The Iron Boys as Foremen.

by James R. Mears.

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 that level rang sharply. A rush of air told them the steel cage was on its way 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 that level; the iron guard bars fell back with a bang.

"All aboard," said Steve, standing aside that the five other men, all miners, waiting to be conveyed to the surface might step into the damp cage.

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

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

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

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

Steve Rush and Bob Jarvis had been inspecting the tracks in the Red Rock Mine and were now on their way to the surface for the purpose of going down in the Cousin Jack Mine, there to continue their work of inspection. A few seconds had pa.s.sed when the cage began to sway from side to side.

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

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

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

The others on the car, all foreigners, were standing stolidly, not appearing to care one way or the other what happened. They were too used to riding up and down in the cage to and from their daily work to be greatly disturbed by the rough ride they were now taking.

Steve, however, knew full well that they were riding altogether too fast for safety. He was not afraid; his nerves were too steady for that. Nor was his companion, Bob Jarvis, the least bit worried, but he was growling 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 metal meeting 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 seemed to 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 their feet to the floor of the cage. With quick instinct Steve; gripping the iron bar over his head, stretched his legs down full length. Bob's grip had 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 on the ankles of his companion just as the floor of the cage began slipping from under him.

By this time the stolid foreigners were fully awake to the peril that confronted them. With cries that neither lad ever forgot, the men slipped from the cage that had turned turtle, plunging into the dark abyss, that quickly swallowed them up. There was one of the five miners, however, more quick of wit than his companions, who had also fastened to Steve's ankles. He and Bob Jarvis found themselves dangling in s.p.a.ce while 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 was fighting desperately to push Jarvis away down into the shaft.

"Quit that, you cowardly cur!" commanded the lad. "You'll have the three of 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 saved you from being blown to the moon by dynamite? I ought to drop you, and I'll do it as sure as my name's Bob Jarvis if you don't stop your fighting. Steve, can you hold us?"

"I am afraid not for long," answered the plucky lad, who was supporting the two men by the sheer strength of his arms. "My arms are aching like a sore tooth, but I'll hold on till they come off. Don't make any more disturbance 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 great strength, and his present position was something like that of a bar performer's when about to attempt a giant swing. Had it not been for the great weight that he was supporting Steve could have held on indefinitely. As it was, he could not hope to cling to the bar much longer. The lad's mind was working rapidly. He was trying to plan some way out of the predicament, some way that would save the lives of all three.

"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 an encouraging 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 us are lost. You can't hold both of us."

Steve laughed harshly.