Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-05-11

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 a 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 Ia
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 ze caps" urged the Ital-
ian gallantly.
mo, I'll take BOTH"
''It ees danger"
"Yes. but come on"
Meade, wasting no. more words
sprang at what was left of the trail,
and the two men gallantly followed
him. The hogback at which he was
aiming was perhaps a 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.
'If 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 a 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 trace of the
age-long rivalry between the Celt and
the Roman. The scion of the legionary
and the son of the barbarian who haG
fought together in the dawn of history
We'd with each other then. Again ant
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, i
might explode. He knew that the un
stable illuminate of mercury in tn,
detonators might go off at any time
perhaps that was the greater danger
but he never checked his pace or hesi
tated in leap or sought an easy wa,
for a second. His soul was rising an,
his heart was beating as they ha,
never risen or beaten in his life. AM
the hearts of his men beat with hi
own.
He knew, of course, if the dam wen
out the railroad, the bridge, the towr
the citizens, the women and children
and everything and everybody woul
go. If he could save them, his aC
might be set off against the loss of tn
International. But whether that wer
true or not, whatever the const
Quences to him. he was bound to sav
them. The weight of every man, tn
weight of every woman, the weight G
every child in the valley, the weigh
of all the business enterprises of tn
town, the weight of the great viadut
of steel, the weight of the huge daI
itself, was on his shoulders as he raj
He carried the burden lightly, as Alta
might have upborne the world wit
laughter. For, despite his determin;
ton and haste, he had in his heart th
great joy that comes when men a
tempt grandly and dare greatly fC
their fellow-men. If he could only b
and by see his hopes justified by su
cess, his happiness would be complet
And there were thoughts personal {
well as general. If he died, whethC
successful or not, men would tell abol
his endeavOr. She would hear.
I came to him afterward, when |
learned how she had looked down upC
O him as he ran, that he had somehO
O felt her presence, not presence IL
II pelling him to look up, but presen
l. driving him on. He lost his hat, he to
off his long coat and threw it asst
% as he plunged on with his precious b;
% in his hand. He did not dare to lot
h at his watch, he did not stop for an
f. thing, but it seemed that he must ha
n. spent hours in that mad scramble Ov
deep breath of relief when he round
" the mesa and struck the trail. Bad
o. was the going, it was nothing to VIII
ell they had passed over.
Presently he broke out into the op
,e slope and there before him was t
d, rounded curve of the hOgback, to ga
he which he had risked so much We
lg they in time? Yes, the water in t
IS lake was not flowing, it was only +
ing. Evidently the dam still held.
n ran along it till he reached the n;
ge rowest part of it, twenty feet wi
he between water-covered valley a
he sharply descending ravine. The shO
es est separation between Picket w
pt and the Kicking Horse! The water
in the lake was within three feet of
x crest. The rain was coming do
lg. steadily. He could realize by the '
in ter level where he stood that it M
ne be tapping the top of the dam NJ
if or little above it. He had five m
pt utes-ten at most. He was still
time. The thoughts came to him as
ct ra1. And as he saw the place ag