THE 8EMI-WEEKLV TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE. NEBRASKA.
WEB OF STEEL
By CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY father and son
CHAPTER XIX Continued.
12
"I don't see him. Ileta not there,"
no said at last, handing tho glass back
to Its owner. .
"If. he were there, you'd see him all
right," said Winters enthusiastically,
"because he'd bo In the thick of tho
light."
"I doubt If you can recognize any
one, even through tho glass, at Buch a
distance," sold Ilodney, after ho had
focused It and taken a look himself.
"Yet If ho were thero, ho certainly
would bo In the thick of It. He's that
kind. You look, Dick."
"I can't see him," Bald Winters in
turn. "But what n fight they nro mak
ing to save that dam."
"Will it holdr asked tho woman.
"Impossible," said Rodney.
"I glvo It ono hour," said WinterB,
banding over the glass.
"Not moro than that," assented tho
other, nfter another look. "Seo for
yourself, Miss Ullngworth."
Prom when they stood, high up on
tho rdof of tho world, they wero spec
tators of n great battle, witnesses of
n terrible contest, in which herculean
effort, desperate courago, human will,
nil exerted to tho limit, finally de
generated Into blind, mcchnnlcal habit
of continuous and frenzied endeavor.
Tho spirit of reckless contlnuanco had
cot Into them and moved them to tho
Impossible. As men In a battlo chargo
go on even with wounds enough to kill
them in ordinary circumstances, as boI
dlers at Winchester, though shot in tho
heart, actually straggled after Sheri
dan until they fell, or oven as a com
mon horse may so be Imbued with
blind intensity of determination that
!io gallops on until ho drops dead,
so these men gave their nil in unmatch
able persistence.
"Thoy'd better get off that dam," said
Rodney. "When It onco falls It'll go
with a rush and then it'll bo too late."
"Look nt them. They're not going
to get off," cold Winters. "Thoy'ro
going down with it Pools, God bless
cm I" ho Bhouted, throwing up his
arms In exultation over manhood and
courage and determination.
"Perhaps you had better go back,
Miss Ullngworth," said Ilodney, think
Ing of the horror sho might witness at
any moment.
"I wouldn't bo elsowhere for tho
world," said tho brave girl, white but
With firm lips sho was mado of tho
same stuff as tho fighting men, it
aeeraed "even if ho wero there, fight
ing that great battle, I should wait to
co tho end,"
"We're not tho only people in this
wilderness. Look yonder I" cried Win
tors. Ho pointed down through tho cease
less rain toward tho lower edge of tho
mesa. There, far below him, woro
three sodden figures. Tho water In tho
lako hrtd flooded tho Blopo of tho hill,
and on that Bide It was lopping tho
base of tho cliff. Tho trail had, of
(course, been covered, and thoro was no
way of prpgrcss except by taking ad
.vantage of tho broken rock at tho foot
of the cliff, which hero and thero still
stood abovo tho water. It was a placo
whero men could only puss by carof ully
choosing their way and calculating the
distance of tho next point toward
which to leap. Theso thrco were mov
ing like madmen, splashing through
the water, hurling themselves from
rock to rock, falling against tho wall,
clutching a tree or shrub, slipping into
the lake, saving themselves from
drowning apparently only by tho "ca
price of complacent fortune, which
they wero trying to tho utmost limit.
Ono man carried a miner's pick, n
pade and a surveyor's rnngo polo, tho
Othoi; unothcr spado and two long
etakes which looked llko tho separata
Jegs of a tripod. Tho bareheaded mau,
who had thrown his rubber coat down
Jn tho reddish-yellow water, carried n
ood-slzed oilskin bag. Ho was tho
Biost hurried of the three. IIo ran
eorao distance In front of tho others.
JThey noticed how carefully ho Bought
to protect tho bag. When ho slipped
tor seemed about to fall, ho always
thrust It frantically away from tho
rock with outstretched arm.
