The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1913-10-11
Continued From Yesterday

ITS all over with me. old man.
he said family. as Rives leaned on
the rock and bent over him.
"GodH he groaned. Can't l do
anything for your
&s-shoot me- The voice was
faint. but steady. Rives shivered and
clung to the rock with both hands
I'm suffering horribly. Rives For
PHYS sake, end itr' said the voice.
Rives drew his arm across his eyes
and looked down at the approaching
flames
Can you use your handsg' he
asked. Then with a sudden spasm
Of unreasoning fury. he kicked the
olinging negro from him.
Yes said o'Neill. With quick
movement Rives drew pistol from
the holster of his hip and pressed it
into the dying mans hand. Then he
plunged blindly forward UP the tun-
mel. the moaning negro again clinging
TO him. report followed them.
The fire has reached the blasting
charges. he said to himself
Again they We're stopped. this time
by the sound Of some one running
toward them in the direction of the
fire at reckless speed over the
breakneck ruin of the tunnel floor,
and presently there appeared before
them half clad man with hair and
eyebrows gone, his eyes bright and
feverish and a grin on his lips.
Here the other way" called
Rives weakly
The man stopped and grinned at
them.
"Ha. har' he said. not even in an
attempt at laugh, but more in light
derision.
What's the matter with you? Go
back" ordered Rives.
'Ha, har was the reply in the
same tone, and eluding a hand that
the chief reached for him, the crazed
one ran on past them and into the
flames.
Stumbling forward with the-weight
of the negro, Rives struck his chin
against timber. The shock had the
ultimate effect of clearing his brain
completely, but for the moment he
fancied that the negro had struck
him. He got swiftly to his feet and
raised his fists to defend himself be-
fore he realized what had happened
Then he helped the injured man up
and for the first time was conscious
of his own injuries. He seemed to
be burned in dozen places. His left
arm ached with a dull steady pain.
But now he was master of what was
left of himself. With his arm around
the negros body he helped him for
ward. and thus the finished product
of the worlds greatest civilization
and the straight browed child of a
lowly people. the stronger still help
ing the weaker, stumbled forward
through the ruin, following with their
last strength the primordiaI longing
for Light and Life.
And now they heard and saw signs
of others. They had reached a sec
ton that had not felt the first force
of the explosion. Groans and shrieks
loud curses and muttered prayers
seemed to come from beneath their
Oct and they heard the name of God
called upon in a score of tongues.
And, now and then. more terrible
than all else. high bursts of chat
tering maniacal laughter
The now distant but slowly adj
vancing flames threw evil shadows
OF red and black through the chaos.
and the figures of the two men stood
out in uncertain bigness They were
moving-going forward to Light and
Life-and all who could move fol-
were
stunned only. numbed by horror. and
needed but the appearance Of Rives
and his charge to galvanize them into
life. where otherwise they might have
sat and died.
THE SURVIVORS
Others they found who. unscathed
or only slightly injured, had run,
blind and panic stricken. through the
tunnel darkness until they had
dropped of sheer exhaustion and made
up their minds TO die ESQ miles from
the light of day.
End so their numbers grew, stag
gering along in the smoke and dust
with the light of the flames at their
backs AT last they came out into
a section of the tunnel that was free
of wreckage. Only traces of the vio-
Ience of the explosion were visible.
1t was less than five miles from the
scene, but il might have been fifty.
They were lest to all. sense of dis
lance and time, Keeling onward
driven by an instinct stronger than
physical strength. And now there
was only the sound of the shutting
stumbling feet, low groans and
curses. and the gritting OF teeth as
some strong man fought with the
agony.
Finally Rives became sensible OF
change in the spirit OF his horrible
following. 1t had been each man for
himself in a hopeless struggle for life
lrhen some one had mentioned the
Same of Allan-"Mac," as he was