Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-09-11
The Magnificent Gamble
BY T. T. Flynn
/Blue\
IRib0l
As6W
~

nitroglycerin. He remembered it plain
". And the bar had not been moved.
1t had lain about six feet from the
pipe. 10 the north. But which way
was north? Things were swimming
giddily. He dropped to a knee, CROPPED
around in the swimming sticky mess
of oil on the floor. CROPPED endlessly;
ages it Semeed.
The stiff end of the gloves struck
against something. He tried twice be-
fore he could grip it. And then the
dripping black length Of the bar came
up as he lifted.
GaSping hoarsely for breath, Jimmy
got TO his feet again, turned to the
gate valve. His eyes were smarting.
The glass window of the helmet was
almost obScured, covered with oil and
SCOT. Dimly, vaguely, he made out the
gate valve, the wheel that would have
to be turned to close off the flood of
oil. His lungs were on fire as he
weayed to it and tried to get the end
of The bar between the spokes of the
valve wheel.
He missed the first thrust. But the
second try made it. He wedged the
bar in, leaned his weight on the end.
Again nothing happened.
Despair swept every other emotion
aside for the moment. Stark despair.
He had failed. A frenzy seized him.
He lunged savagely at the bar. And
it gave. The wheel turned slowly.
For a fraction of a second Jimmy
thought that his fingers had merely
slipped on the oil surface. Then he
saw that it was not SO. The valve had
turned. He pushed again. The wheel
turned more.
EXaltation filled him with the brief
wine Of new strength. He fell on the
bar and turned it swiftly.
The fountain Of Oil dWindled slightly.
Dwindled mOre. And as the frenzy of
Jimmy's motions increased the thick
black column was cut in half, and then
to a quarter of its volume. With
astonishing suddenness there was nc
spouting, roaring fountain. Only a
thin little squirt that died and wasted
to a trickle. The scattering shower
from above ceased. Silence closed in,
broken only by the hungry crackle of
the surrounding flames. They would
burn for hours yet.
The exaltation faded away, even as
the fountain of oil had gone. The new
flood OF strength vas no more. Jimmy
dropped the bar, weaved again there
by the pipe. His head whirled. He
felt sick, tortured. There was some
thing he must do, and he couldn't
think what it was.
"God!' he sobbed, and it was a
wrench Of pain, a tortured prayer.
Something he must do. Like q slow
motion picture it cam to him. Get
out, away from the well. Away from
the fire. There was another world
where the air was cool and clear, the
ground dry and comforting. Another
workout there away from the der
rick.
He turned blindly and CROPPED ahead.
Ran full into a hot beam of steel, and
didn't even sense the pain of contact.
In ONE I'M he got by it, and
struck another and got by that. He
slipped and scrambled up. He was
fighting now, blindly, instinctively for
life itself. Water and cool air. Just
those He fell again as he
stumbled off the edge of the derrick
platform and reeled into the solid belt
of fire that ringed the place around.
Jimmy reeled and stumbled and
threw up his glOved hands as the red
light seemed to die away and his senses
sank abruptly toward the vast black
ness that lay beyond the line Of life
and death.
Water was dashing across his fever
ish face. Cold water. Wet. And there
was sweet cool air in his nostrils. And
WIND in bic nnrc fvhf ~ Lfr ox,nr
Jimmy opened his eyes. The sounds
were voices. Long was kneeling on
one side, dashing water on his face
from a bucket. Jimmy struggled up,
and Long helped him. He saw then
that the major was kneeling on the
other side. His head was still whirling
and his throat felt raw, but life was
coming back strongly.
Give me-" Jimmy asked huskily, "a
big drink"
A cup was handed him. He slipped,
and then gulped the cool water. 1t
had lever tasted SO sweet.
Major Brawner spoke, queerly, I'M
steadily. How do you feel, SOM"
Jimmy handed the empty cup back,
managed a wry smile. "All right, I
guess. Thought I was gone back there.
What happened? Everything went
black"
we were watching" the major said
in that same moved voice. I'VE saw
you back in the smoke, staggering
toward us. And then you fell, right
inside the fire. Long ran in and
brought you out"
You were right with me-" Long
said. Don't give me all the credit.
You did as much as I did,"
II should have done it all" the major
said. Il had no right letting you go
in there, SON."
Il had a chance" Jimmy told him
with another wry grin.
"a mighty slim one"
81 told you I vas a gambler"
The major pulled a stogy from the
breast pocket of his coat with fingers
that were not quite steady, and thrust
it in the corner Of his mouth. But
his voice, when he spoke, was steady
and quiet. Il understand" he nodded.
we'll talk about the stakes