New Britain herald., 1924-10-01

 this new nitro stud in tbs tubs sounds like the slthering of deaths wings
 q never was one to make fuss about feathers" Hazard answered between strokes of his paddle in the tank of glutinous, electric. lighted nitroglycerin oTAT which he was working.
 The two teammates spoke In the even tones of professional nitro workers without looking up from the valves and paddles which they used to keep the dangerous stuff cooled and in motion.
 In Powder Yalley-otherwis known as the Caldron of Death-eyen the outside workers spoke in whispers; men in woolen clothing and rubber soled shoes, trunding from one deaths residence to another cars of liquid snnihilation, cold or hot to suit the most fasttdious tastes
 In those little glass sided houses, wide scattered throughout the hills, where men work always in pairs, so that none shall go to the great unknown alone, it is hardly less dangerous to draw a quick breath than it would be to throw stones in the manner of the proverb.
 
 men left for time alone is thing to be considered with charity, for all human frail ties crop out in Powder Valley.
 Of them all Hazard and Sutton had most cause for caution, having chosen of all defiance to destruction the most treacher- ous-the testing of new formula for re- ducing nitro compound to a solid mass which would explode under electrical impulsion- this, the latest discovery of the company's new chemist, professor of annihilation of note.
 In fact, Hazard and Sutton both knew that valuable Government contract de- pended upon the successful issue of this new explosive within given time-now almost expired-which would sweep the company's principal rival in this powder manufacture from the field. Theirs was work that few men cared to be engaged in unless they possessed iron nerve or had some strong incentive.
 Big blond Jack Hazard and black Jim Sutton, physically unalike as they were in other respects, at least possessed the first attribute in perfection-or, at least, so Haz
 
 more or less silent teammate.
 For the rest, the two men had grown from boys in Powder Valley, where the business of making powerful explosives de- scends from father to son-sometimes of the suddenest.
 So far the tests of the new powder had seen attended with disastrous conditions of weather and luck.
 Both men were on edge with the strain, and the last week of vicious electrical storms-the one thing the professor did not want eliminating in an equally vicious earthshake," as the powder men called the disturbance which had been instrumental n wiping out house at one end of the valley TOW.
 T hope it won't take us in rotations, cause we're next but one" Hazard said In pause in the work. Were cogs in the wheel, Jim. What counts is to get the work done without getting wheels" "A man can afford to be a cog for a while and get wheels, too, Sutton said, scowling at the thermometer that marked the temperature of the twin tank to Haz- ard $ that he was working over, when he knows that he's working for a grub stake Nike Gawd that gave me a snapped herve, tool
 In the irritation of the moment he had jerked his paddle from the mixing tank, just missing the thermometer.
 Strained silence followed, with the slight futtering of a bubbling mixture, as though deaths wings had, indeed, grazed them in passing.
 For friction or the merest shock in that plsce meant-extermination Hazard drew deep breath.
 If I thought you were trying to rattle ny nerve with those careless tricks o yours, Jim Sutton-' he said, and stopped The nitro room was no place even for yer Nal quarrels.
 But Sutton gave snarling laugh tha was worse than the scare he had plainly shown.
 What a snap for those hill Powde people if something did happen to us her tn the valley" he said. They wouldn't shet tears over our lost Government contract that's sure Say, there's money in tha idea" he said, suddenly giving the reil to his i'll temper. We're not all pullin down a bonus from the professor and matri mony into his family. If another powde company wants to play odd man out dow here for a little delay and pay well for it. He pulled up, conscious that he was goin little too far even with his old chum who was winning out with the girl that always at the bottom of broken friend ships.
 JTTOMEN were scarce in Powder Valley w but Miss Lucille, the professors daugh ter, had dipped her pretty fingers in the pi of this particular friendship when she fr' came to Powder Valley with her father, th chemist.
 Now, with Hazard naturally taking prece depce over him and in line for furtht benefits in lucre and love if they succeede in their common work of peril, Jim SuttO knew there wasn't much of a show fC him.
 And he was of the men who turn to Il next best thing, even to taking a Tor chance in the feathering of their own nes
 Hazard knew his mates temper so we he was not even listening.
 He had stepped to the door to greet