The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1905-01-06
mC LINK-CLANKl clink-clank!"

ffC LINK-CLANKl clink-clank!"
L Three men crouched In the
shelter Of a hut made Of sheets OF
corrugated iron. They did not stir.
They scarcely breathed. The ther-
mometer indicated a temperature OF
135 degrees.
Before the door Of the hut rose q
skeleton tower Of iron beams. It re-
sembled the derrick of a Pennsylvania
oil well. Over a wheel at the top OF
this structure ran a wire rope which,
descending perpendicularly. disap-
peared within a well-like cavity some
20 inches In diameter. The other end
was coiled around drum operated by
an electric motor which automatically
stopped-reyersed- stopped
started. Up and down, up and down,
moved the cable with monotonous reg
ularity. "Clink-clankl Clink clanki"
1t was the only sound that disturbed
the intense. suffocating stiffness.
Outside, the horizon line receded to
the uttermost limit Of vision In all
directions. A level waste Of yellow
sand met the eye wherever 1t turned,
rejecting the almost vertical rays Of
the sun with an indescribable fierce
ness. The atmosphere swan In SHIN
mering streaks.
The enormous palpitating disc Of the
desert was bisected by a single line
of rails which dwindled TO vanishing
points to the north and TO the south.
The rails rested on broad bases Of metal
like huge, inverted soup plates. which
enabled the road to lie firmly upon the
treacherous sand. Between the rails
was placed the insulated cable which
brought the electrical current to the
motor. A semaphore signal. planted
upright In the sand like a contorted
skeleton. a few scattered tools, some
bits of piping and abandoned pieces Of
machinery, completed the catalogue OF
objects Of definite outline The motor
buzzed drowsily:
"Clink-clanki clink-clankl"
This particularly undesirable spot
upon the worlds surface was marked
on the map Of the new Trans-Saharan
railway as Station Ism. The railway
was the latest audacious engineering
exploit of the French. II connected
Algiers in a automatically straight
line with Timbuctoo, and was expected
to bring riches Of the eastern Soudan
10 the Mediterranean shores. Station
Ism was full 400 miles north Of the
southern terminus, in the hottest heart
Of the great Sahara. Just under the line
Of the tropic. The three men IN the
hut were drilling an artesian well that,
when pierced, would create an arti-
fetal oasis. The drilling apparatus
was perfectly made and almost human
In its intelligence. II would work for
hours without Bellesu. the chief. touch
ing a lever.
Belleau was an old gray man. we'd
ded to one idea. the success Of tho
Trans-Saharan. Littlefeld. his assis-
tant. was an American, young and en-
thusiastic. Colet was a student OF the
Technological school, who acted as
helper and general utility man.
"Ah, how Internally hot this Isl"
muttered Colet at last, as he tried
vainly TO find a place where 1t was a
degree or two cooler. What wouldn't
| give for a good swim nowl"
49, ~@-~
Keep still, there's a good fellow"
expostulated Littleheld. you are
kicking up this dry sand and It won't
settle again in a dogs age. Don't
knock all our grub over. either. The
Tauregs may stop the supply train, and
vegetables don't grow in this country.
Therel you've gone and done it,"
For Colet had given another roll
and dislodged a pile of boxes OF pro-
visions which, with miscellaneous
lot Of clothing and instruments. came
crashing down in heap
When they had been restored to
their places Belleau awoke from a
troubled slumber. He glanced at bic