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

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  Rush Pointed to a Seam in the Rocks Overhead. _Frontispiece._]

  The Iron Boys as Foremen

  OR

  Heading the Diamond Drill Shift

  By

  JAMES R. MEARS

  Author of The Iron Boys in the Mines, The Iron Boys on the Ore Boats, etc.

  Illustrated

  PHILADELPHIA HENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY

  COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY HOWARD E. ALTEMUS

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER PAGE I. THE TRAGEDY IN THE SHAFT 7 II. AN UNEXPECTED PROMOTION 21 III. STEVE SHOWS THE IRON HAND 31 IV. MYSTERY IN THE AIR 40 V. "THE MINE IS ON FIRE" 46 VI. THROUGH TUNNELS OF FLAME 57 VII. THE IRON BOYS WIN 67 VIII. BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND 78 IX. THE LABOR LEADER'S LURE 91 X. THE GENTLEMAN IN THE WOODPILE 99 XI. RUSH SCORES HEAVILY 109 XII. MINERS MEET IN SECRET 119 XIII. STEVE'S SUSPICIONS AROUSED 127 XIV. MINERS MAKE DEMANDS 138 XV. A WARNING NOT HEEDED 145 XVI. THE VENGEANCE OF THE MOB 155 XVII. FACING THEIR ASSAILANTS 170 XVIII. PROMOTED BY THE PRESIDENT 177 XIX. A COWARDLY BLOW 186 XX. LAMB CHOPS FOR THE BABY 194 XXI. THE ICELANDER ON THE TRAIL 209 XXII. THE BATTLE OF THE GIANTS 217 XXIII. THE HERO OF THE BRIDGE 228 XXIV. CONCLUSION 246

  The Iron Boys as Foremen

  CHAPTER I

  THE TRAGEDY IN THE SHAFT

  "WHERE'S the cage?" asked Steve Rush.

  "I guess it's waiting for a load at the surface," answered Bob Jarvis,listening at the shaft opening. "I don't hear it coming."

  "Ring it down, Bob."

  Young Jarvis gave the bell lever a pull. A second later the gong on thatlevel rang sharply. A rush of air told them the steel cage was on itsway down to the fifteenth level, where the young men were awaiting it.With a noisy clatter the cage came to a stop at the opening on thatlevel; the iron guard bars fell back with a bang.

  "All aboard," said Steve, standing aside that the five other men, allminers, waiting to be conveyed to the surface might step into the dampcage.

  "You first," bowed Jarvis with mock politeness, waving Steve in ahead ofhim.

  "Give them the signal, Bob," ordered Rush.

  Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang! Five strokes rang out on the gong atthe top of the shaft leading down into the mine, indicating to thecage-tender of the Red Rock Mine that his cage was coming up with a loadof human freight. In other words, there were men on the cage, hence thesteel elevator was to be raised with care.

  Slowly, but steadily, gaining in speed as it ascended, lighted only bythe faint glimmer of the tallow candles on the oilskin hats of theoccupants, the cage rose toward the surface.

  Steve Rush and Bob Jarvis had been inspecting the tracks in the Red RockMine and were now on their way to the surface for the purpose of goingdown in the Cousin Jack Mine, there to continue their work ofinspection. A few seconds had passed when the cage began to sway fromside to side.

  Steve instinctively reached up and took hold of the safety rod thatextended across the top of the cage.

  "Hang on, Bob! We're going altogether too fast for comfort," warnedRush. "What ails that engineer up there? It looks as though he weretrying to give us a shaking up."

  "I'll shake him up when I get to the top," answered Bob with a growl, ashe grasped the rod over his head for support.

  The others on the car, all foreigners, were standing stolidly, notappearing to care one way or the other what happened. They were too usedto riding up and down in the cage to and from their daily work to begreatly disturbed by the rough ride they were now taking.

