St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1921-12-31

IN the FLASH OF tne Explosion VIC t1oo
a Glimpse of Doors and Windows
Gazing In.
but in the flash of the rending explo-
sion we had glimpse of doors and
windows caving inward and a section
Of the split-shingle roof leaping toward
the spacious armament on high.
"Now, durn ye," was Daddy Hiram's
morose comment, made with an eye to
a peep-hole, nov, durn We, maybe
you'll let folks sleep peaceable for a
little SPELL"
OF course, in the darkness, made
thicker by the cloud of dust the explo-
sion had kicked up, we couldn't tell
what had become of the cabin gar
rison, or whether or no we'd killed all
or any of it. But the immediate re-
suit was perfectly soul-satisfytng.
There were no more roof lombard.
ments. and after we had remained on
watch together for perhaps half an
hour. Daddy sent me to the blankets
for my forty winks did this, and after
ward played low-down trick on me.
For, what with the previous nights
broken rest, and the more or less ex-
citing and strenuous day, slept like
tired baby, and when l aWoke the
sun was shining in at the two high
window holes at something more than
an acute angle, and Daddy Hiram was
making coffee and frying bacon and
baking pan-bread over chip fire
built on a piece of boiler iron we had
turned down for hearth purposes the
previous evening.
The old angel took my reproach.
full abuse for his unselfishness quite
good-naturedly, as he did most things,
and made his report of the nights
doings. Up to midnight there had
been nothing stirring; but after that
th.re had been noises on the black
smith shop side, and indications that
the jumpers were at work on some
thing In the boiler shed. Since this
lay beyond our field Of vision, we
couldn't see what was going on, nor
could we apply the dynamite remedy.
Shortly after we had finished break
fast the work noises began again, but
with the blanketing blacksmith shop In
the way we couldn't see a thing and
could only make wild guesses at what
the raiders were up to. Along about
the middle of the forenoon they fired
up one or more of the boilers; Whit
of wind coming along the side of the
mountain blew the smoke over so that
some Of it drifted into the shaft-house
through the high windows. Still we
were completely lost in the guessing
wilderness.
It was little after noon, while we
were sQuatting on the floor to eat
another meal warmed up over the chip
fire, that we found out the answer
to all the guesses and learned what
the mechanical noises of the night
and forenoon had been leading up to.
One Of the left-oyers from the work
ing period Of the mine was good-s1zed
! steam force pump which, we took 1t,
had once been installed on one OF the
lower mine levels and had been hoisted
| out Of the shaft ahead Of the advanc-
ing water flood and put under shelter
! in a corner of the boiler shed. AS
was passing my tin cup for more OF
| Daddy's excellent coffee the rattle and
! clank Of pump began to make itself
heard together with the coughing
chug-chug Of the steam exhaust there-
from.
.eThat's that low-leyel pump! ex-
claimed. '.They must have connected
1t up with the boil"
Whoosh! that was just as far as ]
got. In the middle midst OF the word