The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-08-29

his nnar announcement. low ie could
ave caved In like that is more than
1 know. I'm sure We timbered II
good"
There was only one thing to do
turn back Fifteen minutes more and
they were on the surface, making
their plans: projects which entailed
work from morning until night for
many a day to come. Harry reached
for new AK and indicated another.
We'll cut ties first" he announced.
And thus began the weeks OF effort,
weeks In which they worked with
crude appliances; weeks In which they
dragged the heavy stulls and other
timbers into the tunnel and then low
cred them down the shaft to the drift,
two hundred feet below, only to follow
them in their counterbalanced bucket
and laboriously pile them along the
sides of the drift. there to await use
later On. Weeks In which they worked
in mud and slime. as they shoveled
out the muck and with their CAD hooks
tore down loose portions of the hang
ing wall TO form roadbed for their
new tram
1t was a slow, CALLING progress, but
they kept at it. Gradually the tram
line began to take shape, pieced to
gether from old portions of the track
which still lay in the drift and supple
mented by others bought cheaply at
that graveyard of miners hopes-the
junk yard in Ohadi. At last 1t was
INF fhn Of 10
timbers became easier now as they
were shunted onto the small tram
truck from which the body had been
dismantled and trundled along the
rails to the cave-in, there to be piled
In readiness for their use. And final
ly-
A pick swung in the air, to give
forth a chunky, smacking sound, as it
struck water-softened, spongy wood.
The attack against the, cave-in had be-
gun. A foot at a time they tore away
the old, broken, splintered timbers and
the rocky refuse which lay piled be-
hind each shivered beam only to stop,
carry away the muck, and then rebuild.
Cold and damp, In the moist air Of the
tunnel they labored, but there was a
joy in 1t all. Down here they could
forget Squint Rodaine and his chalky-
faced son; down here they could feel
that they were working toward a goal
and lay aside the handicap which
humans might put In their path.
Day after day Of labor and the in
dentation upon the cave-in grew from
a matter Of feet to one of yards. A
week. Two. Then, as Harry swung
his pick, he lurched forward and went
to his knees. "Pve gone through" he
announced in happy surprise. 1--WE
gone through. We're at the end of it 7"
Up went Fairchild's carbide. Where
the pick still hung In the rocky mass,
a tiny hole showed, darker than the
surrounding refuse. There was JOY
in Harry's voice as he made momen-
tary survey.
tits fairly dry behind there" he an
nounced. otherwise we'd have been
scrambling around in water up to our
necks. We're lucky there, ANYHOW"
Again the attack and again the hole
widened. At last Harry Strengthened.
1--WE can go In now" came finally.
"Are you willing to go with mel"
You mean-P'
But Harry stopped him.
Lets don't talk about it till we
ave to. Come on
Silently they crawled through the
about them as they did so, to come
upon fairly dry earth ON the other
side, and to start forward. Suddenly,
as they walked along, Harry took the
lead, holding his lantern far ahead of
him, with one big hand behind it, as
though for a reflector. Then, just as
suddenly, he turned.
"Let's go out" came shortly.
"WhyF
Its therel" In the light of the
lantern, Harry's face was white, his
big lips livid. Lets go"
But Fairchild stopped him.
Harry" he said, and there was de-
termination in his voice, ''if it's there
we've got to face it. Don't you
think that certain people would make
an Investigation If we should happen
I 10 quit uOWE
'"The R0daines"
Exactly. And how much worse
would it be for them to tell the news
than for us!'
Nobody as to tell it" Harry was
staring at his carbide fare-'there's
a wye"
''But we can't take 1t, Harry. In
my fathers letter was the statement
that he made only one mistake-that
Of fear. I'm going to believe him
and in spite of what find here, I'm
| going to hold him innocent, and I'm
! going to be fair and square and above
| board about it ALL There's nothing on
my conscience-and know that if my
/ father had not made the mistake Of
| running away when he did, there
| would have been nothing on his"
| Harry shook his head.