The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-10-11

at that Steal it. take it. get it, man
a1iver'
And as he stood waiting he looked
| back between the steel rails running
east past Nemagosenda, Metagama and
Nipissing till they struck the Ottawa
river and went through under the
crowned city of Ottawa to Montreal.
And westward, westward lay the
mighty mountains. and beyond them
was the sea.
"Let US get our bit done, my men,"
said the doctor Of the swamp. "Oh. |
just mean getting it done"
The storeleepcr came hurriedly, try
ing not to run for the sake Of his dig
nifty and hardly daring to walk while
the half tanned bear. Archer. danced on
/ the hot plate Of his desire.
So Archer snatched q long clearing
rod from the hands Of his man and.
| with it over his shoulder, started back
for his sick spot in the railroad, like u
thick set little surgeon handling pro-
bang and hungering for enlightenment,
doctor, and no dilettante or mere fun
bier at that.
"I'll drain you," he said savagely.
''I'll give you beans. I'll rake up your
yitals, my precious swallower Of To-
comotives. I'll make you mud spot
and scrape you dry with a shovel"
His eyes frightened, and he walked
with a swing Three deep lines be-
twix his eyes were now two, and if his
diagnosis Of this swamp disease were
but accurate he would smooth out
these to Il single crease.
He got back to his drain, the slow
and dismal creek, and saw Charley
Wade in the distance coming up from
the lake in a rotten shell called boat.
"Step light or you'll step through,
sir" said Charley. "She's basket
and as crazy as state asylum"
"Was it easy rowing up, Wade?" ask
ed the little bear. handling his rod like
harpoon.
easier up here than below said
Wade, and the bear gruntcd joyfully.
"And still she tells you nothing?"
Wade looked up chopfallen.
'Not word, sir"
"You came through place where it
was bit weedy, eh?'
81 did," said Wade.
"Let her drift" said Archer, like
bear when he smells honey.
And he let his iron hang deep in the
water, but found no bottom.
"rm on mud" said the boss, and he
stood up.
aLet her drift" he said sharply, and
lie jabbed into thick ooze.
"Not yet" he growled. go lower"
Again he jabbcd at the under earth,
and the rod went deeper.
"Ughw said the boss, and there were
three lines between his half closed
eyes.
ooh, yard morew he cried to Wade,
and then he rammcd again at the earth
and struck q rib. The diyining rod
rang.
ooh, I've got it." said the surgeon,
and the world was q. happy place for
him that moment. 81 touched her
oh, touched her! Ribs O. rock"
Wade opened his eyes and under
! stood.
"Hurrahw he cried.
"You read her now" said Archer,
with the open brows Of child.
"She's A, B, c." laughed Wade, and
/ the boss and the boy shook hands.
What greater JOY than to circumvent
the ancient, cunning earth! The Maker
Of Things and the builder can Ceclare
it. Let those of q city's meaner joys
and those who play their little wills
against q brother ants brains laugh If
they will, but they are nothing in rhe
scales Of Fate when God holds the bal
ance and sets against their golden
plumpness some natural lord Of the
open air.
"Say nothing about this, Wade; not a
word" cried Archer. "Some Of you
think I'm nothing but a whip and
spur"
'Not l." said Wade. II told EN-
"Lemme ashore" cried Archer, "and
take your boat back"
He marched to the camp triumphant
| holding his hat in his hand.
"Send me quick three rock men, with
drills and dynamite" he cried east
"And this is private" he added to the
operator ticking the message.
And early next morning he had three
lads Of metal drilling under water into
rib Of the earth.
"There's nothing in il" said Scott, Il
bit sullly at being dispossessed Of the
initiative by this brigadicr who believ-
ed he saw the enemy's weak spot.
"There'll be dynamite in it," said
Wade 10 himself. "And grumpy Arch
ers in it, and he's whale at things"
And grumpy Archer growlcd and
swore and tramped and stamped and
walked round and round his swamp
and up and down it and waited for the
crisis and the proof. Between his eyes
came other lines, and they were criss-
crossed with other wrinkles.
"I'll rake your insides out" he told
the swamp that regarded him with fat,
black contempt and stood in ooze. III
rake and scrape you and make dry
peat of you and get my locomotive
!, back"
The lads drilling went at 1t steadily,
and when one hole was made under
A Il ~, ,ny