What tho three men would bo. at of
course no ono knew, It was obvious
that they wero In n desperato hurry
unil that tho thing In tho bug must bo
carefully carried. Naturally tho watch
ers connected tho men with tho dam
builders. Thfv wero dressed nn thn
men engaged In such .labor would bo
dressed, The pick, the spades and tho
polo and stakes boro out; that conclu
sion. "What's in the bag?" asked the
woman,
"Bo carries It as though It might
fee gold or diamonds," said Winters.
Rodney shook his head. Suddenly
be divined the reason for tho extremo
earn with which tho hnsr wnH carried.
Tho men wero Immediately below tho
three watchers now, xia couw mako
nut nrottv well whnt: wns tho slzn and
shape of tho objects that bulged tho
waterproor ung.
"I have It," ho shouted. "Dynamite I1
44 Whnt forV"
Rodney slook his bead again. Tho
man In front was In plain view. Do
wos a to'.l figure, his face was heavily
Copyright by Flemlntf II. Revell Co.
bearded. From tho angle nt Which
they saw him It was Impossible to rcc
ocnizo him. nor wns -ho In liln frantic
progress assuming the usual attitude
and bearing of a man under ordinary
conditions which sometimes hotrnv
him to thoso who know him well. Nor
could Helen Ullngworth with her
trembling hands focus the glass, which
she took from Rodney beforo tho strug
gling adventurers had passed ; and yet
thero was something in tho flmiro be-
Jow that mado her heart heat faster.
Sho pressed her hand to tho wet gar
ments over her heart and stared. Sud
denly Rodncv raised his voice nnd
shouted at- tho very top of It. Winters
Joined In, nnd oven Helen Ullngworth
round ncrscir screaming. Tho threo
men below wero not moro than flvo or
six hundred feet away, but evidently
they could not possibly hear In that
tumult of nnturo. No voices would
carry through any such rain nnd wind.
Tiioy wero too Intent on their paths
and on what they had to do to look
unward. Thov rounded thu shmililnr
of tho mesa nnd disappeared In tho
pines at its feet
Tho threo on tho ton looked at each
other.
"Tho dam still holds." suld Rodnov.
qtilto unsuspecting who, was In tho
woman's heart.
13 von 08 ho snoko. nelan Illlnirworth
turned away. Sho ran heavily In her
sodden garments alone tho broken
mesa top past tho house to tho upper
cugo. Tiiero below hor wero tho thrco
men Just emerging from tho frlngo of
trees. Rounding tho end of tho mesa,
thoy had at last struck firmer ground.
Helen Ullngworth could seo thorn
through tho pines on tho old trail. Tho
going was bad enough, but It was no til
ing compared to what they had passed
over nnd presently thpy burst out of
tho woods and ran along tho greasy,
well-rounded hogback that divided tho
valley from tho ravlno.
Tho woman had no Idea whnt wns
toward, what was their purpose. Sho
could only stnro and staro nt tho rap
idly moving far-off fliiura indomltnhlv
in tho lead, and tho others following
niter. Thero Winters Joined her.
"Rodnoy sent mo to lobk nfter vnu ;
he feels that ho must stay back and
watch tho dam for his paper."
"Look." said Helen, nnlntlnrr fnr
dbwn. Tho men halted at tho very
narrowest part of tho hogback. Thoy
woro clustered togothcr. Tho bag lay
on tho ground behind them. One man
bent over it, evidently oponlng it
Another man swung tho shovel vicious
ly, tno third g" ibbcd tho pick. Win
tors had been too far removed from en
gineering oven yet to flguro out what
was toward. Thoy could only watch
ana wonder.
CHAPTER XX.
The Victors.
MCOdO know that thov worn flrrhHnn'
n losing battle. Evorv onn nf thn
higher grade men know It also, Tho
spuiway wus entlroly Inadequate but
it suddenly flashed into his mind, with
that consciousness of tho hopelessness
of tho struggle that perhaps thero was
anotner way to dlschargo tho flood.
