The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-07-02
lConlInned rrom satnrda,l

Fhay NcFp Railing again and curl
osity drew tho owner I'm unou the
derrick floor. This time the flow
might begin; nj any moment now
oil might como with tho water,
There Is some danger In standing
close 10 well during this heillng
process. but Gray was like Bit of
iron in tho field OF a magnet, spell.
bound. he watched the cable as n
ran smoothly OF the drum, flowed
un over tho crown block and down
into the easing mouth. That heavy,
torpedo-llko weight on tho end OF
the line was dropping almost half n
mile. Up Il came swiftly as n
creased; up, up, until Il emerged
into the glare OF tho incandesoont
overhead and hung there dropping.
i, was swung aside and lowered, and
out gushed its muddy contents,
Water. Black and thick as mo
iAsscs. but water nevertheless.
buddy Briskow was running the
rig. and the dexterity with which he
handled brake and control rod gave
him pride. He had seated his sister
- bnnch out OF tho way. where
ssrhe Was protected from the driEzlc,
and he felt her eyes upon him. II
gave him sense OF importance 20
have Allie watching him az such "a
crisis; he wished hts parents we're
With her. II this well blew IN big. as
Y seemed bound TO do. Il would be
q personal triumph. for not many
cub driiiers could boast OF bringing
IN n gusher the first time, II was.
IN fact. no mean accomplishment 20
make any sort OF wei; 90 pierce
the earth with an absolutely vertical
SHAFT half mite deep and line II
with tons upon tons OF heavy casing
joined alright and fitted 10 hair
breadth WAS an engineering feat in
itself II was something that only
an oil man could appreciate. And he
WAS an oil man; darn good ono,
too. so Buddy told himself
He eased the brake and the mass.
I've bailer slid into the casing as a
heavy shell slips into the hrecch OF
a cannon. As he further released his
pressure. the cable began 10 pour
scrpentlike from the drum. Buddy
turned his wet. grirny face and
flashed u grin ~ Allie. she smiled
hack az him family. Some lightning
Ike change IN her expression. or
perhaps some occult sense OF the I'm
toward warned him that an was not
as Il should be. and he jerked his
head hack 10 attention.
There are moments OF catastrophe
when for brief interval nature
H@s. time stops. and we are carried
In suspense. such an instant Buddy
Rriskow experienced now. He knew
az first glance what had happened
and frightened cry burst from his
throat. but Il WAS a cry too short.
too hoarse. to serve as a warning.
During that moment OF inattentiou
the halter had stuck Perhaps five
hundred feet below, friction had
checked its plunge. and meanwhile
the yeivet.running drum. spinning
az It's maximum velocity by reason
OF the whirling bull wheel. was un.
reeiing Its cable down upon the der
rick platform Down II poured in
giant loops. and within those coils.
either unconscious Of his danger or
paraiyzed By its suddenness, stood
Calvin Gray
Men Echooled in hazardous enter.
prizes carry subconscIous mental
photographs OF the perils with which
their cailinss are invested and they
react involuntariiy TO them. Buddy
had heard OF driIlcrs decapltated by
flying cables. OF human bodies
caught within those wire loops and
cus in twain as II made OF lard. for
when wedged tool resumes It's
downward plunge II straightens
those coils above ground In the twin
king of an eye. Instinct, rather
than reason. warned Buddy not TO
chsck the binding revolutions OF the
/NiI wheel. without thought he
ieaped forward into the midst or
those swiftly forming loops, and as
he landed upon the slippery floor he
clenched his fist and struck with all
the power he could put behind his
massive arm Gray's back was TO
him. the blow was like that OF a
walking beam, and II sent tho elder
man flying as a tenpin Is hurled
ahead OF bowling ball Buddy fell.
too. He went sprawling. As he slid
across the muddy floor he felt the
steel cable writing under him like