The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1915-12-03

talked a great deal. at first. strong.
capable voices. They wera interfer-
Ing with each other. then helping.
combining their strength TO move
heavy stones and the like. then they
were silent. working independently. or
In effective unison.
Tim German was the possessor OF
phos phorescenttace watch. with ~
jewels on the inside and 8 ruby on
the winding stem. and he constituted
himself timekeeper
Thirty minutes" be called out. Its
our shift"
The men crawled In from outside.
but they stayed In the front compart-
ment. The air was growing a trife
close. and they hreathed heavily.
Good by, girl" called the gayly fu-
nereal voice Of Ted Teasdale. Illus
band Is going to work"
Another intermInabe walt, while
the air grew more siifllng. There was
no further levity after Lincoln and the
Inotorman and Mccarthy had come
back. for the condition was becoming
serious Some air must undoubtedly
he- finding It's way TO this car through
the loose debris. but the carbonlc acid
gas eIhaled from dozen pairs Of
lungs was beginning TO pocket. and
the opening ahead. though steadily
pushing forward. displayed no signs
Of lesseniug solidiiy.
They established shorter shifts now;
quarter OF an hour The men came
silently in and out. and as silently
worked. and as silently rested, while
the girls carried that heavy burden OF
womens hardest labor: waltingl
Gregory was the first TO give cut.
then the injured motorman. When
their turns came. they had not the
strength nor the air In their lungs.
Strong Mccarthy vas the next to join
them
The shifts had reduced to two. OF
two men each. by now: Ted and old
Tim. and Allison and the rector; and
these latter two worked double time.
Their lips and their tongues were
parched and cracking. and In their
periods OF rest they sat motionlessiy
facing each other. with wheeEe In
the drawing OF their breath. Their
stentorian breathing could be heard
from the forward end OF their little
tunnel clear back into the car, where
the three girls were battling to pre-
serve their senses against the poison.
Gus gases which were now all that
they had to breathe, Acting on the
reetor's advice. they had stood UP in
the car to escape the gradually rising
level OF the carbouic gas, stood. as the
time progressed, with their mouths
agape and their breasts heavinx and
sharp pains In their lungs at every
breath. Arly dropped. silently crum.
pllng to the ncor; then. a few minutes
later. Lucille. and, panic.strlcken by
the thought that they had gone under.
Gail felt her own senses reeli9g. when
suddenly. looking ahead through eyes
which were staring. she saw a crack
OF blessed light!
There was hoarse cry from ahead |!
THE crack OF hight wtdened Another
one appeared. some four feet TO the
right OF II. and Gail already fancied
that she could feel a tresheniug OF the
air she hreathed with such tearing
pain. Against the light OF the open.
ings, two figures. the only two which
were left to work. strove, al FIRST with
, the slow. limp motions OF exhaustion,
and then with the renewed vigor OF
approaching triumph. She could dis.
tInguish them clearly now. by the
light which streamed In. the stocky,
strong figure Of Allison and the tail
s!newy figure OF the rector. They were
working frantically, Allison with his
coat of. and the rector With his coat
and vest both removed, and one sleeve
torn almost entirely from his shirt. rc-
vealing his swelling biceps, and a
long. red scratch Calls senses we're
numbed. so that they were reduced to
almost merely optical consciousness,
so that she saw things photograph
ically; but. even In her numeness, she
realized that what she had thought
a trace OF weakness In the rector was
only the grace which had rounded his
strength.
The two hgures bent inward toward
each other There Was moment OF
mighty straining and then the whole
eente. between tha two cracks rolled
away. A huge boulder had barred the
path. aud its removal let down a rush
OF pure, fresh air from the ground
aoove, let dowu, too, a food OF dan.
rhns light: and In the curving. under,
rim OF the opening. stood the two stall.
~art men who were the survival Of
the htteStl The mere instinct OF self.
preservation drove Gall forward. with
cry, toward the source Of that life.
giving air, and she scramb let through
the window and ran toward the two
men They came hurr!edly down To
meet her, and each gave her "a hand
CHAPTER XII.