said
at school the other day that Philly CHS
bo1 n