ThO Bamo idea mleht Imvn ramn tn
any other of the moro intelligent of tho
men irora vnnaoventer down if thoy
had takon a moment for reflection. If
thoy had, not been so frantically, bo
frightfully engrossed In their present
puny but trnllunt efforts to snvn thn
dam, thoy certainly would ,1m vo rcmcm-
ucrcd. Tiiat tho possibility camo to
Mcuda rather t' m to any of tho others
was perhaps duo to tho fact that ho
hnd noted tho situation later and had
Btudlcd tho conditions moro recently.
Thoso solitary rambles of his, thoso
careful inspections of tho terrain of
mo vuiioy, nnd been mado long after
tho original survovs and tho results of
his observations woro still fresh In his
mind.
Tho water was rising so ranldlv
slnco tho cloudburst and ho saw tho
Inevltablcncss of tho falluro so clearly
that ho did not daro to wasto tlmo to
look up Vandovcntcr, toll him his plan,
and got his permission. Evory second
was of tho utmost value. When tho
muu(,m vuiuu, iiu unuu lUSlUUlly. HQ
was in tho position of tho commnndor
of'n small forco to whom Is suddenly
presontcd tho baro possibility of wrest
ing victory from defeat by 8omo splen
didly daring nnd unforeseen undertak
ing, And ho wns tho man to sclzo such
a possibility and mako tho most of it
Ho had endeared himself to some of
tho men and tho rcsnect in whirls hn
waa held by Vandovcnter was shared
uy tno ottiers. When ho called two
of tho most capablo of tho workmen,
a big, burly Irishman and a stout llttlo
Italian, to follow him, thoy did It
without a moment's hesitation.
"Tho rest of you keep on here," ho
Bhouted as ho left tho gang. "Murphy
and Funaro, como with me. Keep it
up i I think I know a way to help," ho
ypllcd bock through tho ralu as ho
scrambled off tho dam up tho rocks to
tho spillway. It was not his fault that
they could not hear and could not un
derstand. The water was rushing through tho
spllljvay about kueo deep, and tho
three men plunging forward through
It had difficulty In keeping their foot
ing on tho broken, rocky bottom.
When they reached tho other sldcj
Meade Bhouted nbove tho storm:
"Murphy, bring your pick nnd shov
el; tnko thnt iron range-pole, too.
Here, Funaro, you tako your shovel
and these."
As he spoko ho ran Into tho ofllcc
shack nnd wrecked a trnnslt tripod,
ruthlessly separating tho legs from one
unothcr by mnln forco and pitching
two of them into tho little Italian's
outstretched nrms.
Without a question, both men com
piled with his directions. In n hugo
crevlco, almost a small cave, In the
spur of tho mesa which overhung tho
east end of tho dam tho explosives
wero stored. Tho dynamite was kept
In oilskin bags, tho detonating caps in
waterproof boxes. Thero wero six
teen sticks or cartridges In each bag,
Each stick was an Inch nnd n hnlf in
diameter and eight Inches long. One
bngful should bo ample. Indeed, If
that did not do tho work, tho attempt
would fall.
Tho men waited while Meade select
ed a bag of dynamite, a box of detona
tors, nnd n package of fuses. It was a
cardinal rule that dynamite cartridges
and detonating caps should never bo
carried by tho samo person, because
tho combination so greatly Increased
tho risk of premature explosion.
Tho fulminate of mercury in tho
dctonntors wns very volntlle, highly ex
ploslvo nnd Immensely destructive, con
sldcrlng its size. Ono such cap could
blow off a man's hand, or oven his
head, and In Its explosion might deto
nate tho dynamite. Henco tho sepa
ration when being carried.
Mcado decided to tako that risk. Ho
know how perilous was tho undertak
ing, how llablo ho was In his hurry to
fall against tho rocks, slippery nnd
hnlf submerged in that pouring rain
Ho knew what tho consequences of
such n fall would be. Ho would centos
nil risks In himself. Ho thrust tho box
of detonators In his pocket, tho pacit
ngo of fuses Insldo his flannel shirt,
and carried tho dynnmlto bng In his
hand. Ho would need his free hand to
protect himself, bo all tho tools were
carried by tho other men.
