Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1915-03-24

Alan Ne9otiates for the Burros.
perhaps ten feet behind them. and
poured down in ever deeper volume
to back up against the barrier
1t was waist deep. however before
they retreated to the head Of that
rise.
Half an hour later It was waist
deep there, on the highest spot in the
tunnel
In fifteen minutes more 1t had
reached their chins. And they stood
with head against the roof of the tun-
mel
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 man at his side.
The water Tapped his lips like a
blind hand
In the tunnel that branehed off from
the main shaft, beyond the bulShead,
some thirty minutes before this juno
ture, candle had guttered in tsstick.
left carelessly thrust into the wall by
Marrophats lieutenant, and guttering.
had dropped a flaming wick into lit
tie heap of bone.dry debris This last
famed. licked hungrily at the timber
ing that upheld the falls of the tunnel.
The timbering caught fire without de-
lay. In a space of time incredibly
fnF hn 10 a Inn ~ttft,f
and left, tire tunnel was a vault OF
clustering fury.
AS Alan said his last mute farewell
to Rose and Barcus, the fire spread
out in the bottom of the shaft and in
vaded the powder room.
Alan had guessed Alright at Mario
phat's design; the keg of blasting pow
der was less than an eighth full; its
explosion could not possibly have eff
fected the caye-in Alan had at first
feared
But what Marrophat had overlooked
was the proximity to the keg 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 ter
rife. The bulkhead was crushed in
like an eggshell barrier. Part Of the
walls fell in but the tunnels and shaft
remained intact The released flood
streamed out and spread swiftly to the
farthest recesses of the burning tun-
mel. Dense clouds of steam filled that
place Of terror as the fires were extin'
guished.
Swept with the stream as 1t poured
out OF the tunnel. Alan cOrtrived
throughout to retain his hold round
the waist OF Rose. Barcus shot past
him unseen in the darkness. II was
not until Alan had contrived to catch
an unburned timber and stay himself
and his almost witless burden beneath
the mouth of the shaft that he dlscoy-
cred Barcus alive. If almost unrecog-
nizable In his mask OF mold and SCOT,
UdLtliik
the kneedeep tide.
Halfblinded and stined as he was by
the reek of steam and powder fumes,
Alan struggled with himself until his
wits we're passably clear
Immediately before him dangled the
hoisting bucket and rope.
Surrendering the care of Rose 10
n A Il int hg mol at
and stared upward. examining the
walls Of the shaft for a 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 was via the
rope. And there was rrbody at the
top to work the windlass-a and Alan
hoped there would be nobody to OPP
pose mis- essay.
He addressed himself to the task
without murmuring himself up
on the rope, wound, it round one Lex,
and began that hesrtbreaking climb
How he accomplished It he never
knew. nat IL must bb dtAbulpilahSN
was his one, all-absorbing thought
And somehow, by some almost super
human effort. It was eventually accom-
plished.
He arrived at the top OF the shaft
far too exhausted TO show surprise
when, falling In halffainting condi-
ton within two feet Of the brink. he
saw Judith Trine running like mad
across the clearing. ,
SBut without her aid he would not
wathin hours have been able to work
the windlass} and lift Rose and Ban
Gus 10 the surface. ?
(TO BE cOSTINUEDo