The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1909-10-15

we must CLIMB the pipe. i grOpTd
lsfor Charley's fingers and put them
on my lips; he could read the words
as j 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.
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 tried; and again and
again. was like the frog in the
well that slipped back two steps for
every three he took Only was do
ing worse than he, for was making
no gain whatever.
Il gave it up, exhausted. Then
Charley took his turn, and succeeded
no better. Things began to look seri-
GUS.
Sin that pitchy little pocket tenth
of mile under the tree roots, with
the engine-room SO far of 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
long. The cold water would numb
and drown us.
might not the walls afford some
rough place up which we could climb?
Charley started padding round the
pit to the right and 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 could
climb by holding on to it with my
hands and bracing my feet against the
wall, only eighteen inches off. At
any rate, 1t was worth trying
about two feet above the water
my dngers found slight ledge.
Grasping the pipe firmly with both
hands, rested my right boot heel
on this little shelf. 1t was not more
than half an inch wide, but l hoped to
keep my foot pressed hard enough
against the rock to hold myself UP.
Bracing away, took higher hold.
My entire body rose. dripping.
shifted my grasp; of slipped my heel
and back l dropped.
Four times tried, and failed. MY
soaked boots were so slippery that
could not get firm purchase.
'iCould ] do better barefoot?
sit was hard job to get those
boots of. They stuck as IL they were
glued. Charley helped, as with both
hands 1 tugged and wrestled, part OF
the time under water. At last.
strangling and exhausted, kicked
myself free.
"By this time we knew what a
tight place we were In. II 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.
1T was bitter climb, hard and
deadly slow. The pipe seemed a hun.
dred feet high Just as my fingers
touched the elbow. or slipped my
feet, and down slid. It was q ter
rible disappointment. hadn't the
strength to try it again.
''Numbness was creeping over me. /
felt we had exhausted every resource.
But 1t seemed ridiculous for two able
bodied men to drown, in hole like
that. had seen some tough steam
boating on the Lakes. and here was
in deadly peril from a few hogshead
OF water.
"As / hung there In the gloom,
feeling pretty blue. Charley clawed
my sleeve excitedly. He had a
plan. What could 1t be?
| "Patting my arm in sign that /
should wait. he pushed away from the
pipe. He could swim like a pike.
heard splash; then silence Char
ley had gone down. Why?
Il waited. Seconds passed, un-
broken save for that drip-drip-drip!
What could he be doing? l imagined
l could feel water-ourrents against
my body. Still he stayed down.
began to grow anxious. Something
must have happened to him. What If
he never came up? should go
stark mad alone in that blackness.
Suddenly I heard the low burst
ing OF air-bubbles. Wavelets Tapped
the walls. Charley was coming up.
| Thorc urnr a litSJo CrIaCh I;Yx, - 1.L