Tho llttlo Italian shook his head as
ha noted theso preparations. Ho hap
pened to bo ono of tho exploslvo forco,
tlwso whoso duty It was to do tho
brastlng. In his practical way ho knew
a great deal about tho properties nnd
possibilities of usefulness of tho dynn
mlto. Meado's purposo was obvious,
oven to Murphy, who was only a la
borer, though whero ho proposed to
work neither man had any Idea at nil.
"Dynnmltn no work In zls weather,"
said Funaro impressively.
"Probably not," answered Meade,
hurrying his preparations, "but It's our
only chnnco."
"Glvo mo zo caps," urged tho Ital
ian gnllautly.
"No, I'll tako both."
"It ces danger."
"Yes, but como on."
Mcado, wasting no moro words,
sprang nt whnt wns loft of tho trail,
nnd tho two men gnllnntly followed
hlra. Tho hogback at which ho wns
nlmlng wns perhnps n llttlo more than
two miles from tho dam. On tho ordi
nary trail and prepared for tho run,
ho could havo managed it in fifteen
Hla Soul Was Rising and Hla Heart
Was Beating-
minutes; ns It was, they mado It in
thirty. Tho extremo possibility of tho
llfo of tho daro seemed to Moado not
much greater. Ho went In tho lead,
and by his direction tho others kept
some distance behind him.
"If I fall nnd cxplodo this dynamite,
there's no need of nil thrco of us be
ing blown up," ho had said, anil It was
n6 reflection on their courago that they
compiled with hla direction.
Iudccd a stem command was ueccs
sary to keep tho two men back. They
had caught something of tho gallant
spirit of tho engineer, and tho big
Irishman nnd tho little Italian wero ns
eager us he. Helped by a few hasty
words ns they run, thoy hnd both of
them- lenrned whnt he would bo nt.
They both realized that they were tho
forlorn hone, thnt if thov rnnlrl nnt
save tho dam nobody and nothing
could. And there was n traco of the
age-long rivalry between tho Celt and
tho Roman. The scion of tho legionary
and tho son of the barbarian who had
fought together In tho dawn of history
vied with each other then. Again and
again Mcado had to order them back.
lie was Keenly sensible or his danger.
He knew that if ho fell. If thn rivnn.
- -
mite struck tho ground violently, it
might explode. He knew that tho un
stable fulmlnntn nf mnrmrv In tlin
detonators might go off at any time
pcrnaps that was tho greater danger1
but he never checked his naco or hesi
tated in n lenp or sought nn easy way
for a second. His soul was rising nnd
his heart was beatlne as thev had
never risen or beaten In his life. And
tho hearts of his men bent with his
own.
Ho knew, of course. If tho ilnm went
out tho rnllrond, tho bridge, the town,
tho citizens, tho women nnd children,
und everything and everybody would
go. If he could save them, his net
might be Set oft against the loss of tho
International. But whether that wero
true or not, whatever the conse
quences to him, ho was bound to save
them. The welcht of nvorv ninn. tho
weight of every woman, the weight of
every ciuid in tho valley, tho weight
of all tho business enterprises of tho
town, tho weight of tho great viaduct
of steel, tho weight of tho huge dam
Itself, was on his shoulders ns ho rah.
He cnrrled the burden lightly, ns Atlns
mignt hnvo upborne tho world with
laughter. For, despite his determina
tion nnd hnste, ho had In his heart tho
great Joy that comes when men at
tempt grandly and dare greatly for
their fellow-men. If ho could onlv hv
nnd by see his hopes Justified by suc
cess, uis Happiness would bo complete.
And there were thoughts nersonnl as
well as general. If ho died, whether
successful or not, men would tell about
his endeavor. Sho would hear. It
camo to hlra afterward, when ho
learned how sho had looked down upon
him as ho ran, that ho had somehow
felt her presence, not a presence im
pelling him to look up, but n presence
driving him on. Ho lost his hat ho tore
off his long coat and threw It nsldo
as.ho plunged on with his precious bag
in his hand. Ho did not daro to look
at his watch, ho did not stop for any
thing, but it seemed that ho must havo
spent hours In that mad scramble over
the water-covered rocks. Ho heaved n
deep brenth of relief when ho rounded
tho mesa nnd struck tho trail. Bad as
was tho going, It was nothing to what
they had passed over.
