The National tribune., 1900-03-15

tunnel lay hold os tic handle apI G~ive the
bayonct iuip lie ciGy with thcir united
strength. r. E-l,; so .~.E..- II try his ucw
tool. that Sh,li t;-''!a' = r";:'~si tn. scvere
rigiaity of his ToGi re- ~ ri h;ya go into
ihr hole that cv"'i-';1 'sSasia.. ant tac first
10 try il.
The tool workc' 90 oi-'''iy Irrpe,!et
by the simultaneous acton Of Sandy's,
Sis. Monty's and Harry :; arms. the Iziiyo-
net was forced into the clay TO its shank.
This vas repeated until n circle was cut
clear arounf 4 piece o. clay. when it was
pIilie! out, and broken up to be put in the
bags. Sandy was made to come out,
when lac had demonstrate! the success of
his crvicc by getting Of the first chunk,
and then Si look tn" lead. He could work
much b'it"T than tie first night as they all
did, AM by tue time the rising moon gave
notice that they must quit, they had
pushed forward over two feet, and il seemed
that two or three nights more OF such prog
gross would bring them 10 the stockade.
The progress OF the work keyed every
one engaged in it up to a high pitch OF
excitement. They could think of nothing
else. and : was hard to talk Of Grything
else. SEad Graham had sternly pro-
hibitcd them from Speaking Of it outside OF
thc.r tent, or above Il whisper there. 81
and Shorty would put their heads together
AMI talk over 1t III low tone, and the other
boys would whisper among themselves, rs
they lay together on Tie pinetUfts. Shorty
could not Danish the subject from his mind
sufficiently 10 talk or play cards with lib
LcitS when he came in. but put him off
with excuses. As TIbbctts was still win
ming from Wad Greene and the rest. and
was absorbed with occasional flashes Of
interest i'll tunncl-hunting, he was not for
the moment strenuous to continue his
education. and accepted the excuses.
The TWO following nights it was the turn of
the lower numbers to work. and these were
unhappy. restless hours for the squad.
During the day their walks would in
evitably tend in the direction of the section
where the tunnel was located, and thew
would try to study the ground into which
ii would open outside of the stockade. At
night. one after another would slip down in
that direction. furtiyely watch the others
carrying off. and pass and repass the tent,
until Shad Graham had to warn them of the
danger of this.
Then came Shorty's turn 10 work, and he
plunged into IL with feyerish activity,
digging at a prodigiouS rate. The others
shared his excitement, and were becoming
very careless in their disposal of the great
quantities of the dirt he was producing,
until they We're sharply admonished by the
watchfui Graham. who lay on the ground
among the sick. every night, sharply
observing operations.
The nrarncSs of the approach to the
stockade greatly intensified eyerybody'S
excitement. Ii seemed that once past
those high wooden walls freedom was in
sight. In spite of Graham's discipline,
hey could not keep away. One after
another came down to the excavation, and
lay down there among the sick, where they
could be near, and catch occasional glimpses
of the carriers slipping toward the creek
with their bags of dirt. Only Alf Russell
was left in the tent in the Fourteenth De-
tachmeut, to watch it. ST was lying near
Shad Graham, and the others were scat
tered around.
A heavy, dashing shower came up, but
they lay there and took it. The creek be-
came Il raging torrent, to the great benefit
of the health OF the camp, for it sluced out
a portion of the filth. The carriers needed
no longer TO be so careful, for they could
merely throw the dirt in, and leave the
water to scatter it.
Suddenly there was an exclamation in
side the tent. which made Graham hastily
rise and go tlither toinveStigats the trouble.
What's the matter, No. 10?' he whis-
pered.
'eThe holes full of water" was the
answer. .Must've busted into spring."
No. IL emers1A from the hole, drenched
and Sandy, and finally, after minute OF
anxious waiting, Shorty struggled out,
covered with mu1. and stra ngling from the
water that had been forced down his throat.
He sat on the floor of the tent, and coughed
and sEuttered for some time. Luckily the
noise of the dashing rain drowned the
sound to those outside.
Meanwhile the tent was flooded with n
stream pouring out OF the mouth OF the
tunnel. The news was whispered TO the
anxious watchers outside.
AS soon as Shorty recovered little,
Graham took him outside, and lay down
with him on the wet sand.
What happened. No. 2O?' he asked.
Don't know exactly. Seems to me there
must be a miscalculation as to the jography,
and / dug square into Niagara Fills in
full operation. was diggin along all so
gay, and thinkin' that | was mighty near
the stOckade. when all at onct it seemed to
me that the whole Mississippi River was
turned loose on me. It's great luck that
| wasn't drownded right in there"
Your clothes are all covered with red
n.ud," said Graham, inspecting them as
well as lie could in the darkness. "Tlie
first thing 10 do is to wash them off in the
creek, SOS they won't give us away. I'll
get the other boys together, and We'll go up
a little ways. and wash the mud off"
"All right said Shorty. Let me git
these things out first"
He pulled his precious packet out of his
breast, and finding ST, handed it to him to
keep until morning. He and the others
who had been in the hole then went up To
the bridge, where they stripped, and soused
their garments in the wafer, until every
trace of the clay seemed gone.
The rain had now stopped Though it
looked as if utter failure had overwhelmed
them. 81 could not bear to give up So. He
went into the tent. to see if he could get
more information as to the nature of the
disaster. He felt around and saw that the
water was no longer gushing from the
mouth of the tunnel. and this encouraged
him TO believe that they had not struck 4
spring or Underground watercourse. He
took up the tin-can and began bailing the
water out of the hole in the bottom of the
tent. He saw that he was lowering it, and
this gave him hope.
Maybe they got up too high" said Shad
Graham, who had returned, and vas con-
sulting with him. Maybe they got up
too high, and the top caved and let the
water in. If that's so, we're gone. for the
rebels will find the hole in the morning."
The moon was now coming up. and they
surveyed the ground between the dcad-line
and the stockade anxiously, bat could see
no sign of 4 break.
We'll put the t,lt to rights as well as
we can said Graham. and I'll stay here
till daylight. and sec what happens"
III stay with you," said ST.
CTo be continued)
THE Republican managers in the Senate
propose TO modify the Puerto Rican bill
60 no IN r,erTnit the free entry of American