The Meeker herald., 1906-10-13
MINERS FATE IN
HANDS OFMADMAN


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Svest level. Immediately. howsvss.
he threw the electric controller fof.
ward q notch, then another. then full
on, and the drum began to revolve IN
the other direction. Up wound tAs
cable, the drum fairly buzzing. Perry
kept his eyes on the shaft. Suddealy
tho bucket whixsed out Of the opening
up into the sunlight. Perry threw OF
the controller. snapped on the brakes.
and tho bucket stopped. bare six
inches from the top of the galloWs
frame. Then of came the brakes. and
down swooped the bucket into the
shaft again. When It got down, Il
came up again; when 1t was mp. It
went down again-all at a vertiginous
speed. And this Is tho game that for
two hours. alone upon the top Of Gold
Hill, the mad engineer played.
AZ for Wright, meanwhile. he was
not having a nice timc. When Pugh
had made his discreet exit he had
found himself In q motionless bucket,
swinging idly between two levels. He
was just reaching over to ring two
bells for further descent when tAs
bucket started down. His satisfAc.
ton was Of short duration. however.
Down dropped the bucket at = speed
that Jumped Wright's heart Into his
mouth. There were big drops Of
Precipitation upon his honest brow
when the thing clambering down.
when-"x.x-z.z.z-z"-t bucket began
to slide upward. Tho speed increased
to q mad one. This time no was sure
there was something wrong. and 10.
very wisely, he dropped to the bot
tom Of the bucket making himself ~
small rs possible. and anchoring him
self with his feet and back. Up he
shot; q stream of golden sunlight
blinded him; he had faint vision OF
the scaffolding above. and then. just
as he had made up his mind no was
dead-the bucket stopped. 1t swurs
second there. then down 1t weEt
again with dizzying swoor.
The Impressions of Wright during
the next two hours might be very H.
teresting-4nly he didn't have any I'm.
pressions. About on his third MAD
trip up and down the shaft no DIG
creetly shut his eyes and tainted
away. He doesn't call 1t "faintinx."
He says he Just got dizzy" So dis
zy" did he get, indeed. that 1t toAL
most of half a day to revive him. AID
even now he xigzags crafty as he
walks. and swears he will never again
be caught in any kind Of an elevator.
Meanwhile Pugh was walking and
running down the hill toward town.
The first man he met there was L. N
Sullivan, the principal owner OF the
Jumping Jack mine. The two mon
started back up the hill. When they
reachcd the top they peered down Into
the h0isting house through the back
window, which had served for Pugh's
precipitous exit. From there they
could see Perry intent upon his work.
alternately putting on power and
brake. The machine buzzed and tho
cable whizzed. and, looking at the
mouth Of the shaft. they could see at
regular intervals the bucket shoot up
and down again. 1t seemed empty.
and they thought Wright dead.
The concentration with which Perry
PA@S SA hsc NS"oiy 6NAAS "19 uA6 uAA00-
ing. Noiselessly jumping through the
window. Sullivan sprang upon him
from behind. pinioning his arms.
Meanwhile. Pugh stopped the bucket
at the surface, and then the two men.
after sharp struggle. succeeded IN
throwing the mailman to. the ground
and tying him up with rope. Then
they found Wright. limp. at the bot
tom of the bucket
Perry was painting in a corner of the
hoistroom. trussed up like sausage.
What did you do that for?" asked
Sullivan heatedly.
THAT fellows name is Jack. ism:
it," counterquestioned Perry. pointing
to the limp form of Wright.
What has that got to do with it!''
swell. was Just jumping the Jack,
that's ALL" scowled Perry, turning his
face to the wall.
So far this is the only explanation
he has vouchsafed. and he Is plainly
insane.
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