The Washington times., 1911-05-08
CHAPTER VII lContinuedl.

He always obeyed but he used to
slodch off with his big red fist doubled
up. muttering curses that brought out
his brougue at its best. Later on he
confided in me what he was going to do
20 that boss.
If he had carried out his threats he
would long since have been electrocuted
and l would have lost a good friend.
Several times l thought the two men
were coming to blows, though Dan
would have dearly loved a fight and
could have handled dozen men like the
foreman, he always managed to control
himself in time to avoid it.
Il don't wanter be after losin' me job
for the dirthy spalpeen," he growled to
me.
But he came near it in a way he
wasn't looking for later in the week.
1t was Friday, and half a dozen of us
had been sent down TO work on the
second level. 1t was damp and sufto-
eating down there, fifty feet below the
street. I felt as though had gone into
the mines.
I didn't like 1t, but I knew that there
was just as much to learn here as above
and that it must all be learned even
tually.
The sides were braced with heavy tim
hers like a mine shaft to prevent the
dirt from falling in, and there was the
constant danger that in spite of this 1t
might cave in.
by mailing strips Of board across two
pieces of joist and the work down
there was back-breaking and monot-
Onous.
bucket, lowered o. the hoisting engine
above. 1t wa< heavy, wet soil that
weighed like lead.
From the beginning the men COM
planned of headaches, and one by one
they crawled UP the ladder again for
fresh air. Others were sent down.
but at the end of an hour they, too,
retreated.
Dan and stuck it out for a while.
Then ] began to get dizzy myself. 1
when ] began to wobble bit Dan
placed his hand on my shoulder
Betther climb out o here" he said.
I'm thinking it's gas"
At that time l didn't know what sewer
gas was. couldn't smell anything,
and thought he must be mistaken.
You'd better come too" l answered,
making for the ladder.
He wasn't coming, but couldn't
So he followed along behind At
the top we found the foreman
fighting mad and trying to spur on
another gang to go down. They
up he turned upon Dan.
growled.
The gas answered Dan.
Gas be damned" shouted the fore
man. 'Yaure a bunch of white liv-
cred cowards-alI of you
. saw Dan double up his fists and
start toward the man. The latter
checked him with a command.
Go back down there or you're fired"
he said to him.
Dan turned red. Then l saw his
jaws come together.
"Begod!' he answered. You shan't
anVhnW
Without another word he started
down the ladder again. ] saw the
Italians crowd together and watch
him. By that time my head was clear
er but my legs were weak. l sat down
a moment uncertain what to do. Then
I heard some one shout:
BY God, he's right! He's lying there
I started toward the ladder, but some
one showed me back. Then I thought
Of the bucket. 1t was above ground
and / staggered toward it gaining
strength at each step. l jumped in
and shouted to the engineer to lower
me. He obeyed from instinct. l went
down, down. down to what seemed
like the center of the earth.
When the bucket struck the ground
I was dizzy again, but l managed to
get out, heave the unconscious Dan
In and pile in on top of him myself
lance on my way to the hospital. but
by the time l had reached the emer-
gency room had taken a grip on my
self.
this she would never again be com
Portable. When they took us out>I
was able to walk a little. The doctors
wanted to put me to bed, but l re-
fused to go.
! sat there for about an hour while
they worked over Dan. When I found
that he would be all right by morn
ing I insisted upon going out. 7 h.
air would drive this away and so It
did. though it left me weak.
One of the hardest days work I
ever did in my life was killing time
donrse f60m t6e papers Tn got hoid Of
and that gave me another scare but
luckily the nearest they came to my
name was Darlinton, so no harm was
done. And they didn't come within a
mile of getting the real story.
When in later edition one of them
published my photograph l felt abso-
lutely safe, for they had ME in full
my life.
When l came home at my usual time,
Wpking bit white perhaps. but other
wise normal enough. the first question
What have YOU done with your din
ner pail. Billy"
Isn't a man always sure to do some
such fool thing as that, when he's try
wife?
I had to explain that had forgotten
Il, and that was enough to excite sus-
picion at any time. She kept me un-
easy for ten minutes, and the best
could do was to admit finally that I
wasn't feeling very we'll.
Whereupon she made me go to bed
and fused over me all the evening, and
worried all the next day
I reported for work as usual in the
morning, and found we had a new fore
man. IT was a relief, because I guess
II Dan hadn't knocked down the other
one some one else would have done it
sooner or later.
At that the man had taught me some
thing about sewer gas. and that is
when You begin to feel dizzy fifty feet
below the street, it's time to go up the !
ladder about as fast as YOUR wobblv
legs will let you, even If you don't
smell anything.
Rafferty, didn't turn UP for two or
three days. When he did appear il
was with simple:
'Mawntn', mon."
II wasn't until several DAYS later l
learned that the late foreman had left !
town nursing black eve and cut on |
one cheek such as might have been |
made by a set of red knuckles backed |
by an arm the size of a small ham,
On Saturday night Of that first week 7 |
came home with 50 in my pocket I'll |
never be prouder again than I was |
when ] handed them over 70 Ruth.
And Ruth will never again be prouder |
than she was when. after she had laid |
!