Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-02-25
DOWN The DRILL HOLE.

DOWN The DRILL HOLE.
2. Jack Paisley did not know how long
ne had been lying there on the ground,
with his face hidden in his arms, and
he could not have told of half the
notwithstanding. desperate sor.
rowful-that had been passing through
shis brain. The wonder of 1t 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-well 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 father had safely
passed the crisis of a long and dan.
gerous illness. Jack jumped for Joy
at that.
Then Jacks mother had reported
the doctors next words, that Mr..
Paisley must have nourishing food,
deltcacies. chicken! She had cried as
she had said it, and Jacks face had
paled, remembering his three pets,
Tiny and Hoarsy and Dick. But Jack
XIV 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 l 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 select
ed for The slaughter.
OF, course his first Indebtedness
lessened little as the moments went
by. The blessed hopefulness of youth
came to his relief. chicken would
not have to be killed for two or three
hours. anyway-and something might
turn up!
Then it was that he became dis
tinctly aware that they had stopped
drilling at the Hub Well A kind of
defensive misunderstanding him to
guard against unhappy thoughts
turned his feet that way.
He found Eric Simpson, the driller,
and Jim Dodd, the tool-dresser, sitting
and smoking in philosophic ease; but
MIR. Johnson, the contractor. 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. The
frayed end told the whole story; the
rope had parted.
How deep are you?" Mr.. Johnson
demanded
Jest about two hundred and fifty
feet" was the driller's placid answer.
Jack noticed that his calmness seemed
to irritate the contractor.
WELL can't you think of anything?"
Mr.. 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 flfteen-inch bit,
and that cuts a sixteen-inch hole,
about. Well, the tools are not more
than four inches at the top, and since
the bit isn't fast they must be leaning
against the wall, where there's about
one chance in ten thousand of getting
a 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? 1t is shame to aban-
don the we'll. Could We dig the tools
out? Two hundred feet isn't SO much"
Yes, but most of it's blue lime.
stone. I've been thinking of 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 the
horror of a descent into that hole. Mr..
johnson looked doubtful. That's dan.
gerous. Suppose boy lost his head
did something so you couldn't get
him out?"
What could he do? Let me tie the
rope round him. and I'll guarantee to
pull him out"
What about gas-bad air-water?'
1--WE 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 settleu
near the bottom. but he won't need to
60 that far. The tools are sixty feet
long, remember, and he'll only go down
to the top Of EN-"
"Where'll find the boy?"
There's one right behind you would
do"
Mr.. Johnson turned and eyed Jacks
slim figure. Apparently the inspection
satisfied him. boy, would you like
to earn twenty-five dollars?" he said.
Jack had been shuddering at the
bare thought of that descent. But
twenty-five dollars! 1t would save the
necks of Tiny and Hoarsy and Dick. II
would be wealth to the family just
now. Would he like to earn twenty
five dollars?
Eyes, sir!" he answered, eagerly
"Ill give you twenty-five dollars II
you'll go down this well-its pretty
deep-and tie rope around the tools.
I'm ready, sir" Inspired now by
the thought of twenty-five dollars
Jack was sure he'd be all right. Sc
would Tiny, Hoarsy, Dick and father.
Good boy!" said Eric. He detached
the sand line from the bucket and
showed Jack how to make the hitch,
having him do it number of timef
with his eyes shut. Then Eric TIED
the line under the boys arms. and tc
relieve the strain on his body, looped
the end for his feet. The end OF the
main sand line In Jacks hand, all wal
IN readiness,