The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1906-01-18
at the utmost. he would b overeoms BY
amoke and heat

fs caught a glimpse OF blue sky dsrkened
by whirling vapor. His eyes smarted
intolerably. From the burning coal and
heated rock nauseous, penetrating
odor rolled up to biy II was eating
the lining out OF his lunss. mis- strength
grew less with every breath he was
forced to take.
Dazed by his peril. Sanders stood mo-
tionless. Then from crevice almost
under his feet thin. writhing tongue
OF fame, forked and iurid. darted sud
denly up. wrestled for a moment with
the AZ wreaths. and fiickered out as
Qr'ck . As II had come. The spparition
brought the driver TO his senses. Pre-
seconds we're passing. and instant
action vas necessary.
Lea5ing up a. high "A he could. he
th-e-- lis hants over the edge of the
hot granite. an tried to III himself to
the top, but he slipped back almost inn
mediately. The two feet that the rock
had settled meant death 10 him unless
no could devise some way 10 regsin IT.
All az once II flashed over him that
be might throw the rocks he was stand
ing IN into loose pile against the front
vall, md thus make hap high enough
to aelp him Chamber out Gould he have
done this befove the kiln settled. his
safety would have teen assured. W.
there time to do II now.
stooping, he grasped a three-cornered
fragr.-t and threw II against the wall.
Another and thea snc.her followed.
They were burning hot. except those he
: Just flung Ia rom . .op Of his
load. With bat sesd. facing the fumes
that poured exhaustlessly up, and draw
.sr them l..to his lungs with every ehok-
ing breath, re fumblsd madly over the
hard black Jumps.
In this = shion he heaped IL or IA
pieces AGAINST the granite. and then
stopped. feeling that to work longer
would destroy his only hope OF getting
out. sis eyes were bloodshot, his brain
Keeling pls temples throbbed as u they
would burst. He could ses nothing,
sould hear nothing but confused roar
ing Strengthening up. he staggered for
ward. -wo steps brought him again to
the vail
To h's horror, he found that the pile
be had built was not high enough. There
was not time 70 add to IT further. What
should he do?
Fortunately. at that moment the wind
veered. For a little while the smoke
drew away to the westward. and left
him standing clear in the heat. Only
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 envelopeo him. Then. =, 20 dropped
his e-es. he caught sight Of something
that gave him . sudden hope Of escape.
over tie ,ranite hung the end u his
grasped unavailipgly At the whip-stock.
Might he not take nrm hold Of these.
st.rt his horses. and thus be hoistsd out
Oh thu. fiery pit? fs
Barely had the ides suggested itself to
him ". en- the wind changed again. he
smoke blew back, and once no
shrouded him In its pitehy clouds.
Sanders brain wss swimming.
Strength and consciousness could not
endure more than 20 seconds longer.
His shoes we're burning on ais feet. His
skin was snriveling and cracking
With closed eyes he swayed forward,
selt about until he found the loop OF the
reins. and hooked his fingers round
them. IL would not do for him 10 bear
his shole weight upon them, for they
might sresk and let him fall back, thus
destroying his only chance. ,-->n In his
extremity he thought Of that. :,
shere was no sc TO waste. How
should he start his horses? He tried to
shout TO them, but 81 cracked and feeble
was his voice that they did not recognize
II, anc refused 10 move. Already ten
OF his precious seconds were gone.
Sane,rs s'oop"d picked DIP a fragment
OF rock, ant launched II at random.
through the smoke. In the direction Of
old white BILLY. the on leader of the
team. Fortunately, II 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 neavy stamping OF noofs. a creak-
ing OF unoiled axles. The team was In
motion.
The moment the driver fung the rock
he se'red the reins strongly again with
both hands. Barely had he done so when
the loop tightened with a quick jerk. II
was the second he had been waiting for,
the one on which his life depended.
Without ioosing his hold he sprang up,
sticking the tips OF his toes into the In
terstices between the blocks OF granite.
The force OF the pull hurled him against
the wall but he chung to the leathern
straps with desperate energy.
Had the reins given way, all would
have been lost But they were new aud
strong purchased the day S>fore TO re-
place an older pair. and they did rot
break. In mon -. Sanders was
dragged up and out OF the kiln, across
the granite edge, and along the planks OF
the staging, narrowly escaping being
run over by the broad-tired wheels
Less than a minute and a half had
elapsed since the drivers feet frst struck
the bottom OF the pi., but It would be
hard tn imagine a more fearful 30 sec.
onds than that through Thich he had
passed. As he looked back upon II after.
ward II seemed to him like brief but