CHAPTER XXIII
A THOUSAND FEET OF LADDERS
After what seemed an endless wait, the watchers heard a great splashingfar out on the water. It was Jarvis paddling toward the raft. He hadfound Steve, the latter unconscious. Just as Bob reached the plank onwhich the other boy was hanging Steve slipped off into the water.
Bob dived for his chum without an instant's hesitation and when he cameup he was gripping the half-drowned Steve. The latter had relapsed intounconsciousness. By this time the plank had floated away several yards.Bob had a hard struggle to reach it, but at last he succeeded, and aftergreat effort managed to place Rush partly on it, so the latter's headwould be out of water.
Bob pulled himself upon one end of the plank, so that the other endwould be clear of the water, and began paddling. The water fairly flewunder his efforts, the swimmer now and then using his feet to help steerthe awkward craft.
"I can't see the light. Where are you?" Jarvis cried.
"Here!" shouted Mr. Penton.
A bend in the rocky wall hid the light of the candles from the raft.After several minutes of paddling Bob caught the faint light ahead ofhim.
"I'm all right now, if Steve is only all right."
"Is he alive?" called Mr. Penton, as he made out the strange craftbearing slowly down upon him.
"Yes, but he's unconscious."
"Then hurry as fast as you can."
"I am hurrying. This isn't a speed boat."
The plank drew up alongside the raft after some difficult manoeuvringon the part of Bob Jarvis. Mr. Penton grasped the limp form of SteveRush, hauling him to the raft.
There was a splash and a choking exclamation. The plank had turnedturtle, landing Bob in the water on his back. The boy was almostexhausted, but he righted himself and swam to the raft, to which he heldfor a moment to rest himself. He then clambered to the raft. He hadbarely enough strength left to support himself.
The superintendent was tying Steve in the sling that the men had made.
"Haul away, above there!" he roared. "Be as quick as you can, but becareful. Look out, there! What are you trying to do?"
Steve's body had hit the rocks with a resounding bump, but the boy didnot feel the shock.
"Let the sling down at once. Two of you get at Rush and rub him. Don'tbe afraid of rubbing too hard. Start his circulation."
The sling was dropped over the side again, while two of the miners setto work on Steve.
"Get in," commanded Mr. Penton, as the sling came down to them.
"You first, sir," said Bob.
"Get in, I said!" The superintendent's voice had a note of authoritythat was not to be disputed.
Jarvis reluctantly took his place in the sling.
"Haul away," he called, and Bob was quickly drawn to the platform, wherehe dropped on his knees by Steve's side, pushing one of the men away,and began slapping the unconscious boy's feet, from which the boots andstockings had been removed. Steve was scarcely breathing.
The sling had been lowered quickly after bringing Jarvis up, and thesuperintendent took his place in it. The men began hauling him up, butwith great difficulty, for Mr. Penton was a heavily built man.
All at once the men sat down. A splash followed almost instantly.
"The rope's broken!" cried one, as Bob bounded to his feet.
"Are you hurt?" he cried, running to the edge.
There was no reply.
"He's fallen into the water!" shouted another of the men.
Once more Bob Jarvis leaped from the platform, but this time he divedhead first. Like a flash he realized that, having struck the platform,Mr. Penton undoubtedly had been stunned and was unable to help himself.
Such was the case. Coming to the surface almost at once, Bob swam aboutfor a minute or so before discovering Mr. Penton's whereabouts. Thesuperintendent was beginning to struggle, but he was too much dazed tohelp himself.
Jarvis was by his side with a few swift strokes. He did not wait toinquire whether the superintendent were hurt or not, but, grabbing theman by the collar, Bob began kicking himself toward the platform. By thetime they had reached there Mr. Penton was able to help himself alittle, but the boy had a hard tussle to get the superintendent on theplatform.
Mr. Penton lay down for a brief moment, then sat up.
"Are you able to try it again?" asked Bob.
"Yes. What happened?"
"The rope broke. You got a pretty hard bump."
Another sling had been quickly rigged, and this being let down, Mr.Penton was drawn up again, Bob waiting below, but standing to one side,so that in case another accident occurred he should not be carried down,too.
The next trip Jarvis was drawn up. He found the superintendent a littledazed, but holding himself together firmly.
"Thank you," he said shortly, flashing a look at Bob. "We must get Rushup at once where he may have care. Carry him over to the cage. Leaveeverything as it is here. We have no time to attend to anything but theboy."