Presently ho broko out into the open
slope nnd thero before him wns tho
rounded curve of tho hogback, to gain
which ho had risked so much. Wero
they In tlmo? Yes, tho water In tho
lako was not flowing, It was only ris
ing. Evidently tho dam still held. He
ran along It till ho reached tho nar
rowest part of It, twenty feet wide
botween water-covered valley and
sharply descending ravine. Tho short
est Reparation between Picket Wire
and tho Kicking Horse I Tho water In
tho lako was within threo feet of tho
crest Tho rain was coming down
steadily. Ho could' realize by the wa
ter level whero ho stood that It must
bo lapping tho top of tho dam now,
or a llttlo abovo It. Ho had live min
utesten at most Ho was still In
time. Tho thoughts camo to him as ho
ran. And as ho saw tho placo again
ho made his Instant plan.
Ho laid tho dynamite down Just ns
Murphy nnd Funaro reached him nnd
stood pnntlng, their heavy breathing,
tho sweat mingling with tho rain In
their wet faces, evidencing their ex
haustion. From Murphy, who had been
tho faster, Meade took tho two tripod
logs, stout oak staves about an Inch
and a half thick, with sharp metal
points. Ho Jammed them down Into
tho ground about flvo foot from tho
edge of tho Kicking Horso ravlno nnd
about fifteen feet apart
"Holes, there," ho shouted, "deep
enough for flvo cartridges."
Funaro nodded. Ho know exactly
what to do. Murphy had often seen
tho exploslvo Bung at work. Ho wns
quick-witted und ho had only to follow
tho Italian's actions. Tho work was
simple. Seizing their spades, tho two
men cut Into tho sod, using tho pick
to dislodge small bowlders and breuk
up tho earth. Tho soil was light and
porous, nnd It had been well soaked
by tho rain. After thoy had mado nn
excavation about two feet deep, they
laid asldo their shovels, and with tho
Iron rungo polo as a startor and tho
blggor tripod stakes to follow, they
roudo two deep holes In tho ground,
forcing tho polo nnd then tho stako
into tho earth, which tho continuing
rain tended to soften moro nnd moro.
Thoy mado theso holes about four feet
deep below tho excavation, driving in
and twisting nnd churning tho stakes
by main strength.
They could by no menus have uccom
pllshed this savo for tho Boftenlng as
sistance of tho rain and tho furious
energy they upplled. They had been
working slnco four In the mornliig at
tho dam, they had made that dlfllcult
run at headlong speed, yet they labored
like men possessed. They even wasted
breath to call chnllenglngly nnd pro
voklngly and to set forth their progress
ench to the other. In nlmost less time
than It tnkes to tell It, they hnd com
pleted tho holes und so Informed tho
engineer triumphantly.
Meade, ns usunl, had reserved to
himself tho more dangerous, If less nr
duous task. Covering himself with
big Murphy's discarded slicker, which
fell over him llko n shelter tent ns ho
knelt down, he opened tho box of
detonators, selected one, nnd nttnehed
tho fuse In position carefully. Then
he unfolded the paper nbout ono of the
cartridges nnd placed the detonator,
wrapping tho paper around It there
after. Ho prepared two cartridges
this way with the greatest care.
Tho men rapidly but carefully cut
silts In tho covering of tho cartridges,
and lowered four cartridges down each
hole, forcing fhem gently Into place
with tho butt ends of the tripod stakes
and compressing them so that they
filled tho holes completely. Then
Mcndc placed his two prepared sticks
with the detonators on top of tho other
four. Ho cut tho fuse to tho proper
length In each case, and, keeping it
Ho Was as One Dead.
carefully covered with the raincoat, he
held It while the others filled In tho
holes and tho excavations nnd care
fully tamped down tho earth. All that
remained wns tho lighting of the fuse.
