The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-02-15

nix DuS16Q himself ABOUT Tue nldChAA-
cry. After his first elation at being
promoted, he felt sincerely sorry for
Drew, and also little apprehensive re-
serding his new responsibility. He
vcntured o few questions about the
holster His former chief answered
them cheerfully. He bore no malice
against Hix Then, as short, stout
Italian appeared in the doorway, he
picked up his bundle and went out.
He had no definite plans as yet, but
thought that he would call on the en-
gineer at the east end of the cut.
A train of empty cars now backed
in on the spur, and for the next twenty
minutes Xix was busy at the engine,
hosting out and dumping drags as fast
as the Italians could load them. His
green fireman, jealous to furnish plen-
ty of steam, kept up roaring blaze
in the firebox.
On the bottom of the pit Carrigan di-
rected the loading Of the drags, task
that his slight knowledge of Italian
rendered by no means easy
Them dagoes1l wear me clean out!"
he muttered Now that his fit of an
ger was over, he felt sorry that he
had discharged Drew. The holes were
ready for the dynamite. He wanted to
see how his new engineer and fireman
were getting on, so he decided to go
up for the explosive himself.
Just as the last car was loaded, a
sheet of flame burst from the boiler
top. Almost fainting with terror,
Hix realized that the overheated plates
had ignited the contents of the bag.
| With a wild yell of alarm, he bolted
from the building, followed by the Ital-
ian; nor did the two stop running un-
til they had put safe. distance be-
tween themselves and the threatening
danger.
Carrigan had just set foot on the bot
tom of the latter when he heard run
ming feet above and Hix's panic-strick-
| en- yell:
The dynamites afire!'
The shout fell like the trump of
doom ON the workers penned in the
pit. An explosion would send building,
machinery and loaded cars hurting
down upon them. And not a man
would escape death or manning.
All the strength went out Of the
hig boss's legs, and he wilted on the
feldspar Round him the shrieking
Italians scurried frantically. Some fiat
tened themselves behind boulders. 9th
ers vainly tried to climb the steep
walls. But not one dared to approach
the ladder at the top of which stood the
engine-house, with the smoke stream
ing from it's windows.
With an effort Carrigan pulled him
self together. He had courage enough.
With trembling limbs and pasty face
he began climbing in the direction Of
the peril. He knew that nothing could
be expected from Hix or the Italian.
oh, if he had not been so hasty in dis
charging Drew!
The former engineer was just return
ing from the eastern end of the cut
He was about a hundred feet away
when the fleeing men burst from the
building, and the smoke and flame pro-
claimed what had happened He in
stantly understood the situation. For
a moment he hesitated Why should
he, a man discharged unjustly for try
ing to prevent this very catastrophe
risk his life for a crowd of foreigners?
Then, as full perception came of what
an explosion would mean to the men
trapped in the gulf below the loaded
cars, he started for the house on the
run.
Inside was a smoky darkness, light
ed by f1ame-jets leaping from boiler
top to ceiling. A strong sulphurous
smell pervaded the air The rafters
were charring. The windows were
covered with black, greasy SCOT. Down
the steel plates and into the cinders
below was trickling melted mass of
deadly explosive.
Drew's head was cool and clear. He
was familiar with the freakiness of
burning dynamite. 1t might consume
itself harmlessly, or at any second a
thunderclap might come that would
wipe out the entire plant and kill every
man in the vicinity.
Standing on an empty box close to
the boiler, he reached up, and with his
gloved hands brushed aside the charred
folds of the bag. Grasping two blaz-
ing sticks, he ran hundred feet from
the building, and laid them carefully
on the ground. Then back he hurried
for another pair. Until the last of the
dynamite was carried out and extin-
suished the danger would not be over;
for single stick might do nearly as
much damage as all
A pail OF water caught his eye as he
entered the house the second time. He
laid the next two sticks on the brick
hearth, and poured thin stream on
their flaming ends. They sputtered
and cracked ominously, and be desist-
ed, fearing that even such slight con-
fnement of the explosive might bring
about the very catastrophe he was