The San Mateo item. (San Mateo City, Putnam County, Fla) 189?-19??, 1909-12-25

The tube might not explode when Il
fell 20 earth.
1.-THE hope was most extravagant
admit: but since Il was the only
hope in sight, chung to II desper
,tely. Indeed, I could think OF moth.
ing else, until Il struck me that the
iron bar over which / had thrown the
rope was almost directly over the
mouth OF the well. The explosion,
then. was perfectly arranged for;
nothing could have been better de-
signed TO bring II about. When the
end OF the tube struck the bar,
which was far too firmly wedged to
be removed in n moment, the percus.
sion-cap would be set off, and-well.
we'd all go quick sure enoughl
THE peril was horribly sudden. II
doesn't take a squirt OF oil long to
rise a few hundred feet. In a fleet.
ing thought-how swift the machinery
OF my mind must have run in those
brief moments!--I knew that the tube
would shoot out in almost no time.
81 might have screamed warning
to Hox, but TO what purpose? 1t
would have taken him some time to
do no more than get his women I'm.
der way; so / kept quiet. 1t may
have been a paralysis Of horror
physical, ! mean. There was moth.
ing the matter with my mind; in.
deed, in the few seconds that elapsed
before the tube shot out, not only
did I have a complete understanding
OF our situation, not only did / seek
everywhere for some way of escape,
but my memory called up all the
similar accidents I had ever heard
y. and my imagination had time
enough to present a pretty vivid pic
ture OF just what was about to hap
pen in this case.
IL heard a nervous laugh Then,
How soon will 1t go Off one OF the
ladies asked.
"'Are you sure we are far enough
away? asked another.
"-'How longT and Are we far
enough away? Not long, thought /,
and not quite far enough away!'
II could already hear the gurgle
and kissing OF the rising oil. A sec
ond or so longer-just a second or
two more! You will permit me to
say that had ! been a poor coward
/ should have covered my eyes With
my hands, and so awaited the end.
But chance not to have been born
coward, so 1 kept my eyes on the
mouth OF the well, with my hands
ready and my feet braced, watching
for that tube, more alert than a cat
watching for a mouse.
Would the tube come fast or slow?
The rope had slackened very sudden.
ly. That meant that the oil was
rising fast-that there would be a
igush' of 1t, possibly. The tube would
shoot out, rise to the iron bar above,
strike, explode, and
How could / stop, such a mass,
travelling at such rate? Louder
grew the noises in the we'll Swishl
II was coming fast. Might as well
try to catch cannon-ball,' thought
/. Nevertheless, waited, hands out.
body rigid, eyes fixed on
the mouth OF the well-waited for the
tube.
"And, thank God, i caught IT.
"'Help!' / screamed to Hox.
II was sweating, painting, shaking
I had dreadful horror OF the tube.
Until that moment / had not fully
realized the power for death 1t con:
tanned. My strength seemed OF
sudden about TO fail. fancied that
I'd drop the wretched thing II Hox
delayed an instant.
The oil was bubbling out with
great noise. and the percussion-cap
was within two inches OF the iron
bar; but the tube OF bottled earth.
quake was inert in my hands-and
the danger was past"