And then? Would tho dynamite go
off? With fuses it was uncertain in its
action nt best, nnd although theso
fuses were supposed to bo so prepnrcd
ns to bo Independent of wenther con
ditions, moro often thnn not rnln
spoiled a blnst If this blnst failed It
was good-by dam good-by everything.
Meado drew out from tho pocket of
his flannel shirt a box of matches. Ho
had to light tho farther cartridge fuse,
then run fifteen feet and light the
nenrer one, nnd then make his escape.
He had mado tho nearer fuse a little
shorter so ns to secure a slmultnncous
explosion If possible.
Tony Funnro now Interposed gnl
lnntly. "Glvo mo da light," ho demanded, ex
tending his hand.
"G'wan wld ye," shouted the big
Irishman eagerly; "lemme do It, sor."
"Stand back, both of you," cried
Mcado, succeeding after some trouble
In striking a match.
Ho hnd cut off a shorter length of
fuse for a torch, the better to carry tho
flro from ono blast to another. As It
sputtered Into flame, ho touched tho
first fuse, then the second, nnd turned
nnd rnn for his llfo nfter Murphy nnd
Funaro. They had Just got a safe dis
tance away when with n muffled roar
tho two blasts went off nearly together.
When they ran back they saw that
two-thirds of the hillock on that side
of tho ravlno had gone. A wall of
earth through which water was already
trickling roso between tho great gap
they had blown out nnd tho lake, tho
upper level of which wns much higher
than the bottom of tho great crater
thoy had opened.
"Hurrah," yelled Meade, tho others
Joining In his triumphant shout "Now,
another hole right there," he pointed to
tho foot of the bank. "Drive it In
slanting nnd It will do the Job."
"Will tho dnra bo nfter holdln' ylt,
sor?" asked Mlko Murphy, seizing his
pick.
. "I hopo so, but, for God's sake,
hurry."
With two men working, tho Inst holo
wns completed beforo Mcado was
ready. Funaro, Indeed, camo to his
assistance In preparing tho cartridge.
Presently nil was completed. Reject
ing the picas of both men, Mcado
struck tho match, nnd this time, sloo?
thcro wns but ono blnst to be flrsd, ho
touched It directly to tho fuso end
waited u second to ais that it had
caught and raD ax before.
At n safe distance they drew bnck
and waited. Nothing happened. A. few
rieconds dragged on. They saw no sign
of llfo In tho fuse, no light In spite
of tho enre they hnd taken, It hud got
wet It would not work. Tho precious
moments wero flying. They stared
agonizingly nt the fuso through , tho
rnln.
"I'll havo to toko a look at It," said
Meado desperately.
Funnro nnd Murphy caught him by
tho nrms. They nil know tho tremen
dous risk in n nearer eppronch. Tho
fuso might bo alight still. At nny sec
ond tho llnrao might flash to the deto
nator and then Yet Mcado had to 1
go. That chargo hnd to ho exploded If ,
he detonated It by hand, ho thought
desperately, and ho had not como so
far and worked so hard to fall now. i
"Don't go," crkHl Murphy.
"It ces danger," shouted Funnro.
But Meade shook them oft and bade
them keop back. What was his dan
ger compared to the Issue Involved?
Thnt Inst charge hnd to bo exploded.
Ho stepped quickly toward It, and ns
ho did so ho threw his eyes up townrd
tho grny, rnln-fllled heaven In ono last
appeal.
Did he hear the blind roar, did he
see the upbursting masses of sodden
earth, was ho conscious of the fact
that the whole side of the hillock had
been blown away, that the last explo
sion had completed the shattering work
of tho first that they had succeeded?
Did he mark tho whirling water, driv
en backward at first by the violence of
tho explosion, returning and rolling In
vnst mass through the great opening,
did he see It plunging down the slope,
through the trees and bushes, and
pour thunderously Into tho bed of tho
rnvlne? Did he seo tho tremendous
rush of tho water from the great lake
that man had created tear earth from
earth, and ever widen and deepen the
opening ns it crashed In a foaming, ter
rible, red cataract through the outlet,
striking down great trees, roaring,
boiling wildly to tho bottom of the
gorge far below?
