The Washington times., 1938-01-14

when the Kids flying figure
flashed past him running toWarc
the compression, head.
The explosion came. and he was
relieved to see that the steel shield
held. and that no rock looseneo
up. The Kid turned to him.
"I dropped my knife here" ne
said, IAN came to get it." AS he
turned, again, his foot became en-
tangled between two timbers, and
he fell, heavily.
"Jeez, I think broke my ankle"
His twisted face told .Gentry that
he had at least sprained it. And
then Bill G entry noticed some
thing.
Overhead, the feed line OF con-
crete ran to the head Of the cham
ber. 1t was rough. wooden box
ing, running directly to the forms
at the tunnel head.
Hundreds of square yards Of
LIQUID concrete, fed from the
ground far above, were in it, since
trucks on the surface constantly
fed it. 1t was shut off by the
simple device of a wooden shutter
at the end.
When the material was needed,
the shutter would be slid to one
side. Some stress or strain, re-
sulting from the blast, had af-
fected the feedline, and as Gentry
looked up, he saw that it was
buckling, that in a very short time
it would break, deluging the COM
preston chamber with its con-
tents, and probably filling it.
Come on, Kid" he shouted,
1--WE gotta get out of here"
The Kid moaned, as he tried to
stand up, and toppled over. I
can't stand on my foot" he COM
planned. go on, get ia hell outa
here"
FAST WORK
Gentry leaped forward to catch
up the boy and carry him out, and
as he did so, the feedline broke.
All that concrete under pressure
began to pour into the compare
lively small compression chamber.
Gentry had to work fast.
The boys eyes followed Gentry
in beWilderment as he saw for the
second time that day how quickly
the big man could move. First he
ran to the compression door and
banged the distress signal on it.
That would tell those outside
that there was trouble, and Gentry
knew that they would quickly find
out what it was. He also knew
that they would be unable to open
the door quickly.
The change in air pressure would
kill him and the Kid as well, and
they would know that. He'd have
to stick it out as long as possible
in the hope that they would find
the trouble and stop the flow Of
concrete before it filled the cham
ber completely.
From a corner he dragged big
packing case which had been
brought down for tool storage. and
by a supreme effort Of strength
inverted it over the Kid.
Then he took two lengths of
rubber hosing, and clambered up
the chamber sides with them to
the very top, where he fastened
them with tiewireS to the rough
ing.
There would be air for them as
long as the concrete mass failed
to completely fill the compart-
ment.
Gentry leaped down with the
two pieces of hosing and pulled
them after him under the pack
ing case with the Kid.
1t was pitch black, and for that
he muttered thanksgiving. At
least it would be tight against
liquid if it was tight against light.
By tapping the sides, Gentry
kept track of the rise Of the con-
crete around their island of safety,
and finally, he knew that the box
was completely submerged.
The heavy concrete would i'm.
pose a great strain on it soon, he
knew, and his thought was an.
Swered as the stout wood which
formed the roof of their temporary
shelter groaned.
SUPPORTS BOX
Gentry stood up, bent over in
the box which was about five feet
high. He set his wide shoulders
against the top, and placed his
hands at the corners. Wedged
thus he could reinforce the wood
as long as his strength held out
Ten hours later, Gentry felt the
shock of picks and air hammers
against the walls of the prison
and shortly after that he looked
up into the scared faces of the
foreman and the crew.
Then, and he never stopped be
ing ashamed Of it afterwards
things went black for Bill Gentry
When he regain:d consciousness
a. the surface, he found h,
couldn't move.
His shoulder, arm and lei
muscles had cramped into tn
crouching position he had to TAX
to hold the box against the pres
sure of concrete.
1t took lot Of maSSaging beforr
he could use them again to the.
fullest extent.
But Bill Gentry didn't min
that. The Kid was sitting vi
looking at him When he came tc
and the expression in his eye
brought joy to Bill. The Kid
eyes looked like what they were
the mirrors nf the haart If q Il