Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-03-10
Down The
 Drill-HOle

< x < < x < < < s 4 4 TACK PAISLEY did not know how IJ long he had been lying there on the ground, with his face hidden in his arms, and he could not have told of half the thoughts-rejoi des- perate, sorrowful-that had been passing through his brain. The won der of it was that when at last he sat up and drew his sleeve across his eyes and looked about him he realized that he had somehow been conscious all the time that boring had ceased at the new Hub well.
 Yet neither the Hub nor any other gas we'll on the ridge had been in his mind when he came out of the house. Of that he was sure. Great news, part glad, part terrible, had crowded out everything else. First, the doctor had said that Jacks fa- ther had safely passed the crisis of long and dangerous illness. Jack jumped for joy at that.
 Then Jacks mother had reported the doctors next words, that Mir. Paisley must have nourishing food. OCllCdClCS, CliIChCll1 61C lldu CIAIte as she said it, and Jacks face had paled, remembering his three pets, Tiny and Hoarsy and Dick. But Jack knew the money was about gone, and there was enough of the hero in the boy to make him stiffen his chin and answer: "Then. father must have one of my chickens, but I don't know which"
 At that his courage faltered, and he rushed out of the house. He could not choose. He would not wait to learn which chicken his mother se- lected for the slaughter.
 Of course his first wretchedness Iessened little as the moments went by. The blessed hopefulness of youth came to his relief. A chicken would not have to be killed for two or three hours, anyway-and some- thing might turn up!
 Then it was he became distinctly aware that they had stopped drill ing at the Hub well. A kind of de- fensive instinct t-urging him to guard against unhappy thoughts-turned his feet that way.
 He found Eric Sampson the driller, and Jim Dodd, the tool dresser, sit ting and smoking in philosophic ease; but MT. Johnson. the com tractor, was stamping back and forth, pausing now and then to glance gloomily at the two-and-a- quarter-inch drill-line that hung over the mouth of the we'll. Tha9fraycd end told the whole story-the rope . had parted.
 "How deep are you?" MT. Johnson demanded.
 'Jest about 25o feet,'' was tho drilIer's placid answer. Jack noticed that his calmness seemed to irritatc the contractor.
 ''Well, can't you think of any thing?" MT. Johnson cried. Have we got to lose all our work, and the tools into the bargain ?"
 Jack had drawn nearer. He waited with interest for the answer.
 "'Twon't be so easy to get 'em. You know we're using our 15-inch bit, and that cuts 16-inch hole, about. We'll, the tools are not more than four inches at the top, and since the bitsisn't fast they must be lean ing against the wall, where there's about one chance in ten thousand of getting slip-socket over them. There's stub of rope sticking up, too, that would interfere with the fishing-tool."
 "Have you no idea at all that would help us, Eric? It seems a shame to abandon the we'll. Couldn't we dig the tools out? Two hundred feet isn't much.''
 'Yes, 'tis, when most of it's blue limestone. I've been thinking of a way. Some would call it risky, but can't see how"
 Out with it!"
 "Well, I'd lower boy down there | and have him take hitch around the rope-socket.''
 Jack positively shivered-his quick | imagination had so clearly grasped l the horror of a descent into that 1 hole. MT. Johnson looked doubtful. "That's dangerous. Suppose boy 1 lost his head-did something so you couldn't get him outY'
 HWhat could he do? Let me tie the rope round him and I'll guaran- tee to pull him out"
 What about gas-bad air-water p
 eve know there's no water to amount to anything, and we haven't gone through coal or anything to make bad air. Maybe little gas settled near the bottom, but he won't need to 20 that far. The tAsols are 60
 feet long, remember, and he'll onll go down to the top of 'em.' 1 "Where'll find the boy?"
 There's one right behind 70, would do.'
 I Mr. Johnson turned and eyet Jacks slim figure. Apparently tht inspection satisfied him. Boy, would you iih9 60 earn $25?'' he said. Jack had been shuddering at tn
 bare thought of that descent. Bul $25i It would save the :necks o'