The men picked up the lad and bore him through the sub-level. Steve wasstill limp and unconscious.
Reaching the cage, Mr. Benton gave the signal to hoist. The car did notmove, whereupon the superintendent, with an impatient exclamationreached out, giving the signal lever another pull.
"What does this mean?" He rang again to hoist the cage. "Bob, run up tothe telephone on the next level and find out what's the matter. The EvilOne himself seems to have taken possession of this mine of late."
Jarvis came running back a few minutes later.
"Well, what is it?"
"The cage-tender says the machinery has broken down."
"Did he say what the trouble is?"
"He said the engineer had sent word that the big cog wheel had strippeditself. They can't move the cage, and probably will not be able to do sofor some hours. They are taking the old wheel off now, preparatory toputting on the spare wheel."
Mr. Penton clenched his hands to keep from expressing himself as hewould like to do.
"We must get this boy somewhere where we can warm him up, or he will dieon our hands. The only place I know of is the pump station and----"
"Then we will carry Steve up the ladders," interrupted Bob.
"But, boy, it is nearly a thousand feet from here to the pump station.We can't get him up there by hand."
"I'll show you whether we can or not. One of you go ahead and light theway. Help me through the manholes at the platforms and we'll get him upthere in short order. Mr. Penton, will you have somebody follow closebehind me to help a little?"
"Do you think you will be able to do it?"
"I don't think! I know!"
"Then I will carry him myself."
"No, sir; I will carry him. You are not able. You are still sufferingfrom the bump you got."
Without further words Jarvis picked up the limp form of his companion.He staggered a little as he swung Steve over his shoulder, the boy'shead drooping over on Bob's left breast. Then began a climb that istalked of to this day in the Cousin Jack Mine. Up ladder after ladderstaggered Bob Jarvis with the form of his companion over his shoulder.Now and then he would pause on a landing for a breathing spell, where,with heaving chest, he would lean against the rocky wall with eyesclosed and everything swimming dizzily about him. Mr. Penton and thesearching party followed him up the ladder, but he would let none ofthem relieve him of his burden.
"Had--hadn't you better telephone for a surgeon to meet us at the pumpstation?" asked Jarvis.
"Yes, but how will he get down?"
"Let him climb down the ladders. I guess he can climb down if we can gothe other way."
"It shall be done at once." Mr. Penton gave the order and the minecaptain left them at the next landing to telephone to the company'shospital.
After a long struggle they reached the level where the pump station waslocated. Even here Bob Jarvis refused to give up his burden. Hestaggered down the level to where the big pumps were working, tenderlylaying Steve down on a blanket
that the engineer had thrown down. ThenBob settled down in a heap.
Illustration: Bob Staggered Up the Ladder With His Burden.
"Strip the boy," commanded Mr. Penton. "If you have any warm blanketshere, wrap him in them. If not, use some of your waste. You have barrelsof that on hand."
Steve's wet, clinging clothes were quickly removed. There being no otherblankets, waste used for wiping the engines was wrapped about him, therubbing process having been resumed.
Nearly an hour elapsed before the surgeon, red of face, puffing from hisexertions, came hurrying down the level.
He was quickly made acquainted with the situation and got to work atonce.
"Do you think his condition is serious?" demanded the superintendent.
"No, not unless pneumonia sets in. That is the great danger, and he willbe lucky if he escapes it. Is there any chance of getting him upto-night?"
"I can't say. I am going on up as soon as I hear something definite fromyou regarding the boy's condition."
"I shall be able to give that to you very soon, for his circulation hasalready started."
The color was returning to the lad's lips and cheeks, and his breath wascoming more regularly. Half an hour from that time Steve had fullyrecovered his senses and announced himself as ready to get up and dress.
The surgeon advised him not to do so, finally ordering the patient toremain as he was. Rush accepted the order with poor grace. His clothingwas being dried out by the pump engineer, the garments being ready veryshortly afterwards.
Jarvis had wholly recovered from the strain that he had been under,except that he was still a little weak in the knees.
"We owe our lives to your friend Jarvis," said Mr. Penton, after Stevehad been made as comfortable as possible. "But what I wish to know ishow you happened to get into the lower level. Did you fall whilesounding with the line?"
Rush hesitated, then glancing up at the superintendent, replied:
"No, sir; I did not fall."
"I don't understand."
