The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1911-07-06

lret as KNOCK sounded at the door.
THAT'S Macdonald. our camp super
intendent." he explained Told him
to be here at 8. He's corker for TAX
ing hold of things"
A little. wiry. red headed man hop
ped In as Thorne threw open the door,
The moment his eyes fell on Rowland
he sprang forward with outStretched
hand. smiling and bobbing his head.
"How.and of course he cried
"Glad to see you. Five minutes late
awful sorry hut they're having the
devils own time over al Il coyote we're
going to blow this morning. and that's
what kept me-
From Rowland be whired on the
senior with tie sudden movement of
a cricket
Flows the arm. Thorne? And if
there's any mercy in your corpus tell
me If Jackpine brought me the ciga-
rettes from lie Pas. If he forgot them,
as the mail did. I'll have his life as
sure
"He brought them" said Thorne
"But how about this coyote. Mac? /
thought IT was ready to fire."
$50 IL = now. The south ridge is
schedule, 10 go up at 10 o'clock. Wen
blow up the big north mountains
some time tonight. It'll make glo-
rious fireworks-125 barrels of powder
and four ffty-pound cases Of dyna-
mite-and If you can't walk that far.
Thorne. we'll take you up on sledge.
Mustn't allow you to miss itv'
Sorry. but I'll have to. Mac. I'm
going south with the mail"
Macdonald seemed to-be the dife and
law Of the camp. and he, wondered
more and more at Thorne's demeanor
He began to note that there was q
strange nervousness about Thorne
when they were among the men, an
uneasy alertness in his eyes. as though
he were looking for some particular
face among those they encountered.
II want Rowland to see this south
coyote 60 up." said Macdonald. "Can
you spare him? Well be back before
noon"
Certainly" replied Thorne. "Come
and take dinner with me at r."
Rowland fancied that there was a
certain tone of relief in the seniors
voice. but he made no mention Of it to
the superintendent as they walked
swiftly to the scene of the blowout"
The coyote was ready for firing when
they arrived. The coyote itself-a tun-
mel Of fifty feet dug into the solid rock
Of the mountain and terminating in a
chamber packed with explosives-was
closed by masses Of broken rock. ram
med tight, and Macdonald showed his
companion where the electric wire
passed to the fuse within.
ITS a COMPOUNDED mystery to me
why Thorne doesn't care to see this
ridge blown upw he exclaimed after
they had finished the inspection.
We've been at work for three months
drilling this coyote ard the bigger one
to the north. There are 1000 square
yards of rock to come out Of there and
5000 out Of the other. You don't see
shots like those three times in life.
time. and there'll not be another for us
between here and the bay. What's the
matter with Thorne ?'' --@--;. =
Without waiting for reply Mac
Donald walked swiftly in the direction
of ridge to the right. Already guards
had been thrown out on all sides of
the mountain and their thrilling warn
ings Of Fire. fire. firer shouted
through megaphones of birch bark.
echoed with ominous meaning through
the still wilderness. where for the time
all work had ceased. On the top Of
the ridge half hundred of the work.
men had already assembled. and as
Rowland and the superintendent came
among them they fell back from around
a big. fat bowlder on which was sta
toned the electric battery. MacDon-
AIDS face was flushed and his eyes
snapped like dragon flies as he pointed
to tiny button.
God. but I can't understand why
Thorne doesn't care to see this" be
said again. Think Of it. man-7.50O
pounds Of powder and 200 of dynamite!