  Steve, however, knew full well that they were riding altogether too fastfor safety. He was not afraid; his nerves were too steady for that. Norwas his companion, Bob Jarvis, the least bit worried, but he wasgrowling at the cage-tender far above them for his roughness.

  Suddenly there came a sound that startled all hands. It was a quick,crunching, grinding sound, followed by crash after crash of metalmeeting metal.

  "Hold fast," shouted Steve.

  "What's happened, Steve?"

  "The car's off the track! Look out everybody! We're in for trouble now."

  No sooner had he spoken than the steel floor beneath their feet seemedto slip suddenly from under them.

  "She's turning turtle!" cried Steve. "Hold fast!"

  His warning had come too late. The miners had been thrown from theirfeet to the floor of the cage. With quick instinct Steve; gripping theiron bar over his head, stretched his legs down full length. Bob's griphad been wrenched from the safety bar.

  "Grab my feet, Bob!" Steve shouted at the top of his voice.

  Bob Jarvis was a quick-witted boy as well. He fastened a firm grip onthe ankles of his companion just as the floor of the cage began slippingfrom under him.

  By this time the stolid foreigners were fully awake to the peril thatconfronted them. With cries that neither lad ever forgot, the menslipped from the cage that had turned turtle, plunging into the darkabyss, that quickly swallowed them up. There was one of the five miners,however, more quick of wit than his companions, who had also fastened toSteve's ankles. He and Bob Jarvis found themselves dangling in spacewhile Steve, clinging to the iron cross bar above, was holding them up.

  The two men were very much in each other's way, and the miner wasfighting desperately to push Jarvis away down into the shaft.

  "Quit that, you cowardly cur!" commanded the lad. "You'll have the threeof us down if you don't look sharp. Steve, are you all right?"

  "Yes, but be careful down there. Whom have you with you?"

  "I don't know. He's a heathen--that's all I know about it."

  "Me--me Dominick. Me----"

  "So you're the loafer who tried to knife Steve that time when he savedyou from being blown to the moon by dynamite? I ought to drop you, andI'll do it as sure as my name's Bob Jarvis if you don't stop yourfighting. Steve, can you hold us?"

  "I am afraid not for long," answered the plucky lad, who was supportingthe two men by the sheer strength of his arms. "My arms are aching likea sore tooth, but I'll hold on till they come off. Don't make any moredisturbance down there than you can help."

  Bob groaned.

  "We'll never make it. You can't hold on and bear our weight."

  Steve's arms were growing numb. Fortunately he was possessed of greatstrength, and his present position was something like that of a barperformer's when about to attempt a giant swing. Had it not been for thegreat weight that he was supporting Steve could have held onindefinitely. As it was, he could n
ot hope to cling to the bar muchlonger. The lad's mind was working rapidly. He was trying to plan someway out of the predicament, some way that would save the lives of allthree.

  "Steve!"

  "Yes?"

  "We can't all be saved. It's out of the question."

  "Hang on, old boy! They will send us help soon," answered Rush in anencouraging tone.

  "They can't send help in time to save us. I've a proposition to make."

  "What is it?"

  "Dominick and I must let go, that's all."

  "You will do nothing of the sort!"

  "We must. It is the only way to save you. If we don't, the three of usare lost. You can't hold both of us."

  Steve laughed harshly.

  "I think you will have difficulty in convincing Dominick that he mustlet go. He'll never let go as long as he has my feet to hang to."

  "I'll show you whether he will or not. I'll----"

  "Bob!"

  Steve's tone was sharp and commanding.

  "Hang on, both of you! I, too, have a plan to suggest. I don't knowwhether we can get away with it or not, but we will try. You must movevery carefully, for I am getting tired."

  "What's your plan?"

  "One of you climb up my body. I can't help you. You will have toaccomplish it the best way you can. If you can get up beside me on thebar here, you ought to be able to hold on. It is our only hope.Otherwise we shall be dashed to death at the bottom of the shaft."

  "I'll try it. Dominick, do you understand?"

  "Me understand."

