The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-09-07
WEB OF STEEL
BY CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY FATHER AND SON
y PR a DY FATHER AND SON
by Fleming H. Revell Co.

three men plunging forward through
it had difficulty in keeping their foot,
ing on the broken, rocky bottom
When they reached the other side,
Meade shouted above the storm:
| Murphy, bring your pick and SHOW
ell; take that iron range-pole, too
Here, Funaro, you take your shovel
and these"
AS he spoke he ran into the office
shack and wrecked q transit tripod,
ruthlessly separating the legs from one
another by main force and pitching
two of them into the little Italians
outstretched arms.
Without question, both men COM
piled with his directions. In huge
crevice, almost small cave, in the
spur of the mesa which overhung the
east end of the dam the explosives
were stored. The dynamite was kept
in oilskin bags, the decorating caps in
waterproof boxes. There were six
teen sticks or cartridges in each bag.
Each stick was an inch and half in
diameter and eight inches long. One
bagful should be ample. Indeed, if
that did not do the work, the attempt
would fail.
The men waited while Meade select
ed bag of dynamite, box of detona-
tors, and package of fuses. 1t was a
cardinal rule that dynamite cartridges
and decorating caps should never be
carried by the same person, because
the combination so greatly increased
the risk of premature explosion.
The illuminate of mercury in the
decorators was very volatile, highly ex-
plosive and immensely destructive, con-
sidering its size. One such cap could
blow off a mans hand, or even his
head, and in its explosion might deto-
nate the dynamite. Hence the sepa-
ration when being carried.
Meade decided to take that risk. He
knew how perilous was the undertake
ing, how liable he was in his hurry to
fall against the rocks, slippery and
half submerged in that pouring rain.
He knew what the consequences of
such fall would be. He would center
all risks in himself He thrust the box
of detonators in his pocket, the pack
age of fuses inside his flannel shirt,
and carried the dynamite bag in his
hand. He would need his free hand to
protect himself, SO all the tools were
carried by the other men.
The little Italian shook his head as
he noted these preparations. He hap
pened to be one of the explosive force,
those whose duty it was to do the
blasting. In his practical way he knew
a great deal about the properties and
possibilities of usefulness of the dyna-
mite. Meade's purpose was obvious,
even to Murphy, who was only la
borer, though where he proposed to
work neither man had any idea at all.
Dynamite no work in zis weather."
said Funaro impressively.
Probably not" answered Meade,
hurrying his preparations, "but it's our
only chance"
"Give me re caps" urged the Ital-
ian CALAMITY.
mo, I'll take both"
ut ees danger"
"Yes, but come on"
Meade, wasting no more words,
sprang at what was left of the trail,
and the two men CALAMITY followed
him. The hOgback at which he was
aiming was perhaps little more than
two miles from the dam. On the ordi-
nary trail and prepared for the run,
he could have managed it in fifteen
minutes; as it was, they made it in
thirty. The extreme possibility Of the
life of the dam seemed to Meade not
much greater. He went in the lead,
and by his direction the others kept
some distance behind him.
eff fall and explode this dynamite,
there's no need of all three of us be-
ing blown up" he had said, and it was
no reflection on their courage that they
complied with his direction.
Indeed stern command was neces-
sary to keep the two men back. They
had caught something Of the gallant
spirit of the engineer, and the big
Irishman and the little Italian were as
eager as he. Helped by a few hasty
words as they ran, they had both of
them learned what he would be at.
They both realized that they were the
forlorn hope, that if they could not
save the dam nobody and nothing
could. And there was a trace of the
age-long rivalry between the Celt and
the Roman. The scion of the legionary
and the son of the barbarian who had
fought together in the dawn Of history
WED with each other then. Again and
again Meade had to order them back.
He was keenly sensible of his danger.
He knew that if he fell. if the dyna-
mite struck the ground violently, 1t
might explode. He knew that the I'M
stable illuminate Of mercury in the
decorators might go off at any time
perhaps that was the greater danger
but he never checked his pace or hest
tated in leap or sought an easy way
for second. His soul was rising and
his heart was beating as they had
never risen or beaten in his life. And
the hearts of his men beat with his
own.
He knew, of course, If the dam went
out the railroad, the bridge, the town,
the citizens, the women and children,
and everything and everybody would
go. If he could save them, his act
might be set off against the loss of the
International. But whether that were
true or not, whatever the conse-
quences to him. he was bound to save
them. The weight Of every man, the
weight of every woman. the weight of