Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-02-25
IAN right. Lower away!" JacK

had passed through clay, following
out a big hob which had been cased
with wood to keep 1t from caving in;
SO here there was plenty of room. AS
Eric had cautioned him, Jack refrain
ed 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 de-
scent was only begun.
The wooden casing ended at a stra-
tum of sandstone, and here the hole
had funneled down to sixteen inches in
diameter. and there was barely room
for the boy to pass. Slowly tle 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 long time.
When he opened them again utter
blackness incompassed him.
His imagination was going wild now.
Terrible stories Of men deceiving and
killing boys came to his mind. OF
course that story of the lost tools was
cruel falsehood, invented to induce
him to go down. The wen had no
bottom! How warm it was. They
would let him down into the center of
the earth, where there ere lakes of
fire and molten rocks; He would not
go!
Desperately he thrust out his feet
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 tried
not to think. Suddenly his foot struck
some yielding substance, the lowering
process stopped, and voice that SEEM
ed to come out of the solid rock and
fill all space with sound said:
Hello! Have you reached them
YETI"
Amusement, added to his fears, made
the boy dumb. Presently the voice
came again:
Hello. down there! Can't you
hear?"
What is it?' Jack asked, in falter.
ing accents.
Have you reached the tools yet?"
All, 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"
"All right! 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 called. Its FAST"
The return began. Jack looked up.
Not a ray of light reached him. The
well was blackness. Were they real
ly lifting him? After 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 1t was so very small.
And he was wild now to get out. Sup.
pose the rope should break!
Just then he felt the air cold 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
you're bully one for grit"
Here's your twenty-five dollars"
said Mr.. johnson. "And thank you,
too! You're mighty brave little
mani" But he did not say this till
the heavy iron rose by Jacks hitch in
the dark.
With his money in his hand, Jack
set off at run. What If 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 pardon
from the governor. They did not seem
at all impressed
But mother! He did not know what
fearful thing he had done for that
blessed money until he saw her pale
as he told the story and felt her shud-
der as she clasped him, worse than he
had shuddered in the hole.-Youth's
Companion.