The Washington herald., 1909-01-03


down the station; we've got to report this and get
orders to run 10 the Quartz creek tank 10 I'LL
They piled OF at the station and crowded into the
Office Berg wrote message 70 Supt Burke
Hold on" said Sloan Mercer the night OPERATOR
let call Fuller's They must have cut the vein
with the tunnel, maybe you get water there"
He called the mine Office by telephone. Yes they
said, an unusual quantity OF water flowing from
the diff. no doubt We have cut the spring vein
Most Of the IRE train tanks are empty-been clean
ing out-any way the tanks can be filed there? asked
Sloan
Novel; if you'll dam the flow near the mouth
Of the mine and lay line you might pump the
into the tanks with the pressure engine, pos
sibly" came the reply
Send my message TO Burke" said Berg; get
an order from the dispatcher 70 10 the quartz
creek tank Tel them I'll stop at Fue-s mine and see
If Ill there. If We can III not use the order
the Quartz
BE walked up and down the room. impatient and
anxious Outside the wind roared; the 100000 house
unprotected; its chief defenders had been caught
mapping Sloan beat on the key. Presently he handed
out order, and the fire scrambled aboard the
train and started west
At the lockout window. over or his crag. Park sat
watching the looming bulk OF Muley mountain an i'm
measurabIy huge tent Of shadow rising against the
west. He could the great shed at any point
he knew infalIbIy, 10 foot, where il lay In
side the long house track walker was going east
He was FIVE miles distant from Muley point
Another walker moving westward. some three
miles from the center Of the shed An east bound
freight had just emerged from the shed and had
taken the siding MuIey point; passenger train No
Il there pulled b., and entered the shed; BerS
and his crew were at Fulsrs mine That the
situation when Park Taylor saw the FIRE
As he SAT listening 10 the voices OF the wind and
looking steadily at the mighty black thing looming
three miles away across the gorge, he heard rum
bling thunder run downward through the noisy wind
upon the left hand side Of the lookout crag and dwn
die OF and f smothered in the distant Muey
river big fragment Of rock. tottering toward the
4r,a ~7o -f-d
he fancied had plunged from the crag and found
resting place al length IN the bed Of the Muley, a
mile and half away.
As the sound ceased Park suddenly leaned forward
and gazed earnestly at the distant cloud Of darkness
two-thirds Of the way up Muey mountain, just where
the long shed wormed its way around the Big bend.
shapeless, whitish object seemed 70 waver and roll
back and forth Was # smoke? He rubbed his eyes
and looked again His heart suddenly thumped in his
throat; surely It was smoke He put his eye TO the
glass and turned It quickly toward the Big bend Al
most he caught the focus cleaning blade Of red
pierced the vague mass Of gray that wavered the
mountains bosom
With shout and thrill OF all his pulses he caught
the crank Of the telephone bell box and whirled it
round. The bells dead He snatched the receiver
put It his and tapped the transmitter tube
with his finger ends; the transmittsr diaphragm was
utel He leaned over TO the circuit breaker Of the
telegraph and jerked It open; there current,
His hands up through his hair wildly he
to his with his blood fire His mother stepped
face.
Look" he cried; its in flames. It's burning.
And we've got wires, I heard slide Of stone or
something go down the mountain-it must have cut
the wires! o, mOther-nother He was turning round
and round helpleSsly-
His mother tried both telephone and telegraph.
The instruments unresponsve wood. She
fixed her eye 10 the long glass; flames were squirting
I'D like red in the smoke OF MuIey mountain
Park was tearing something OF a cupboard at the
side Of the and coiIing It around his shoulders.
He thrust bright object into his pocket His mother
turned and looked az him. Her face shone white but
firm. and her lips moved
The break must be found. my son, and found
quickly" she said
Yes, mother; I've got wire and the pliers; watch
close-maybe I can close the break"
She put her hands on his shoulders and lifted her
face and kissed him, and he leaped the doorway
and gone
From the heart Of the youth plunging through the
wind gloom al personal fear died he crossed the
threshold: the need Of haste awful that II