The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-11-30
CHAPTER XXVIII-Continued.

Farther they must not go. Only VIC
and one or two others tried the long in
cline Of the 'dook" up which tho fires
were roaring Ike a chimney on fire; only
this chimney was 100 feet long, Six
hundred feet higher Johnemann stood in
tent with his nervous hands on the lever.
his eye on the index dial. which told him
how near the cage had creDJ 70 the
flames. and his ear listening for the bells.
which. from the distance OF a third OF a
mile underground signaled. Ascend -"
Descend" slowly" or snatch away
Beside him stood James Kahn. He knew
that Morris was now down there. He
knew also that II Vida escaped il would
be owing TO him. In love and war he was
his rival and the instructive antagonism
between the two men caused the Serb 70
stand there I'm the little engine house. his
muscles tense and twitchiug with desire
10 seize the lever out OF the hands of
Johnemanu and plunge the cage with all
It's occupants into the flames He might
have done il. too. but for his steady be-
lief in the imp0Ssibility OF escape from The
depths Of Pit No. ,.
The belief was Woll-fOunded. Up the
main shaft there was no way save
through the long. roaring tunnel Of flame.
After a long survey OF the principal shaft
Vic became certain that that way there
was. indeed. no hope. If not by the eX-
ira exit. narrow at the best Except on
paper and half filed with steam pipes.
certainly all was lost. He exchanged his
thick freman's attire for a sweater and
a pair Of the ordinary wide pitmen's
trousers He borrowed a broad leather
belt for his waist
A little stream of water had been fall
ing down the main shaft, only 20 be
thrown back in clouds of steam when il
reached the flames i'm the pit-throat far
below. Vic turned part OF IL upon the
heated pipes in the narrow second exit.
The steam had been cut Off in the pipes
owing L the fall of material at the pit
bottom. but the iron was still far too hot
20 venture down with any safety.
Nevertheless. he resolved 10 make the
attempt DIR. Calmont and his assistant,
Phil. who had descended with him. united
i'm dissuading him. But Vic held out. II
he could not make H. then nobody else
could. Besides. every moment gave them
less chance OF saving the girl.
IL was then Hlat Phil Calmont felt most
bitterly his inferiorty. He had called
himself an engineer above ground. but
down there in the dark the commonest
pony boy knew more than he. And far
below him. in a deeper darkness. shut
off by doors of flame. was Vida Bryan.
True. he could not help her. Even 10
die for her sake would not advantage her
I'm the least Ii was fortunate that his
father gave Phil some Of his instruments
20 polish and cover. The drip from the
roof told upon them. and DIR. Hugh Cal
mont loved them considerably more than
his children. who. generally speaking
were a nuisance to him. But after this
night he had hopes OF Phil. He knew
how to use a piece Of chamOis leather
Phil sank his nails into his palms as
Vic Morris. taking n long breath. set his
foot on the first rounds of the long
steel ladder Only by keeping very close
70 the wall could he avoid contact with
the still heated pipes. The running water
had cooled them 10 some extent, but the
narrow tunnel was filed with sitting
fumes. with whiffs OF dissoIving steam.
and. above ALL with the dull. sullen heat
radiated from the heated metal
What Vic Morris suffered in that lOne
descent can never ne known. He has not
thought Mt 10 tell ar any length.
1T was a tight job Or, perhaps in
moments Of great expansion: a little
more and 1 should have slept in the
stump that night" These came the near.
est to any description OF his experiences
But he reached the bottom. though more
than half roasted. He found that the