Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-03-10

'I'll give you $25 if you'll go down this well--it's pretty deep-and tie a rope around the tools..''
 I'm ready, sir Inspired now by the thought of $25 Jack was sure he'd be all right. So would Tiny, Hoarsy, Dick and father.
 "Good boy!" said Eric. He de- tached the sand-line from the bucket and showed Jack how to make the ''hitch," having him do it a number of times with. his eyes shut. Then Eric tied the. line under the boys arms, and to- relieve the strain on his body, looped the end for his feet. The end of the main sand-line in Jacks hand, all was in readiness.
 ''All right. Lower away!" Jack said, bravely.
 For the first 20 feet the drill had passed through clay, hollowing out big hole which had been cased with wood to keep it from caving in; so here there was plenty of room. As Eric had cautioned him, Jack re- trained from looking up, but watched the wooden walls rise slowly in the dim light, and wondered if he would not soon be at the bottom. But the descent was only begun.
 The wooden casing ended at stratum of sandstone, and here the hole had funneled down to 16 inches in diameter, and there was barely room for the boy to pass. Slowly he sank, rubbing against the damp walls. The men were lowering him by hand, very carefully. Jack wished they would hurry.
 The darkness deepened until he could not distin gllish the rock before his face, and still the downward course continued He closed his eyes and waited what seemed long time. When he opened them again utter blaclxness encompassed him.
 His imagination was going wild now Terrible stories of men de- ceiving and killing boys came to his mind. Of course that story of the lost tools was cruel falsehood, in- vented to induce him to go down. The well had no bottom! How warm it was! They would let him down into the center of the earth, where there were lakes of fire and molten rocks! He would not go!
 Desperately he thrust out his foot to stop himself. But the smooth walls of rock afforded no foothold, and, ut- terly helpless, he sank down, down, downi
 He closed his eyes again, and tried not to think Suddenly his foot struck some yielding substance, the lowering process stopped, and a voice that seemed to come out of the solid rock and fill all space with sound, said:.
 Hello! Have you reached them yet?'' 5
 Amazement, added to his fears, made the boy dumb. Presently the voice came again:
 Hello, down therel Can't you hear?''
 "What is it?'' Jack asked, in fal- tering accents.
 "Have you reached the tools yet?"
 An, then. there were tools there miles underground! Then there must be bottom for them to rest on! Jacks. confidence returned.
 ''My feet are on something that moves" he said.
 That's the cable. Push it aside."
 'AlI right! I have!" Jack called.
 The lowering began again. Jack managed to worm past the cable end, and then he felt the iron rope-socket.
 "That's far enough!" he cried.
 Making the hitch with such limited showroom was no easy matter, but at last it was accomplished.
 .tAll right!" he cried. "It's fast!"
 The return began. Jack looked up. Not ray of light reached him. The we'll was blackness. Were they really lifting him? After a long time he saw a disk of light, but it was no larger than saucer. Had the we'll closed in while he was below? { To be sure the opening enlarged as he gazed, but still it was so very spalIl And he was wild now to get out. Sup pose the rope should breakl Just then he felt the cold air about him: he was pulled out of the hole, and stared round on the sunlight and the | sky with keener joy than any he had | ever known.
 "Good boy, again!" said Eric.
 Here's your coat" said Jim. "And 1 you're bully one for grit!" | Heres your pGO, Saiu NIT. JOnnSOn. "And thank you, too! You're mighty brave little mani" But he did not say that till the heavy iron rose by Jacks hitch in the dark.
 With his money in his hand, Jack set l off at a run. Whatif his mother had already killed one of the chickens! But no, there they were, clucking and pecking as usual. He held out the roll of bills to them like a pardon from the governor. They did not seem at all 1 impressed.
 But mother! He did not know vhat fearful thing he had done for that blessed money until he saw her pale as he told the story and felt her shudder as she clasped him, worse than he had shuddered in the hole.-Youth's Companion.
 l tA-+s Are Strong. l A. .. Miller recently weighed small l ant and a dead grasshopper which it