Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1909-07-29

Guilty.
He dared not release one hand with
which To fasten the cut rope to the
ring bolt, because he leaned-overbal-
anced-above the abyss. He dared not
wait. as each minute cost him so
much strength; so he must, perforce.
release one hand to accomplish any.
thing. Tugging desperately, he man
aged to fiatten the suit on one side
and to hug little closer the face
of the dam; balancing there, he tight
ened his grip on the bolt, and with
quick downward movement caught the
broken rope where it dangled from
under the arms OF his suit He
grasped the ring with both hands Just
as he swayed over the cliffs, and il
seemed to him for moment that his
arms would be torn from their sock.
cts by the strain.
Desperately his fingers worked un
til he knotted the rope in the ring.
AT last he was secure from the aw-
full fear OF falling, the rope pulling
straight away from his chest and hold
ing him securey. slowly, cautiously,
he commenced cutting the suit at the
knees with the knife from his belt,
and managed to kick of the heavy
lead shoes, one at a time, standing
now on his stockinged feet. Still more
slowly, for his strength was not what
1t had been, he ripped up the suit on
the side under the arm-pits and out
to the wrist, where it was held by
heavy rubber bands. The great he'll
met swung and rolled at the end of
the rope, and finally rested just where
his feet should stand.
Free at last: but free to- do what
The blows from the pile-driver had
jolted the mattress down until the
hole was closed; but the water still
streamed through the openings in the
brush, and, unless the interstices
should be closed with rock and &C.
ment 1t was plain to all who watched
that the river would not reach the
crest of the dam in time. A supply
of this material was dumped slowly
along the slanting face of the mat
tress, and at last the water began to
gain. Right over the section of the
dam where Dakus stood on the ledge
below. one course of the masonry was
unfinished for space OF SO feet; but
when the stream began pouring over
this lower part. it was estimated thai
there would be ample in race-ways tt
complete the conditions of the con
tract. So Dakus, as he slowly made
his way along the ledge. was now
under the fall OF this water as Il
poured over the edge above HI
could never tell how he made thu
last ten feet. He continued to move
along the narrow ledge, although h,
knew of no goal to which he might at
tain; he could scarcely hope to craw
to either end and then climb the fac,
of the wall to the crest of the dam
Blindly gropingly, he crept along, tn,
increasing volume of water poundin,
harder each minute OH his head ant
shoulders. Foot by foot, and, towards
the last, inch by inch. he struggled
climbing like lmpet, his fac
pressed against the rock as h.
dragged himself slowly, strangling-
choking-all sense and reason gon,
except the blind animal instinct {,
fight for life. Something hard blocke,
his way, and he found he had resche,
the side OF the race-way, and, to hi
intense joy, discovered that he was il
the corner where the ledge ended
partly sheltered from the falling wa
ter by the masonry of sort of towe
: where the hinges of the race-wa,
we're embedded.
Bolivar. Gould and the Unite,
States Engineer had left the scow an,
now stood on the race-way, intentl
watching the rising water, so tina
: none of them noticed poor Dakus, a
he stood almost directly under thei
feet, hidden by the thin veil Of broker
water. The engineer glanced at hi
watch and remarked quietly:
Well, gentlemen, | think you viii
make it,"
Bolivar did not seem to hear him
, for his eyes were fixed on somethin
below, as though il were a ghost.
, MY God, mem" he almost shreked
| Look there; what is that?"
: Gould, with great presence O
2 mind, shouted to the engineer, as hi
! glance followed Bollivars rigid, out
stretched arm:
It's Dakus! Get me that rope.' A
the gray.haired, compactly-built er
: gineer sprang to help. Bolivar shout
> ed TO the foreman:
Run here, all hands; here's Ds
kus." He pointed down into the wa
ter.
For second the foreman stood
, picture of uncertainty, then shoute
back
! The mattress still leaks; II we sto
. lit will be too late to save the pre-
, MUM"
"D-n the premium" shouted Boil
T var, in perfect frenzy of excitement
/ Save this poor fellow; let the pre-
: MUM go and Ill pay the Forfeit"