Omaha daily bee., 1914-10-25


was temporarily obscured
Thrilled with apprehension, he hesitated: Mar
rophat was up there he little doubted hardly like
that one to overlook the ladder-shaft in preparing
the tunnel to be living tomb.
Marrophat Marrophat at the top there was
nothing for him to do but to grasp the nettle dam
ger with steady hand, unhinching Even though
he were shot dead on emerging from the shaft, IL
were better than to die down there, like rat in
a trap
He had climbed not more than half dozen rungs
when voice hailed from above:
Law-Oh, Mister Law l say-dont come up
here's a present for you"
Pausng without answer, he looked IN A few
drops Of water spattered his face like heavy rain.
Almost Immediately the blue sky was permanently
eclpsed: heavy cascade of water, almost a solid
column, shot down the shaft with terrific force.
Alan sought vainly to escape 1t, to mount against
It, Seeming to gain in strength and volume with
each instant 1t beat upon his head and shoulders
with irresistible power Before he knew It. his
grasp had been wrenched away from the ladders
and he was shooting feet first back into the tunnel
Halfdrowned and wholly dazed, he felt himself
picked up and dragged away from the waterfall.
Then, as his senses cleared, he comprehended
the fact that the tunnel already filing; that
where they stood it was already ankle deep; while
the water continued to fall without hint of letup
v-FLooD AND FIRE.
Screaming to make himself heard above the roar
Of the deluge Barcus hammered in Alan's ear:
That devil! He's found the reservoir-opeued
the sluicegates-turned it into that shaft! We're
done for!"
Alan had argument with which to gainsay
him. Silently getting his feet silently he
CROPPED for Rose in the darkness, momentarily be-
coming more dense as the fall Of water shut out
the light and drew her away with him, up the
slight incline that led back to the bulkhead. .
an hour in hell
To die there in the darkness like 80 many nox.
ious animals trapped in we'll! :.
The water mounted rapidly. Within Eve minutes
1t drove them back to the elbow in the tunnel;
within ten 1t Tapped their ankles as they fingered
there doubling which was the greater peril to
advance or to stand fast and let the flooding tide
snun out the fires Of life To return to the neigh
borhood Of the bulkhead to court the death
indicated by the fuse and the keg Of blasting pow
der
OF sudden the thought crossed Alan's mind
that Marrophat had arranged the latter solely "a
keep them away from the bulkhead.
He was decidedly Of the opinion that It were bet
ter to be extnguished once and for all time, in
the space Of a second annihilated by an explosion,
than ia die thus lingeringy.
On this consideration, he drew Rose with him
back to the bulkhead
When they had been some fifteen minutes be
side the bulkhead, the water mounted the head of
slight rise perhaps ten feet behind them, and
poured down in ever deeper volume to back up
against the barrier
In fifteen minutes 1t had reached their
chins. And they stood with heads against the roof
Of the tunnel
Holding Rose close to him, Alan kissed her lips,
that were as cold as death.
Then, fumbling under water he found the hand
OF the at his side
The water Tapped his lips like blind hand -.
-
In the tunnel that branched OFF from the main
SHAFT beyond the bulkhead, some thirty minutes
before this juncture, candle had guttered in it's
stick. left careessly thrust into the wall by Mar
rophats lieutenant and guttering, had dropped a
flaming wick into little heap OF bone-dry debris
This last famed, licked hungrily at the timberinE
that upheld the walls of the tunnel The timber
ing caught fire without delay. In a space Of time
Incredibly brief the flames were spreading right
and left the tunnel was a vault of blisterng fury.
AS Alan said his last mute farewell to Rose and
Barcus, the fire spread out in the bottom of the
shaft and invaded the powder room.
Alan had guessed Alright at Marrophats design;
the keg Of blasting powder was less than an eighth
full; its explosion could not possibly have effected
the cavein Alan had at first feared.
But what Marrophat had overlooked was the
proximity to the key OF some several sticks of
dynamite. masked by film Of earth that had fallen
from the crumbling walls
When the blazing fuse dropped sparks into the
blasting powder this last exploded right willingly
and the dynamite took its cue without the least
delay.
The resultant defamation was terrific The bulk.
head was crushed in like eggshell barrier. Part
OF the walls fell in but the tunnels and shaft re-
NAMED intact
Swept with the stream as it poured out of the
tunnel, Alan contrived throughout to retain his
hold round the waist of Rose. Barcus shot past
him unseen in the darkness.
Halfblnded and stihed he was by the reek
OF steam and powder fumes, Alan struggled with
himself until his wits were passably clear.
Immediately before him dangled the hoisting
bucket and rope
surrendering the care of Rose to Barcus, Alan
climbed into the bucket and stared upward, exam
ming the walls Of the shaft for way to the top
There was none other than the most difficult:
gaps too great to be bridged by climbing showed
In the wooden ladders
The one feasible route via the rope And
there was nobody at the top to work the windlass
and Alan hoped there would be nobody to op-
pose his essay.
He addressed himself to the task without muir
muring-lifted himself upon the rope wound IL
round one leg, and began that heartbreaking climb
He arrived at the top OF the shaft far too ex-
hausted to show surprise when, falling in half
fainting condition within two feet Of the brink ha
saw Judith Urine running like mad across the
clearing