Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-23

were comparatively safe; all that was nee
essary was not to expose ourselves to iden-
uf1catlon as strangers.
We found that an immense quantity Of
fine sand and small round stones We're be-
ing hauled out. Watching an opportunity,
We concealed ourselves in an empty car
and were taken right into the tunnel. 1t
was brilliantly Illuminated with naphtha
torches and as the train rumbled into 1t
and watched the chickering's of the
light on the rock overhead it reminded us
of our cave. The train stopped with our
car directly opposite the door of the little
office occupied by the civil engineer in
charge and his assistant. Carefully we
raised our noses above the edge of the car
and looked in.
Three men, who. in spite of their over
alls, were evidently not laborers. sat on
benches. smoking cigars and talking.
bill, said one, what do you suppose is
old JaSonS idea in sticking to this job?
He can haul quicksand out o. here till hes
ninety; yes. or one hundred years old. ard
he'll never get through. It's my opinion
that this whole ridge is merely a shell of
rock. holding an unlimited supply Of the
stuff, and you can tap it wherever you
be tunneled anywhere
What do you s'pose Jason cares about
that?" responded Bill Hes doing all
right. AS long as the English stockholders
keep putting up the cash he can make more
money hauling qutcksand than he could
operating the road
Yes. and it doesn't follow that he'll
never get through. either" added the third
Il have a plant will cost a pile of mon
ey, to be surely which I believe I can
overcome this difficulty The time isn't
ripe for it yet. though I'll walt till the
stockholders begin to get after the old man.
and he finds himself in tight box, then
I'll spring my plan on him and name my
price. ] tell you. boys, there'll be wagon
loads OF money dumped into this hole and
I propose to get some of It,"
The train started again, and we were car
ried to within fifty feet Of where large
gang Of laborers were filling the cars from
a pile OF sand that sloped down from the
roof of the tunnel in front We watched
though they worked fast filing the cars
very quickly, they made not the slightest
impression on the pile. which flowed stead
lily into the tunnel. retaining its formation
in spite Of their efforts.
I advised Tommy to get quietly out Of the
car on the dark side and wait for me. He
did So and followed his example. rolling
over the edge so as to expose myself as lit
tie as possible. Unfortunately. one of the
laborers must have caught a glimpse CT
me. for he exclaimed In terrified tones:
Saints preserve us! Pwhat's that?"
"Pwhat's attn ye, Mixer asked another,
jeeringly.
"Nothin's atm me. an you'd say so If
We seen pwhat I seen"
"An' pwhat did We see, bye?"
81 seen a horse wild horns on him a fut
long Jump clane over CNar an through
the side o. the tunnel like 1t wuZ paper"
"Betther let up on Nolan's whisky bit,
me boy: we're gittin' 'em agin"
During the laugh that greeted this I'M
doubtedly good advice we sneaked quietly
along the dark side Of the train, past the
engine. and out of the tunnel. A watch
man hailed us, but we took leg bail He
set his dog on us-a big, ugly brute-and.
knowing we could not outrun him, we took
refuge behind the big pile of quicksand.
where there were lots of handy stones
When the dog found us he realized his mis-
take, for we opened on him with fusillade
that sent him yelping back to his master
This brought an alarm whistle from the
Waterman. and We saw lights fitting hur-
riedly. There was no time for plans. and
no choice. anyway, so we legged 1t out of
there lively.
They chased us for half an hour but as
they only had one dog, and he was dis
couraged, We got away. When we were
sure they had given up the chase we sat
sultation. We had learned that there was
an apparently insurmountable obstacle to
tunnelfng into Greytown. Why, then, could
not Melton successfully compete?
There's our cave" suggested Tommy,
that's about where they'd want to go
| through; and it would be big help, sh'd
| think"
Course 1t would: then there's the coal;
| they could burn that in their engines-save
EN- buying coal"
"Oh I guess that don't amount to much
we got most O. that; don't believe there's
much left"
Don't you worry about that. there's lots
| Tommy; this is too big Job for US to han
| die: We better tell Judge Davis"
That's it, cried Tommy enthusiastic
caliy, you've hit 1t; wen tell the Judge,