"I was pushed in, Mr. Penton."
"You don't mean that--surely you cannot mean that, Rush!" exclaimed Mr.Penton in amazement.
"Yes, sir; I was."
"Who pushed you?"
"That is what I should like to know."
"This is really incredible, Rush. Are you quite sure you are notmistaken?"
"I am not mistaken."
"Tell me about it."
"When you sent for me----"
"I did not send for you. That was a mistake. And that is what puzzlesme. I am told you thought you received a message from me to meet you onthe sub-level above the lowest level."
"Yes, sir; that was the message I received."
"Well, I never sent it. I haven't been down there recently. I hadstarted to go there to-day when some other matters came up calling meback to the office."
"You did not send for me?"
"I certainly did not."
"Then whoever did send that message must have done so for the purpose ofgetting me down there to do me up. I begin to understand."
"But, Steve, who could bear you such ill will?"
"I don't know."
"It isn't Steve alone they are after," interjected Jarvis. "The rascalsseem to have it in for the mine, too. Take, for instance, the cage.They've put that out of business."
"The villains! I should like to catch them--I should like to get myhands on the man who pushed me in this afternoon."
"You did not finish telling me of the occurrence," said Mr. Penton.
Steve related the story of his adventure, the others listening withgrave faces as the narrative proceeded.
"Now, tell me how you found me," he said in conclusion.
"Jarvis missed you. But did you not get sight of the man at all?"
"No, sir."
"You do not know whether there was more than one?"
"I do not. I didn't know there was one until he placed his hands againstmy back and pushed me in. When I came up, after the first plunge, Itried to see who was on the platform, but I neither saw nor heardanyone. I can't understand why he didn't hit me."
"The scoundrel probably wanted it to appear to be an accident. Hethought you would not get out of that hole very easily," said Bob.
"Nor should I, in all probability, had it not been for you."
"Rush, we must go into this matter very thoroughly. The man who let youthrough the trap on number seventeen is no longer with us. He has notbeen with us for several months, but the attacks on you have beenrenewed. Next thing we know damage will be done to the company'sproperty. I don't want to confess that we are beaten and send fordetectives."
"You leave it to us--we'll catch him," spoke up Bob Jarvis. "I have anitching at my finger tips and I won't do a thing to him when I get themon him."
"That is exactly what I want you boys to do--find the man or men guiltyof this outrage, and I shall not be as lenient as I was in the otheraffair."
Steve lay with half-closed eyes thinking deeply. Instinctively thereappeared to his mental vision the picture of the bewhiskered man whom hehad seen several weeks before, and who made such an unfavorableimpression upon him.
"Yes; I shall be very glad to do what I can," he said, glancing up atMr. Penton. "I am ready to begin at once. Doctor, don't you think it isabout time you were letting me get up?"
After taking Steve's temperature and thumping him upon the chest, thephysician decided to let the lad get up and dress. He did, however, mostemphatically protest against Rush climbing the ladders all the way tothe surface.
Steve found himself a little weak from his experiences, and it wasdecided that he should remain in the mine for the rest of the night, oruntil the cage machinery had been repaired so he could ride up. Thesurgeon sat nodding in the pump-man's chair, and the men who hadassisted in the rescue returned to their duties in other parts of themine.
Mr. Penton had been in communication with the surface by telephone. Helearned that all was being done that could be done to repair thehoisting apparatus in the shortest possible time, so there was nonecessity for him to climb the rest of the way up.
"I think I'll stay down here with you boys for the rest of the night,"he said. "Everything is quiet. I see the surgeon has put the engineerout of house and home, so I think I shall lie down on the work-bench andget a little sleep."
"Yes, it is quiet enough," began Steve, when suddenly there came a dull,muffled report. The ground beneath their feet trembled perceptibly, thensilence reigned.
Mr. Penton sprang from the bench where he was just composing himself fora sleep.
"Did you hear that!"
"Yes, sir; we heard it," answered Rush.
"What was it?" questioned Bob, his head inclined in a listeningattitude.
"It sounded like an explosion," said Steve.
"It _was_ an explosion. That was dynamite, boys. Something is going onhere. There should be no blasting in the mines to-night."
Mr. Penton ran to the telephone to find out what the explosion meant.
"It looks as though our work were cut out for us, Steve," said Jarvis ina low tone.
"I am beginning to think so myself," answered Steve, after listeningintently for a moment.