The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1922-02-17
CHAPTER x.--Continued.

Being stopped off short in every
other direction, we finally gravitated
over to the Shaft-houSc and went to
work in an aimleSS sort of fashion
gathering up the Wreckage Of the
smashed gear train and putting things
shipshape again. With steam up, we
turned the machinery over a few
times, just to see that everything was
In working order again, and threw In
Tie clutch of the centrifugaiS, Ieerely
for the satisfaction of hearing the
lood rushing through the outlet. When
the pumps were going ut full speed l
went to look down the shaft. AS be-
fore, when we had run the pumps for
a week on end, there was q slight dis
turbance Of the water. but nothing
more. My makeshift flOat-and-pulley
gauge showed no change In the level.
Suddenly q freak notion seized me
that III like to know just what was
going on down in those black depths
into which the suction pipes Of the
big pumps led.
Daddy, I'm going to try TO find out
something" l declared and forthwith
ocgan to strip my clothes off. "We've
seer the water coming out at the 9TH
or end of things, and now, by George,
| mean to make sure that It's going in
al this end"
He didn't try very hard to dissuade
me. and a minute or so later l was
crawling down the shaft ladder in the
habilimentS that old Mother Nature
gave me. 1t was my first exploration
OF the shaft, and l was surprised to
find 1t so well and tightly timbered
boxed" is the better word, since the
%fiInbpring was really q substantial
wooden box built within the square
u%utIinings of the pit. Common sense
told me that this must have been done
TO prevent the caving i'm Of the sides
and afterward I remembered wonder
Ing, at the time, that the shaft should
have been sunk in caving material
when the remainder of the bench upon
which the buildings stood appeared to
be little else than solid rock.
BY feeling with n free foot | could
determine that the pump suction pipes
went on still farther, and then the
real adventure began. The ladder
suddenly gave out, quit, ended. There
were no more rounds below the one
upon which | was standing. That be-
ing the case, there was nothing for ii
but 10 dive, feet foremost. and taking
n deep breath, let go Of the ladder
and began to swim downward. Almost
before | realized it | vas fighting des-
perntely for dear life. One of the big
suction pipes had taken hold of a foot
and leg, like a tentacle Of an enOr-
nous octopus, and / was unable to get
loose.
After all, II was Daddy Hiram who
saved my life. Suddenly the thunder
Of the pumps, magnified a thousand
fold for me- in that icy pit OF death,
stopped short and the mechanical
squld let go Of my leg. With lungs
bursting shot TO the surface and
weakly clutched the ladder. Framed
IN the square of daylight a dozen feet
overhead l could se0Daddy hanging
over the mouth Of the pit saw aim
and heard his shouted words: Freeze
10 the ladder, bOy-l'm a-cornin' down
aAer ye!"
| was freezing all right. in both
senses Of the word, but | found breath
10 warn him back. and presently man
aged to crawl up the ladder and roll
e~t upon the shafthouse floor. In
stan:ly the old man pounced upon me,