The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1903-04-11

HH# a&N
There's one righs behind ynr
would do"
Mr.. Johnson turned and eyed
jacks Slim figure. Apparently tae
inspection satisfied him: "Boy, would
you like to earn s25?" he said.
Jack had been shuddering at the
bare thought of that descent. But
SIS! It would save the necks Of
Tiny and Hoarsy and Dick. Il would
be wealth to the family just now.
Would he like to a S25?
Yes; sir!" ne answered, eagerly.
'Tll give you s25 if you'll 60 down
this well-iG's pretty deep-and tic a
rope around the tools"
Ppm ready, sir" Inspired now by
the thought of s25 Jack was sure
he'd be all right. So would Tiny,
Hoarsy, Dick and father.
Good bOyl' said Eric. He de-
tsched 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, following out a
big hole which had been cased with
wood to keep it from eaving 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 a
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 distinguish the rock before
his face, and still the downward
course continued. He. closed his eyes
and waited what seemed a long time
When he opened them again utter
blackness encompassed him.
His Imagination was going wild
now. Terrible stories of men dc.
ceiving and killing boys came to his
mind. OF course that story of the
lost tools was a 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.
down!
He closed his eyes again, and triednot
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:
"Hellol Have you reached them
yet?"
Amusement, added to his fears, made
the boy dumb. Presently the voice
came again;
Hello, down therel Can't you
hear?"
"what is ito" Jack asked, in fall
tering accents.
"Have you reached the tools yet?"
An, then there were tools there
miles underground Then there must
be a bottom for them to rest onl Jacks
confidence returned.
my feet are on something that
moves" he said.
'That's the cable. Push it aside"
"All 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
elbow-room was no easy matter, but
at Last it was accomplished.
"All right" he cried. It's fast!"
The return began. Jack looked IN.
Not a ray of light reached him. The
well was blackness. Were they really
lifting him? After a long time he
saw a disk of light, butt it was no larger
than a saucer. Had the well closed in
while he was below?
To be sure, the opening enlarged as
he gazed, but still it was so very smalIl
And he was wild now to get out. Sup
pose the rope should break!
Just then he felt the cold air about
him; he was pulled out of the hole, and
stared round OF the sunlight and the
sky with a keener joy than any he had
ever known.
"Good boy, again!" said Eric.
Here's your coat" said jim. "Apd
you're a bully one for griti"
Here's your $25," said Mr.. johnson.
"And thank you, too! You're mighty
brave little mani" But he did not saw
that till the heavy iron rose by Jacks
hitch in the dark.
With his money in his hand, Jack set
off at a run. What if his mother had
already killed one of the chickensl
But no, there they were, cIucking and
oecking as usual. He held ont the roll