  "Then see that you do as you are told. You go first. Tell him what todo, Steve."

  "Climb very carefully. Don't hurry or make any sudden moves. If you do,you will jerk me loose from the bar here. Be as quick as you can withoutfumbling. Dominick, you swing to my left leg, Bob holding to the other.Be careful that you don't drop off when you make the change. There,that's a relief," added Steve when they had made the change as directed.

  "We are ready," announced Bob.

  "Come along, Dominick. That's right; you are doing well. When you get upa little further hook one hand into my belt and rest a minute. You willbe all right in a few minutes. Gracious, my arms are getting tired!"

  The Italian had begun to climb up the Iron Boy's leg, creeping inch byinch, breathing hard, the man's eyes fairly starting from his head inhis terrible fear of the death that he knew awaited him a thousand feetbelow. All the time Steve's calm, steady voice was encouraging the man,directing him and urging him on to renewed efforts.

  "Hurry up," called Jarvis. "I'll be letting go myself, first thing youfellows know."

  "There you are. Grab the bar," commanded Steve sharply.

  With an exclamation that was almost a shout of joy, the Italian fastenedboth hands over the iron bar.

  "Can you hang on there for a few minutes?" questioned Steve.

  "Me hang--me hold fast."

  "That's right. I will relieve you in a minute. Now, Bob, it is yourturn. Can you climb up here?"

  "Watch me. Can you hold on, Steve?"

  "All the rest of the day. You are a featherweight compared with theweight I have been holding up. But hurry."

  Jarvis began to climb, moving cautiously, throwing as little strain onthe arms of Steve Rush as was possible under the circumstances.

  "You're doing well. Come along," urged Steve. "This is like building ahuman pyramid the way we used to do it at high school. Have you got thebar?"

  "Right you are. Hooray!"

  Steve Rush breathed a deep sigh of relief. He knew that he could haveheld on but a few minutes longer. His arms were at the point of givingout when the Italian had begun to climb. But now he felt that they wereall safe for the moment, though there was only a slender iron barbetween them and destruction at the bottom of the shaft.

  "Now, what are we going to do--hang here all the rest of the day?"demanded Bob Jarvis.

  "No; we shall not be able to do that. I'm going to save Dominick if youwill help me. Both of you move over as close to the ends of the bar aspossible; then I will tell you what I want to do."

  Dominick and Bob did as directed, edging along the iron bar inch byinch. Steve's candle was burning dimly, the others having gone out; butthe single candle lighted up the scene so that they could see what theywere about.

  "Now listen to what I have to say," directed Rush with as much calmnessas if he were managing a piece of work above ground.

  In Steve Rush and Bob Jarvis the reader has no doubt ere this recognizedthe Iron Boys, the lads who, as told in "THE IRON BOYS IN THE MINES,"began their career in the industrial world by joining the army ofworkers underground, deep down in the Cousin Jack Iron Mine. It will berecalled how the friendship of the two sturdy boys began with theirbattle in the lonely drift, where Steve, though of somewhat slighterbuild than the other, not only held his own, but gave Bob Jarvis theroughest handling he had ever received. Almost from the beginning thelads had attracted the attention of their superiors by their attentionto duty, their intelligent work and their honesty. It will be rememberedhow Steve and Bob invented a new gravity system for the mine, by whichmany thousands of dollars were saved for the mining company; how thelads saved the officials of the company from being blown up by dynamiteand how in the end they were rewarded by the officers for their bravery.

  Rush and Jarvis were still inspectors of the trackage in the mine. Thesecond mine of the group had been added, so that now they were in chargeof the tracks in both the Cousin Jack and the Red Rock Mines. Beyondthis there had been a rumor that the Iron Boys were to receive furtherpromotions. A clerk in the office had whispered this to theboarding-house boss where the boys lived. As yet the boys knew nothingof the proposed promotion, and they never would know unless they werequickly rescued from the desperate situation into which they had been sosuddenly plunged.

