The Iron Boys as Foremen; or, Heading the Diamond Drill Shift

by Mrs. Molesworth

  CHAPTER VII

  THE IRON BOYS WIN

  "NOW we will put out the fire," announced Steve Rush calmly, as he gotto his feet and began whipping out the smouldering sparks on the scantcovering that he had left on his body.

  "The powder house has blown up and the mine is caving in!" cried aminer, dashing in front of them through a cross-cut. A dozen others werefollowing him, yelling wildly.

  "There go my firemen. Stop them, Bob!"

  Rush sprang out into the cross-cut waving his arms.

  "Stop! You are all right if you will keep your heads."

  "The magazine's gone up!"

  "The magazine has not gone up. Get back to your stations. How is thefire?"

  "We were getting the best of it on our level when the powder housewent----"

  "Nonsense! I tell you it's all right, but unless you do keep the firefrom spreading into the other side of the mine you'll go up in smoke,the whole crowd of you. Now get back to work."

  Some of the men turned to retrace their steps.

  "He's lying to you," shouted one of those who had not turned. "Come withme, and I'll show you the way out. The kid's gone crazy."

  "Back, Every Man of You!"]

  "Back, I tell you! Every man of you!" shouted Steve, placing himselfsquarely in front of the man who had started to run.

  The fellow did not stop. He started to run right over Rush, when, quickas a flash, Steve's clenched fist landed on the miner's jaw, sending theman down in a heap. In the meantime Bob Jarvis, with a howl, had jumpedinto the fray. He knocked down two men who sought to force their waypast him.

  "Come on, you cowards! You'll find my fist is harder to get away fromthan the fire in the lagging. I'll pound every one of you if you don'tget back to your stations."

  Others had come running along the cross-cut after the explosion, untilthere were fully thirty men in the party.

  Facing them stood the two Iron Boys, naked to the waist, Steve's bodystreaked with soot and blood. The miners stood hesitating. Somehow thecourage of the two lads shamed the men. They wavered between their shameand their fears.

  "Go back and do your duty like men," commanded Steve Rush in a firmtone. "Now that you are in condition to listen, I will tell you that thepowder house has not blown up. There is now little chance that it will."

  "But we heard it go up," protested a voice.

  "No, you did not. The powder house, in all probability, is buried undertons of rock. I planted the drift with sticks of dynamite. When the firereached them the explosion of the dynamite caved in the drift, thusshutting off the magazine and burying it. Your danger is from firealone. Go back to work."

  For a moment the rough men gazed at the slender, resolute lad standingbefore them; then the miners, with one accord, uttered a yell. Beforethe lads could dodge out of the way the miners had grabbed the IronBoys, and, uttering choking hurrahs, bore the lads back through thelevel on a run.

  These same men were ready to fight anything now. Their courage had comeback to them, increased tenfold. They had realized in a moment whatdesperate bravery had been Steve's.

  From that moment on the men fought desperately against the flames.Little by little, now that systematic efforts were being put forth, thefire died out. The mine was still filled with suffocating smoke,however, and men were being overcome on every hand.

  From the surface a band of rescuers had begun to make their way down theladders into the mine, headed by the superintendent himself. Each wasprovided with head-wrappings, damp cloths being placed over mouths andnoses.

  The instant the rescuers reached the first level, Mr. Penton hurriedthem off to the west, in order to get them as far away from themagazines as possible. He expected to hear the muffled report of theexploding magazine at any moment, and to feel the ground tremble andsettle beneath his feet.

  Reaching a point far enough to the west to place them out of immediatedanger, should there be an explosion, the party took to the laddersagain and began their descent into the heart of the conflagration.

  In the meantime Steve Rush had worked out another plan. He had visitedthe most dangerous places in the mine, learning where the main artery offire was. This done, the lad sent out men to hunt up sticks of dynamitein some of the working drifts. A few sticks were thus secured. Withthese Steve blew down the roofs of the levels in several places, thusabsolutely checking the fire at these points.

  This done, the men had little difficulty in handling the other levels.Mr. Penton, during his slow, dangerous descent, caught the faint boom ofthe dynamite sticks. He knew that it was not the magazine and concludedthat the distant reports he had heard were caused by the explosion ofstray sticks of dynamite that the fire had reached.

  At last the party reached the fifteenth level, where the fire-fightingoperations were going steadily forward. No one gave the slightest heedto the superintendent and his party. The miners were too busy fightingfire, and they were working with an enthusiasm and force that amazed Mr.Penton.

