The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-07-19
around jernigan's body, and presently
the tunnel no longer grumbled. !.

the tunnel no longer grumbled. :
Now, Swanson" said Jernigan, you
so up and get those men out here" He
said other things about his crew not
necessary to set down in this place.
Swanson started promptly, but he
had not gone far when he heard Jerni-
gan shout. He turned and saw the
sub-boss spread out his arms and be-
gin to struggle. The big Swede ran
STOPPING through the water. He saw
instantly what the matter was. The
air pressure was driving Jernigan bod
lily into the soft mud. Already his body
had nearly disappeared. His head rest
ed against the rim of the tunnel, and
he was grasping desperately to hold
himself inside. His face was white,
and he could not speak Swanson
seized him by the collar; his shirt tore
away. Then the great Swede took hold
of his arms and drew him from the en-
quilting mud by main force. He fell
unconscious in Swanson's arms. In
stantly there came the gurgling of es-
Gaping air, then a wild inrushng tor
rent of mud and water.
Swanson ran, at first with the sub
boss in his arms, the water surging
about his legs, but lie was soon so ham
pered that he drew Jernigan's Shout
derS under him arm and then rushed
on again, dragging his burden. The
heavy air roared in his ears, and he
choked with the humping of his heart
He had already been under pressure
longer than the usual time. And still
he waded, the water now up to his
waist. He held Jernigan's head above
the flood.
Thus he came to the air lock and
pounded on the steel door. He knew
that there was not one chance in a
thousand that any one would dare to
open 1t, for the water was already
above the upper frame. There. too.
had come Billy, the tunnel mule, drag
ging his empty car behind him. He
had not hurried, though he realized that
something was wrong. and he now
stood with quiet patience, his nose
close pressed to the steel door. 1t had
always opened to him before. He had
faith to believe it would open now.
Although sore pressed, Swanson
strolled the mules rough neck, then
bent his shoulder into the water and
unlocked the harness traces. He felt
that there was no chance for any of
them, but he wanted to give Billy an
equal opportunity to fight for his life
There We're presently just room and air
between the top of the tunnel and the
of f11.Al tor 70 dat
sons head and Jernigan's, which
Swanson held up. Swanson could see
the long row of electric lights cleaning
on the muddy flood. They We're at the
highest point in the tunnel, and the
water had not yet reached them.
Again he knocked on the wall, and
some one knocked in reply. Swanson
fancied there We're voices, but he could
not make out what was said for the
buzzing in his ears, but the door did
not open. A few feet away the soft
gray nose of Billy, the mule, rose above
the water. Swanson reached out and
touched it With dripping fingers. There
was beseeching look in the dumb eyes,
as ii the mule knew that he could not
last much longer. Swanson said moth
ing. There was a strange likeness be-
tween the man and the brute. Both
We're slow, dull, powerful of body, with
the patience that outwears suffering
and the dumb, accomplishing faith
that goes down to death without a
CULVER. Neither made an cutlery. Hav-
ing done all that was possible, they
waited. Swanson'S eyes presently be-
gan to fail him. The lights grew dim,
but he still held Jernigan's head above
the water.
ground were drawing to their utmost
on the flood, and the engines were driv-
ing compressed air into the deep work
ings, though those outside had little
hope of rescuing the cntombed men,
and yet, what human hands We're So
weak in doing, blind circumstance had
already accomplished, for the terrific
thrush Of water at the tunnels end had
brought in great quantities Of sand,
clay and powders. which soon filled the
tunnel for many feet and finally chok-
ed the break, SO that water could no
longer enter.
The tunnel had overreached itself in
it's treachery, and now, slowly, the
pumps and the compressors began to
lower the flood within the pressure
workings. Swanson was dimly con-
scious of the change He felt the wa
ter, which was icy cold to his half
naked body, leave his shoulders, then
creep down his breast He was lean
ing now against the wall, still holding
Jernigan up. Presently, though he
fought against it, he sank to his knees
and thus they found him, with the
mules gray nose resting on his shoul
der They dragged the two men into
the air lock. followed by rush of wa.
ter. Both were unconscious. Billy tried
to follow, but they pushed him back
and when the door was closed he still
stood there patiently, waiting with
faith the rough kindness of his mas
tiers. He had known all along that the
door some way, some time, would