  "What is your plan now?" questioned Jarvis. "I am listening."

  "I want you to stay where you are, both of you, for I shall shake thecage up a bit."

  Steve began swaying his body back and forth as if he were in realityabout to essay the giant swing. All at once he curled his legs up andover the bar. There he hung for a moment, then by sheer strength swunghimself up astride the bar.

  "Well, that's a stunt for certain," cried Bob, for the moment lost inadmiration of the feat he had just witnessed. "I'd like to see a circusperformer beat that, especially if he were hanging over a thousand feetof nothingness, with a couple of clumsy louts trying to pull him down."

  "This is better," announced Rush, with a mirthless grin.

  "Yes, it must be fine, but what now? My arms will be giving out prettysoon, and I shouldn't be surprised if Dominick were getting uneasy. Howabout it, Dominick?"

  "Me all right," answered the Italian stolidly.

  "Move over here, Bob. Dominick, you stay where you are. I will take careof you in a moment. Now curl up your feet as you saw me do, Bob."

  "Why, I couldn't do that to save my life."

  "You will have to, if you expect to save it. I know of no other way.Wait, I'll help you."

  Steve leaned over, and, holding to the bar with one hand, reached down,grabbing Bob under one knee.

  "Hold fast! There you come."

  Jarvis threw all his strength into the effort, and after some clumsymoves landed unsteadily beside Steve Rush on the iron bar.

  "Whew! I'd never have made it if it hadn't been for you."

  "Come, Dominick; we will have you up here now," said Rush, with a laughthat was intended to encourage his companions. "This is just exercise.No need to feel disturbed about it in the least. Bob, you grab one legand I will take hold of the other. We will have him right side up in notime at all."

  Dominick let out a yell as he felt himself being torn loose from thebar. The Italian floundered. Bob's grip slipped and Dominick droppedhead downward.

  "He's gone! Oh, what a fool I am!" groaned Jarvis.

  But the Italian had not gone. Steve Rush had twisted his own legs aboutthe bar, all
owing himself to turn over until he was hanging headdownward, both hands gripping one foot of the man Dominick. The latterwas howling lustily.

  "Get hold of us, Bob," cried Steve.

  Jarvis, suddenly recalled to his duty, began edging along the rod untilhe had reached a point where he was able to hold the Italian until Steverighted himself.

  It was a hard struggle, but after a few minutes the two boys succeededin rescuing their companion and placing him beside them on the iron bar.Dominick was trembling from head to foot. He was so unnerved from hisnarrow escape that for some moments he could not speak.

  "Brace up!" commanded Steve, slapping the man sharply on the cheek.

  This brought the Italian around almost instantly. He began chatteringangrily in his own language, and in his anger at the blow would havestruck Steve had he dared to take his hands from the slender supportlong enough to do so.

  Rush laughed at him.

  "Don't lose your temper, Dominick. I was only trying to brace you up.You are all right now. Hang on until I get some of these guard barsfree. I'll have a support for all of us in a moment. Sit perfectly stillor you may jar me off, even though you do not fall off yourself."

  For the next few minutes the Iron Boy busied himself wrenching loose thebars that fitted into the opening of the cage to prevent the passengersfrom falling out. These he laid across the bottom, securing them to theflanges of the cage. They fitted snugly.

  "There," announced Steve, after completing his task. "This will be justas good as a solid floor so long as neither of you moves about too muchand displaces them. Get over there, Dominick. Now we are all right! Theycan haul us up just as soon as they want to. I, for one, shouldn't mindfeeling something solid underneath me for a change."

  "No such luck!" growled Jarvis.

  A slight jolt cut short their talk. The lads listened, but heardnothing.

  "Something has gone wrong with the machinery," said Steve in a low tone."I shouldn't be surprised if we had to stay here for a long time."

  "No, the cage is moving!" cried Bob excitedly. "Hooray, we're saved!"

  "Not yet," answered Steve, as the cage came to a jarring stop afterhaving moved upward a few inches.