The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1915-03-11

and crevices In search OF some way
OF forcing H. .
"Barcus-old mani"
"Yes?"
"Have you any idea
Devil n onel"
did you notice what that black
guard had fxed up7"
What do you mean7"
"Why-at the bottom OF the shaft-
! got only a glimpse coming in-the
door OF the powder room was open
and I saw a fuse set to the top OF q
keg OF blasting powder d. .
whats the good OF that? Were
fast enough as II Isl"
simply TO make assurance douoiy
sure by causing a cavein :,
81 seem 10 remember hearing or
reading, come place, that tunnels nave
two ends. II that's true, the far emo
OF this ought 10 be about the safest
place when that explosion happens
n II ever does"
Something In that"
Got any matches?" Barcus In.
quired, as Alan %hurriedly helped Rose
to her feet.
Never one"
Nor I. Wen have 10 feel our way
along. Let me lead. II I step over the
brink OF a pit or anything. Iii try 10
yell and warn you in time"
Alan caught his friends hand In
passing and pressed II warmly--a ca
ress eloquent OF his gratitude to Bar
Gus for taking their peril lightly. or
pretending TO. for the sake OF Rose
A ticklish business, that-groping
their way through blackness 20
Opaque that II seemed as palpable as
n pool OF ink. And haste was indi-
Gated: they stumbled on with what
caution was possible against pitfalls
n ~glngerly scramble. Then an elbow
In the tunnel-sensed rather thar fet
or seen-cut them on from direct
communication with the b%ulkhead.
and at the same time opened up n
shaft cf daylight. striking down
through that pitchy darkness like n
column OF fine gold.
Cries OF Joy. ~amazement. i~ncredulity
choking In their throats, they STUN
bled forward, gained the spot immedi'
ately below the shaft, looked upward,
dazzled. to see blue sky like n coin OF
heavens minting far above them, nj
the end OF n long and almost perpendi.
cular tunnel, wide enough to permit
the passage OF n mans body. and lined
with wooden ladders.
The end OF the lowermost ladder
hung within easy reach from the floor
OF the tunnel.
But even as Alan lifted his hands to
grasp the bottom rung the opening nj
the top OF the shaft was temporarily
obscured.
Thrilled with apprehension, he hest.
tated: Marrophat was up there, he lit.
tie doubted; hardly like that n TO
overlook the ladder.shaft In preparing
the tunnel to be n living tomb.
what Is IT." Rose demanded at his
elbow, In n shaken whisper.
Nothing" no lied instantly. and
selling the bottom rung. swung him.
self up. but wait for Ipe TIL | signal
the coasts clear" he warned before
committing himself finally to the as.
cent.
Marrophat or no Marrophat at the
top. there was nothing for him TO do
but to grasp the nettle danger with a
steady hand, %unfinching. Even though
he were shot dead on emerging from
the shaft. II were better than 10 die
down there, like n rat In a trap.
He had climbed not more than halt
a dozen rungs when q voice hailed
from above:
"Law-oh. Mister Law. I say-don',
come up-here's a present for you"
Pausing without answer. he looked
up. A few drops OF water splattered
his face. like heavy rain. Almost i'm
mediately the blue sky a per
manently eclipsed: n heavy cascade OF
water. almost a solid column. shot
down the shaft with terrific force.
Half.drowned and wholly dazed, he
felt himself picked up and dragged
away from the waterfall.
Then. as his senses cleared. he com
pretended the fact that the tunne
was already filling; that where they
stood II was already ankle deep; Will,
the water continued TO fall without
hint OF letup.