Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1922-03-09

E4p
In tie Flash Of the Explosion We Had
Glimpse Of Doors and Window
Gazing In.
but in the fash Of the rending explo-
sion we had glimpse of doors and
windows caving inward and section
of the spfft-shngle roof leaping toward
the spacious armament on high.
.'Now, durn ye," was Daddy Hiram's
morose comment, made with an eye to-
peep-hole, now, durn We, maybe
you'll let folks sleep peaceable for
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-satisfying.
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 wfnks; 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 ! 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 IRE
built on a piece Of boiler iron we had
turned down for hearth purposes the:
previous evening. s
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 mi:.ight there had
been nothing stirring; but after that
there had been noises on the black
smith, shop side. snd Indications thak
the jumpers were at work on some
thing IL the boiler shed. Since this
lay beyond cur 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
Z up one or more of the boilers; q whiff
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.
1t 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-overs from the work
ing period Of the mine was a good sized
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 food and put under shelter
in a corner Of thessboilef shed. AS
! was passing my tin cup for more Of
Daddy's excellent coffee the rattle and
clank Of d pump began to make itself
heard. together with the coughing
chug- chug Of the steam exhaust there
from: u
"That's that low-leyel pump!. l ex-
claimed. 'They must have connected
1t up with the boil 5
Whoosf! that was just as far as /
got. In the middle midst of the word
boilers a two-inch Jet Of muddy wa.
ter came curying up through one Of
the window openings to arch over and
sfall, splash, all over us as we sat
munching our dinner Everlastingly
ruined the dinner, put out the fire, up.
j set the coffee pot, and made drowned
rats OF both Of us in less time than it
takes to tell it-much less.
So much for that. OF course, we ran
and ducked and lodged, like the
{ drowned rats speak Of hunting for
{ hole. But now Bullerton's deyilish3
engineering ingenuity came into play.
~ some means as vet unknown to us,
ne had contriyed movable nozzle to
MS squirt-gun, and In another minute
there .wasn'tsa single dry spot left In
that shafthouse. ! venture to say that
Daddy and I and the dog ran q fhll!
mile Lles trying 70 ret out Of range Of that
demoniacal s0zzle chine. hut there
wasn't a corner Of the place that il
couldn't and didn't, reach. &