CHAPTER XXI. "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"
Ram Chunda approached a small hut painted red like the other dynamiteshed, and came out with his arms laden with what were apparentlycylindrical tin cans. He selected a number of these, handling them withno more apparent care than if they had been tins of tomatoes, instead ofcharges of dynamite.
"T-t-t-tell him to be a little c-c-c-careful, won't you?" begged Tubby."That stuff would blow up worse than cocoanuts if he dropped it."
"Yes, we'd never know what struck us," said the engineer carelessly, "butdon't worry about Ram, he knows what he's doing."
He spoke with the indifference of one who has handled high explosives foryears, but the boys' emotions were very different. They eyed Ram Chundaaskance as he stumbled occasionally on a rock or hillock of earth.
In this manner they walked quite a distance back from the dam to a pointwhere no tracks or workmen were visible.
"Right here is where, before long, we are going to build a wing dam tostrengthen the main one," explained the engineer.
"Then what's the use of blowing it up?" asked Tubby stolidly. The fat boywas, to tell the truth, in a state of alarm over what was to come.
"Why, we want to see just what lies underneath before we start to dig afoundation, otherwise it would be so much wasted labor," was theresponse.
There were already several test holes drilled in the ground, but theobject of dynamiting was to loosen up the soil beneath to ascertain ifthere was any substratum of water.
"Ever see them shoot an oil well?" asked the engineer, as he peered aboutlooking for a suitable hole to start on.
The boys shook their heads. They had heard of the operation but had neverhad an opportunity to witness such a proceeding.
"Now is your chance then," said Mr. Raynor. "Ram," calling to the Hindoo,"we try 'um this fellow number one shot."
The Hindoo nodded and, carrying his armful of explosives, hurried to hisboss's side.
"Gee! This is only Number One," muttered Tubby in an alarmed undertone.
"Don't be a scare-cat, Tubby," laughed Merritt, although his own heartwas beating a bit fast.
"Scare-cat nothing. I--I guess I'll go home to dinner. Once is quiteenough to be blown up in one morning," quoth the fat youth, "besides, Ipromised my mother I wouldn't get into danger."
"I guess over-eating is the only danger you'll be in," chortled Fred.
Tubby looked pained but said nothing. With round eyes he began to watchthe proceedings of the Hindoo "dynamite man."
The latter cautiously lowered into the hole selected several of his tincylinders. The rest of the operation, as Mr. Raynor had explained, wouldbe similar to that of shooting an oil well. That is to say, a heavycylindrical iron weight would be dropped on the explosive mass at thebottom of the hole, causing it to detonate.
With as much care now as if he were handling eggs, Ram lowered the finalcylinder of dynamite into the hole. Then he attached a long string to theweight and gave a shout.
"Get back to a safe distance, boys," cried Mr. Raynor, running towardthem.
They needed no second warning, but beat a rapid retreat toward the greatconcrete rampart of the dam.
"I'd climb over to the other side if I had the time," Tubby declared,feeling perhaps that he would be safe enough behind that man-made cliff.
At last all was in readiness. Some laborers near at hand, glad of anyexcuse to drop work, laid down their shovels to see what would happenwhen the "Go-devil," as they called it, was set off.
Mr. Raynor gave a look behind him at Ram who was crouching low at quite adistance from the hole.
"All right!" he shouted.
Ram gave the string a jerk and dropped it. Then he too started sprintingtoward the boys.
"He's dropped it!" exclaimed Mr. Raynor. "Watch it now!"
It seemed to the boys as if Ram, swiftly as he ran, would never get to aplace of safety. Their hearts fairly stood in their mouths as theywatched him running like a greyhound.
Suddenly came a subdued roar. The earth shook. The solid ground trembledas if it had been a jelly. A second later, from the mouth of the holethere shot a mighty column of earth, stones and smoke. It was accompaniedby a screaming, whistling sound and then came the detonation of a mightyroar. Up and up shot the column as if it meant to pierce the blue sky.The workmen shouted and ran for places of safety.
Suddenly Mr. Raynor, who had been watching with hawk-like eyes, gave asharp, commanding cry:
"Run, boys! Run for your lives! After me!"
For an instant they hesitated. Why should they run? There appeared to beno danger. At the distance that they were from the spouting column it didnot appear possible that they would be in jeopardy from it even when itcollapsed and came crashing to earth.
"What's the matter?" cried Rob.
"Don't stop to ask questions. Run! Run! Run, I tell you!" roared theengineer.