No, he saw nothing. Broken, beaten
down by a huge bowlder that had been
thrown upward by the explosion nnd
had struck him on the breast, and
lying battered under a rain of smaller
stones and earth, he was as one dead.
"By heavens I" cried Winters In great
excitement on the crest of the hill,
"he's done It. He's saved tho dam;
that's a man 1"
"Don't you know him?" screamed
Helen Ullngworth In his ear.
"No."
"Meade I"
Winters caught her by the arm.
"He's dend," she cried high nnd
shrill, "but he saved the dam and tho
bridge and the town. He's made ntono
ment." "Yes, yes; don't faint," cried Win
ters. "Faint I I'm going to him."
"How?"
"The nearest way," screamed tho
woman, letting herself down over the
cliff wall to the broken rocks, by which
only tho hardy could reach tho lower
level.
.
What of the dam below in the val
ley? "Hold It. men. hold it: for Ond'i
sake, hold it," shouted Vandeventer,
rising from his crouching position
against tho palisade to resumo It
Instantly he had spoken. "Keep it
up. If it goes down, let's go down with
It Hang on hang on 1 We'll hold it
We aren't beat yet."
Broken words, oaths, protestations,
curses, cheers, expletives in strange
languages from the polyglot mob of
men burst forth. Even cowards had
been turned Into heroes because they
had fought by tho side of men. Here
and there a mnnjnot weaker phys
ically, perhaps, but less resolute, less
spiritually consecrated, less divinely
obsessed, dropped out of tho rank that
pitted Itself In furious, futile, but sub
lime fury against the wavering walL
Some of them fell backward and lay
still. Some had fainted and some of
them wero half dead. A few here and
there sank down on the trampled, mud
dy embankment and burled their heads
In their hands, fobbing hysterically.
But most still blind, mad, sublime,
held on. And the palisade did not fall
It did not bend back any further.
The throb that told of tho tremen
dous pressure of the waves, tho quiver
that experience could feel tho prelude
to failure, beenn to die
lWhat did It mean? Tho thunder grew
huh, uie ram diminished, it ceased, the
clouds broke. Some great hand, as of
God, swiftly tore the black vault of
the heavens apart. Faint light began
to glow over the sodden land. Through
tho rift they saw dimly one great peak
of mighty range. What had happened?
"Here," said Vandeventer.
How white he looked, how haggard
streaks of gray In his black hair that
had not been there before, but his eyes
were blazing. Ho was still the Indom
itablo chief of the Spartan band. Tho
nearest men gave him a hand. He
clambered up to his former vantage
point on top of tho highest log of the
stockado and stared down. Tho rise
of tho water had stopped I He could
not believe It, yet it was true. The
rain had censed again, but by every
natural law the drnlnngo from tho Wis '
would continue for some tlmo lu firfl
volume. Yes, by all rights iho dam
was doomed. Tho water still trickled
through tho pab!rt$ in many small
streams. That !yid been a gallant ef
fort they had made, even if a vain one.
For twi mleutes ho stood silent, ex
hnasted. Then he saw. Tho water
wos sot rising. No, It was falling
only n trifle, but enough. Presently It
had stopped filtering through tho re
vetment. Ho looked bnck. Not a dron
rnn on tho other side of tho palisade
Vandeventer know that tho wnter must
be discharging somewhere. Tho lako
must have broken through somewhere
Ho only needed that hint to recall the
hogback, nnd then Meade. Ho saw it
all now.
"We'vo won, the dam's saved" ho
cried greatly to tho men who stood
back of tho pallsado staring at him.
"Roberts has blown un thn hn,unu
Tho water's falling. See for your
selves."
Every man 6prang up the pnllsnde.
Someone lnughed nnd then
raised n cheer, and thoso mud-covered,
sodden, worn-out men, who had been
nbout to die, saluted In heroic ncclnlm
him who had led them to victory and
by Implication him who had made that
triumph possible.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
