Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-01-19

| at wheeling air pump. while a third
! screwed on the face glass which cuts
off diver from the outer world.
/ He sank with roar in his ears,
sank with his total weight of nearly
900 pounds. and presently landed safe
| on the deck of the sunken barge He
| cropped along the deck. searching for
| the hole in the barge's side.
| All. here it was. No wonder she
sank quickly. Side and deck ripped
ipen TO her middle. He made out a
line of silver bubbles yonder steadily
ascending. Atkinson must be there.
down on the bottom.
Philip lowered himself over the side
and sank until his iron feet touched
the river bed. Then carefully he made
| his way toward Atkinson and in Il
moment saw what had happened.
| There was much soft mud in the riv
err here. and the barge, heavily laden.
had sunk deep in it. risky job of
tunneling this-a very risky job.
All. there was Atkinson now. half
sitting. half lying. against mud bank,
But he did not move. Stepping for
ward. Philip took he hand in encour-
aging grasp as if to say. "Old con-
rade, I'm here" faint pressure
was returned but Atkinson lay quite
still
Atkinson's life line ran up free, but
his hose, the precious way of air and
| life. was caught under d shattered
timber of the barge. which must have
| l11rohn1 Atl-i1co1,
tunneled under it. And in turning il
had caught the rubber pipe before the
old diver could escape. and now the
end of the timber. hooked over the
hose, was imbedded in the mud and
the hose was held in Il massive Y that
pressed down upon it with the whole
weight of the barge and it's load. He
felt AtkinsonS hand drawing him
closer, and. bending over he heard
this message tapped on his copper he'll
met in the Morse alphabet: Wife
children-love."
Heavens. The man was dying!
He forced back the tight rubber
wristbands and felt for the pulse
There was a feeble futtering. a spark
of life. still.
What could he do? Surely he must
save this man!
Then in a fash be recalled the theory
that if diver in trouble like this were
to cut his hose and instantly press his
thumb over the opening be might live
on the air inside his suit until they
could lift him to the surface with the
| lifn nd hol occ
He remembered hearing the question
argued and doubt expressed whether q
diver would be able to cut his own
hose, for the diver himself might have
trouble in getting at it. But this case
was different. He could get at Atkin-
sons hose we'll enough.
The master diver drew his knife and.
bracfng himself firmly with Atkinson's
hose held tight between his knees.
made ready to cut.
But wait! Where were the life lines?
He must be quick with the signals to
lift after the thing was done. All.
There they were swaying beside him.
TWO good ropes reaching up through
the yellow water his own and Atkn-
sons. Three quick jerks on each. and
the boys overhead would do the rest.
AS Philip gripped his knife again u
feeling of revulsion overcome him
After all. he could not do $ thing.
That hose was a living thug, life and
breath to his comrade. To- cut it was
to bring Atkinson Instantly face to
face with horrible death. And per-
haps there was some other way.
Perhaps if he waited Chen there
came to him ~ CHASTITY faces of div
ers he b. seen taken from the suits
WheI there had been too much wait
-iHsg, of divers who had persisted mis-
erably in some such plight as this
No: he must act and not delay He
must take the responsibility as ia
Their takes it sometimes at the bed
side Of a sick child. This was the
right thing the only thing. and
With a strong. quick stroke he sew.
cred the hose. Then instantly be
stopped the hole with his left thumb
and gave three quick pulls on the life
lines. and the next second the two
divers were rising to the surface
And all might have gone well had
not the men who were lifting Philip
pulled faster than the other two. so
that presently he found himself rising
above Atkinson.
Philip seized Atkinson life line
with his right hand and chung to it
desperately. while with his left he
held the hose. He could just reach
down to it and no more. And present
ly. as the men above worked in mad.
der haste.' he felt Atkinson's life line
sagging above him and knew by the
sudden strain that he was holding the
mans entire weight. suit and all. with
his unaided right hand
He could not help with his left hand
because he dared not move it from
the hose. He could not signal the
| men even if thew would have under