Adventure Magazine, March 1916 — page 109: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Pillar of Flame Each cut now might find him through; each touch of the file might bring him to the oil. A thousand things might happen, any of which would be his end. He stopped, let his arms sag, and the file fall to the floor. Then he bethought him of the flask, and reaching in his hip pocket he pulled it forth and took a heavy pull. His nerves steadied a trifle by the spirits, he picked up the file with a grim smile, and went back to his task once more. Presently he stopped again, examined the cut with care, stood for a moment look- ing up the tunnel to the outer world, then, with a grim setting of his jaw, picked up the sledge and struck a violent blow at the up-— per portion of the pipe. He might as well have struck so much rock. It hardly shivered. Once again he began to file. And then a little later took up the sledge again. The pipe itself seemed loose, though it did not move. With the sharp end of the file he tested the cut. It was thin as paper. The file went through and was almost~ snatched from his hand. When he pulled it out a gush of oil caught him in the face. A moment he thought, wondering why the upper pipe did not move when struck with the sledge. Then the reason began to dawn upon him. He remembered having heard that in the new style turbines the water rush is so great that even an ax- blade has no effect upon it. And it was the - column of oil, packed solid as a rock, that was keeping the pipe upright, by pressure from the force below. Another blow he struck with all his might. The column shivered, but that was all. Then a furious rage took hold of him. Lifting the sledge, he struck blow after blow upon the pipe, struck in a fury, shout- ing at the top of his voice and raving aloud, till presently a piece broke out of the pipe, and the oil began to squirt in a fierce stream. Striking him in the face, it plucked him from his feet, and dashed him against the shoring timbers. In some way, he worked around to the other side of the pipe, got to his feet again, and found that he still clutched the heavy sledge. What happened after that he hardly Knew, except that he seemed fighting in a sort of nightmare, striking, cursing, and -~ mes . a ee = - > > Sj a he 2 . ¥ * . — = al 107 swinging in a rage, while the oil spattered on him from the walls, and an ever-rising pool was on the floor. His feet were cov- ered. It was crawling to his knees, and he seemed powerless. He sobbed as he struck, and a great de- spair seized him. Life was slipping from his grasp. Fear of death clutched his heart, and, with a last desperate rally, he swung the heavy sledge as if it was a feather, and rained blow after blow upon the pipe. His resolution was failing, and all that he was doing was with a-sort of desperation, a nervous reaction, from the time when he had gritted his teeth and closed his eyes against the danger that he knew was there. Now that all hope seemed to have gone, his nerves exploded, took charge of both mind and body, and his movements were both violent and erratic. Then, of a sudden, the whole world seem- ed to give way. He was struck down, tossed aloft, hurled around, pitched about, and en- gulfed. A horrible roaring was in his ears, a terrible fury of sound, a din that felt phys- ical in its pressure, and that thrust him down into the oily sea that almost filled the tunnel. One moment he struck the floor, the next, scraped the ceiling, then was battered from side to side, like a chip in a mill-stream. Life seemed a little thing to fight for. The infinite. weariness of him yearned for the quietness of death. Then, of a sudden, came peace. e = $ Te, we vai “gp Se ei . > All was still, quiet and intense. He | could die now, for he had accomplished something, though he did not know what; both brain and body were worn out. THEN came a tug on the rope around his body, and he felt himself pulled toward the opening. MHalf- conscious he resisted. Was that turmoil to’ begin again? But faster came the pull. way. Everything went black. He sank to the ground, unconscious, and so they drew him up and saved him. It was hours later that he awoke in his own bed. Flanagan and Dave were sitting near. “Did I do it?” he questioned weakly. “Bedad you did!’ replied the foreman. “The flow’s shut off, the fire’s out, and your money’s waiting at the office.” As in a dream, Red looked at the two com 200 cS His legs gave ~ (E(0) <a “wit = + >