The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1909-12-11


There We chung silently, neck-deep,
fingers locked round the chill iron.
never knew before that it could
be SO utterly dark.
p-drip-drip. Save for that, alb
solute stiffness. Drip-drip-drip. 1t
was no place for warmblooded
mortals. We must bestir ourselves.
The pump was but ten feet above.
We must climb the pipe. l CROPPED
for Charley's fingers and put them
on my lips; he could read the words
as | shaped them, though he could
not hear.
I'm going to climb the pipe. Fol-
low me-
''He tapped my arm three times in
sign that he understood. Then he
pushed Off to give me free space for
climbing.
Twisting my legs round the pipe,
I took hold high above, and partly
raised my body. A few efforts should
bring me to the elbow, where the
tube turned at right angles and ran
in horizontally toward the pump. But
the iron was oily, and had, besides,
that greasiness which hematite i'm
parts to everything round it. was
Just clear of the water when back !
splashed.
again I tried; and again and
again. / was like the frog in the
well that slipped back two steps for
every three he took. Only l was do
ing worse than he, for 1 was making
no gain whatever.
II gave it up, exhausted. Then
Charley took his turn, and succeeded
no better. Things began to look seri-
Gus.
"In that pitchy little pocket tenth
of a mile under the tree roots, with
the engine-room so far off that our
loudest shout was as helpless as the
faintest whisper to reach Ferguson,
we were absolutely dependent on
ourselves. We could not remain there
LONE The cold water would numb
and drown US.
rough place up which we could climb?
Charley started padding round the
pit to the right and l to the left,
paving at the hard ore. But the min
ers had done their work too well; the
sides were smooth. We passed each
other, and met again at the pipe, dis
appointed and discouraged.
But it wouldn't do to give up.
The pipe was too slippery to support
my entire weight; but perhaps l could
climb by holding on to it with my
hands and bracing my feet against the
wall, only eighteen inches off. At
any rate, it was worth trying
about two feet above the water
my fingers found a slight ledge.
Grasping the pipe firmly with both
hands, I rested my right boot heel
on this little shelf. 1t was not more
than half an inch wide, but I hoped to
keep my foot pressed hard enough
against the rock to hold myself up.
Bracing away, l took a higher hold.
My entire body rose, dripping. I
shifted my grasp; off slipped my heel
and back l dropped.
-Four times l tried, and failed. Ny
soaked boots were SO slippery that
could not get firm purchase.
'tCould I do better barefoot?
sit was hard job to get those
boots off. They stuck as if they were
glued. Charley helped, as with both
hands I tugged and wrestled, part o:
the time under water. At last,
strangling and exhausted, ] kicked
myself free.
'By this time we knew what a
tight place we were in. If we didn't
get out pretty soon, we should drown
like rats. And safety was only three
yards away! 1t was maddening!
Setting my teeth, stuck the tips of
my bare toes on the ledge, and lift
ed myself once more.
at was a bitter climb, hard and
deadly slow. The pipe seemed hum
dred feet high. Just as my fingers
touched the elbow, off slipped my
feet, and down l slid. 1t was a ter
rible disappointment. / hadn't the
strength to try it again.
''Numbness was creeping over me. /
felt we had exhausted every resource.
But it seemed ridiculous for two able
bodied men to drown in hole like
that l had seen some tough steam
boating on the Lakes, and here l was
in deadly peril from few hogshead
Of water.
GAS hung there in the gloom,
feeling pretty blue, Charley clawed
my sleeve excitedly. He had
plan. What could it be?
"Patting my arm in sign that l
shOuld wait he nuShed awav from the