The citizen., 1908-07-31

away DIT Slxleen-IOOC DlaStlng-nOio
in a shelf on the face of a perpen-
dicular bluff overlooking the river.
Above their heads the gray rock
rose sheer forty feet; beneath was
drop of a hundred and sixty to the
dump.
Handy, a red-beared giant, two
inches over six feet and fat in the
bargain, tipped the scales at two
hundred and forty pounds. Kline
was a wiry little skipjack, eight
inches shorter, and weighing almost
hundred pounds less. Both, how
ever, were skilled workmen, ard
minded the eight-score feet beneath
them no more than so many inches
Dan had been structural-steel
worker on dizzy "sky-scrapers, and
his mate had furled royals on every
ocean of the globe.
The drill was cutting down the
hard trap at one end of the ledge
In the thin soil that overspread the
rock grew scanty grasses. One stilt
of the tripod touched the outer edge.
Straight down the front of the cliff
hung the steam-hose from the boiler
beyond the summit.
Dan, turning the feed-screw
handle, directed the steel point prob
Ing the depths of the ledge. The
machine seemed to be part of him;
ne could feel every throb and beat,
as it pounded away, obedient to the
hundred pound pressure from the
boiler. Meanwhile Sammy tight
ened up the chuck-bolt, pumped the
mud from the deepening hole. and
poured down dipper after dipper of
water. The exhaust steam envel-
oped them in little white cloud.
Round their feet spread a thin blue
sauce of powdered rock. and the
mud-gouts spattered their clothing,
as four times a second the whirling
drill rose and descended.
The sun baked the cliff front. But
the morning mist still covered the
broad river with an irregular, fleecy
blanket, pierced by the moving
masts and tall smoke-stacks of
larger craft, while the smaller
|. puffed unseen below. From the base
OF the bluff broke suddenly a harsh
roar. The stone-crusher. for which
tney were furnishing food, had be-
gnn its daily grind.
- Chug-g-g-g! The machine ham,
mered necessarily, dancing to the
explosive staccato of the exhaust
pipe. But for the hundred-an
twenty-fiye-pound weight on each
leg, it would have jumped over into
the abyss. 1t was DIS il a monstrous
wingless steel wasp, all legs and no
body, were boring into the shelf.
The hole was already down four
teen feet. Two more, and it would
be done, completing the battery of
dozen. which, loaded with dyna-
mite and fired simultaneously, were
expected to send the entire ledge
crashing down on the dump.
Handy's practised ear told him it
was time to exchange the dull drill
for fresh one
Shut off that steam," he shout
ed; and the machine stopped. Send
down your siXteen-foot drill"
Soon the long steel bar swung
clinking down the cliff face. to take
the place of the other, which was
sent back by the same rope.
Turn on your steam," rose
Handy's shout; and again the ma
chino started.
Kline had Just finished funny
story that made the big drill-runner
shFke ike a jelly; his roar of laugh
Ter almost drowned the putting of
the exhaust. He was looking far
down the river, from which the last
vestige OF mist had disappeared
"Aen mis- attention was recalled by
a startled exclamation from the
sailor. The latter, CHANGING to
glance down at the inner edge of the
shelf, had noticed a slight crack be-
tween the soil and the bluff.
AS Handy stared, astounded the
crack appeared to widen. Jared by
me vibrations of the drill, an old
Seam was actually opening.
Inc movement was downward and
outward, sickening and slow. Thirty
ieet away hung the rope ladder bv
winch the men had descended. It
was too far for them to reach. be-
sues, the fissure ran the full
length of the shelf. Too horror
stflcken to shout or stop the drill.
tney gazed helplessly.
ln6re cana q rand;pn mt .,
settled. Another second, and both
would plunge after the toppling
mass 10 quick death at the bottom
OF the bluff. And then:
The hose!" yelled Handy .rd
Jumped for it. Kline followed Tbev
caught the hot pipe just as the led 90
fell. nc rouge
Inc 1nch-and-three-quarters trho
o1 canvas and rubber. wound t;ohtIv
with marline, was fifty feet lone
lts upper end was coupled to tbe n;no
from the boiler; its lower was a.
tached to the steam-chest of tbo
.drlll. Old and leaking, it was fairly
We'll lifted to convey steam. but not
TO mold up two men and twelve bun,
. dred pounds of steel. 1t must give
way somewhere. But where? R.-
LOW the men or above? The replv
meant life or death.
For the bare fraction of a second
the drill hung at their feet. its sharn
point whirling madly. The exhaust
pipe detonated like a Calling Than
n Tt,,o.