Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-01-10
1t the utmost, he would be overcome tg

Iible through the Murky clouds. Above he caught g glimpse of blue sky darkened by whirllng vapor. His eyes smarted intolerably. From the burning coal and heated rock nauseous, penetrating odor rolled up to him. It was eating the lining out of his lungs. His strength grew less with every breath he was forced to take.
 Dazed by his peril, Sanders stood mo- tionless Then from a crevice almost under his feet thin, writhing tongue of flame, forked and Iurid, darted sud denly up, wrestled for a moment with the smoke wreaths, and flickered out as quickly as it had come. The apparition brought the driver to his senses. Pre- cious seconds were passing. and instant action was necessary.
 Leaping up as high as he could, he threw has hands over the edge of the hot granite, and tried to lift himself to the top, but he slipped back almost im- mediately. The two feet that the rock had settled meant death to him unless he could devise some way to regain it.
 All at once it flashed over him that he might throw the rocks he was stand ing on into loose pile against the front wall, and thus make heap high enough to help him chamber out. Could he have done this before the kiln settled, his safety would have been assured. Was there time to do 1t now?
 Stopping, he grasped three-cornered fragment and threw it against the wall. Another and then another followed. They were burning hot, except those he had just flung in from the top of his load. With bent head, facing the fumes that poured eXhaustlessly up, and draw ing them into his lungs with every chok- ing breath, he fumbled madly over the hard black Jumps.
 In this fashion he heaped 13 or IA pieces against the granite, and then stopped, feeling that to work longer would destroy his only hope of getting out. His eyes were bloodshot, his brain reeling. His temples throbbed as if they would burst. He could see nothing, could hear nothing but confused roar ing. Strengthening up. he staggered for ward. Two steps brought him again to tie wall.
 To his horror, he found that the pile he had built was not high enough. There was not time to add to it further. What should he do?
 Fortunately, at that moment the wind veered. For little while the smoke drew away to the westward. and left him standing clear in the heat. Only a few feet above him beyond the kiln edge he could see the wagon body and the backs and heads of his horses, their out lines wavering in the heated atmosphere that enveloped him. Then, as he dropped his eyes, he caught sight of something that gave him 2 sudden hope of escape. Over the granite hung the end of his reins. where they had fallen when he srasped unavailingly at the whip-stock. Might he not take firm hold of these, start his horses, and thus be hoisted out of that fiery pit?
 Barely had the idea suggested itself to him when the wind changed again. the smoke blew back, and once more shrouded him in its pitchy clouds. Sanders brain was swimming Strength and consciousness could mol endure. more than 20 seconds longer His shoes were burning on his feet. His skin was shriveling and cracking.
 With closed eyes he swayed forward felt about until he found the loop of the reins, and hooked his ringers round them. It would not do for him to bear his whole weight upon them, for they might break and let him fall back, thus destroying his only chance. Even in bis extremity he thought of that.
 There was no time to waste. How should he start his horses? He tried to shout to them, but so cracked and feeble was his voice that they did not recognize it, and refused to move. Already ten of his precious seconds were gone.
 Sanders stopped, picked up a fragment of rock, and launched it at random through the smoke, in the direction of old white Billy. the of leader of the team. Fortunately, it struck the horse fairly on his flank, rousing him suddenly from his reverie. Billy started forward and the others followed his lead. There was a heavy stamping of hoofs. a creak- ing of .unoiled axles. The team was in motion.
 The moment the driver flung the rock he seized the reins strongly again with both hands. Barely had he done so when the loop frightened with quick jerk. I, was the second he had been waiting for the one on which his life depended Without loosing his hold be sprang up sticking the tips of his toes into the in. terstices between the blocks of granite The force of the pull hurled him agains si the vail. but he chung to the leathern straps with desperate energy.
 Had the reins given way. all would have been lost. But they were new and strong, purchased the day before to re- place an older pair. and they cid no, break. In a moment Sanders was dragged up and out of the kiln. across the granite edge. and along the blanks ol the staging. narrowly escaping being run over by the broad-tirsd wheels. Less than a minute and a half had elapsed since the drivers feet first struck the bottom of the pit. but it would be hard to imagine a more fearful so sec onds than that through which he had passed. As he looked back upon it after ward it seemed to him like a brief bu, horrible nightmare re-Youth's Cnupan.