  He hailed a drift foreman.

  "Bates, what is the condition down here? I wish to know the details. Youcan save me time by telling me."

  "I think we have the fire under control, sir."

  "Is the mine badly damaged?"

  "I fear it is."

  "How many levels have been burned?"

  "There has been fire on all of them below this, and, as you probablyknow, above here, too. I think Steve Rush and Bob Jarvis can give youmore information than can I."

  "Where are they?"

  "I don't know. They're everywhere at once. I never saw anything likethose two young fellows. You can give them the credit for saving yourmine."

  "But the magazines--is there fire near them?" asked the superintendenthurriedly.

  "There was."

  "Who put it out?"

  "Rush and Jarvis did--that is, they got into the powder house, carriedout dynamite and blew up the drift ahead of the fire, so it could notreach the explosives."

  The blood rushed to the face of the superintendent in a sudden wave ofemotion.

  "Have any lives been lost?"

  "I fear so. We have been too busy to find out. We knew there was nothingthat could be done; in fact, there was no possibility of our gettinginto the other side of the works. If we could get there the men couldget here. I believe, however, that Rush and Jarvis have pulled outtwenty or thirty men who had been overcome."

  "Wonderful!" breathed Mr. Penton. "Come, men; we must go through themine and make a quick investigation. Bates, have you stationed menthrough the various levels to watch?"

  "I believe Rush has attended to that. In fact, he did that some timeago. He took matters into his own hands, and we were very willing tohave him do so, for the men were crazed with fear."

  Just then a man rushed into the level where Mr. Penton and the foremanwere standing. This man was bare to the waist, his skin so blackenedwith smoke as to render him almost unrecognizable.

  "Who is that?" demanded the superintendent sharply.

  "That's Rush."

  Steve had not observed Mr. Penton.

  "I want ten volunteers to go with me to the other side of the mine. Itwill be hot in there, but we've got to look after the men in thatsection. Some of them, no doubt, are imprisoned in drifts that havecaved in, and----"

  "Steve!"

  Mr. Penton strode forward with outstretched hand.

  "Steve, my boy, come here."

  The Iron Boy sprang forward, grasped Mr. Penton's hand, then turnedsharply to the men.

  "Who will go with me?"

  "I will," answered every man in the drift.

  "Rush, you have done enough. I will head the rescue party. It is myplace to do so," exclaimed the superintendent. "Where is Jarvis?"

  "On the level below this. He is beating out the fire on the main andsub-levels. He has done splendid work, Mr. Penton."

  "So I understand. Send for him, and both of you make your
way to thesurface, if you are able to do so."

  "No, sir; we shall stay. We are foremen. It is our duty to remain in themine as long as there is anything to do. Mr. Bates, with thesuperintendent's permission, will you relieve Mr. Jarvis and take chargeof the work here and below as well?"

  Mr. Penton nodded his permission.

  "Yes," answered Bates.

  Half a dozen men were chosen from that shift, Steve deciding to pick upothers on the way to the fire-swept part of the mine. Mr. Penton headedthe rescue party, which made its way as rapidly as possible to the otherside.

  It was a sad duty that the men found before them. The total loss was tenmen. Fifty men in various parts of the mine had been buried in driftsand it was night before the last of them had been gotten out. While thiswas being done watchmen patroled the levels, Steve Rush having laid outthe plans for this work. Now and then a fresh blaze would spring up hereand there, but in each instance there were men on hand to fight it.

  As soon as the last blaze had been extinguished the bull gang beganrushing timber down into the mine, and the timber-men got to work,shoring up the weakened levels. All night long the work continued.Neither Steve nor Bob Jarvis would leave the mine. The Iron Boys seemedto be everywhere at once, especially at points where their services wereneeded. Mr. Penton found himself deferring to the judgment of the bravelads. There was still need for cool heads. He knew full well that hecould depend upon the two boys under all conditions.

  Morning came, though the lads did not know it until the day shift camedown to work. The mine was still smoky, but it had cleared sufficientlyto enable the men to work. No ore was to be taken out that day, allhands starting in to clean up the mine. The Iron Boys, after having beenon duty for twenty-four hours, made their way to the surface, firsthaving borrowed jackets to cover their backs. They went to theirboarding house, and, after a bath, tumbled into bed, remaining thereuntil late in the evening.