The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1919-04-24
up the bank toward the camp, Molly

l.
the rolling mass came roaring, nanR-
on, against the dam,
"Quick, for Gods sake, quick !
yelled Rickard. His signals sounded
short and sharp. "Dump it on, throw
the cars in!'' Marshall was dancing,
his mouth full of oaths,. on the bank
edge. BreathleSsly all watched the
rushing water fling itself over the dam.
For several hushed seconds the struc-
ture could not be seen. When the
foam fell cheer went up. The dam
was standing. Silent, it was supposed
was bringing in his train.
Above the distant jagged line OF
mountains rose red ball. A new day
began. And again the Dragon rose; a
mountain of water came rolling dam
ward.
Three trains ran steaming on the
rails.
Don't stop now to blast the big
ones. Pour 'em on" ordered Richard.
There was long wait before any
rock fell. Marshall and Rickard walt
ed for the pour. The whistles blew
again. Then they saw what was
wrong. The morning light showed a
rock weighing several tons which was
resisting the efforts Of the pressing
crew. Out of the gloom sprang other
figures with crowbars. The rock tot
tered, fell. The river tossed it as
though 1t were tennis ball, sent 1t
hurtling down the lower face Of the
dam.
Things began to go wild. The men
were growing reckless. They were
sagging toward exhaustion; mistakes
were, made Another rock, as heavy as
the last, was worked toward the edge.
Men were thick about it with crow
bars. They hurried. One concerted
effort, drawing back as the rock top
pied over the edge. One man was too
slow, or too tired He slipped. The
watchers on the bank saw a flash of
waving arms, heard cry; they had a
glimpse of blackened face as the
foam caught it. The waters closed
over him..
There was hush of horror; halt.
"God himself couldn't save that poor
devil" cried Marshall. "Have the
work go on!"
Pour rocks on that wretch down
thereT Pin him down?, Never had IL
seemed more like war! "a man
down? Ride over him to victory!"
Soberly Rickard signaled for the work
to 60 on. u.s. ,
The rock-pour suffered as If in hor-
ror. The women turned sick with fear.
No one knew who 1t was. Some poor
Mexican, probably. aias q sa,4
"Who was it?" demanded Rickard,
running down to the, track. -
"The young Mexican, Hestrada. 'E
tried to ,elp. 'E wasn't fit."
: "Who was it?" Marshall had run
down to see why the work paused.
Rickard turned shocked eyes on his
chief. ESTRADA" The beautiful
;mournful eyes Of Eduardo were on
him, not Marshall's, Mortified. Now he
knew why Estrada had said. II can't
see 1t finished" ''.,fs.
"Rickard - The, engineer did not
recognize, the quenched voice. 'The
work has got to go en-" sj
1t came to Richard as he gave the
orders that Eduardo was closer to Mar
shall than to him. sAs near q son as
he'll ever have he turned a minute
later, to see his chief standing bare
headed. His own cap came of.
"We're burying the lad,n said Mar
shall. - r. s5 Il,
The minute of funeral had to be
pushed aside. The river would not
wait. Train after train was rushed on
to the trestles; wave after wave hit
them. But perceptibly the dam was
steadying. The rapid fire Of rock was
telling.
Another ridge of yellow waters rose.
The roll of water came slowly, dwin-
ding as 1t came; 1T broke against the
trestle weakly. For the first time the
trestle never shuddered. Workers. and
watchers breathed as unit the first
deep breath that night. There was
change. Every eye was on the river
where it touched the rim Of the dam.
Suddenly a chorused cry rose. The
river had stopped rising. The whistles
screamed themselves hoarse.
And then girl, sitting on the bank,
saw two men grab each other by the
hand. She was too far away to hear
their voices, but the sun, rising red
through the banks Of smoke, fell on
the blackened faces of her brother and
Rickard. She did not care who saw
her crying.
WYNN