Part 43 (1/2)
”What can we do?” asked Ned.
”Not a thing, my boy, only keep cool. It will not help matters any to get excited.”
”We are not!” replied Ned firmly. Each of the other two boys protested that they had never been less excited, which brought an approving smile from their guide, who was filled with admiration for the plucky lads. The fact is, his admiration had been steadily growing since he had seen their achievements from the time Tad Butler had first staggered into the Red Star mining camp a few days before.
”I guess the car is going through safely. I am glad--”
Tom Phipps did not finish the sentence. He was interrupted in a way that shook all the speech out of him, as it did from the rest of the party.
There occurred a sudden sharp tremor of the rocks about them; then the stones beneath their feet seemed to heave up and down. Their little universe was being turned topsy-turvy, it seemed to them.
At the first tremor, the Pony Rider Boys were thrown p.r.o.ne upon their faces on the rocky floor, partially stunned by the sudden shock. A distant boom, like the report of a cannon sounded in their ears, then all at once a terrifying rending of the rocks about them, accompanied by loud crashes.
”Are you all right?” shouted Mr. Phipps after the deadening effect of the shock had pa.s.sed.
”I'm all right,” returned Ned Rector. ”Can't anything kill me now.
I'm proof against bullets, wrecks and earthquakes.”
”Was that an earthquake?” questioned Walter weakly.
”Dynamite. The red car exploded when it was wrecked,” explained the mining engineer. ”That was what I feared. Is Master Tad hurt?”
”No, he's all right, I guess,” answered Tad for himself. ”All the lights have gone out. Can't we turn them on again?”
”I'm afraid not. The wires undoubtedly have been torn and twisted apart in many places. There will be no more light in this drift for some time to come, I reckon.”
”Think anyone was killed?” asked Walter apprehensively.
”Oh, no. There was no one near the explosion, except ourselves, and luckily we are safe and sound. I'll try the telephone.”
Mr. Phipps spun the handle of the telephone, but without result.
”Like the lights, it's dead,” he said.
”What was that cras.h.i.+ng noise in here? Was that what did it?”
questioned Tad.
The miner struck a match.
”Look!” he exclaimed.
In the center of the chamber was a heap of rocks, weighing probably a ton or more. These had been wrenched from the roof of the place and dropped into the room where Phipps and the lads were waiting.
”Somehow, I'm feeling a goneness under my belt,” spoke up Ned. ”Let's get out of here.”
”My goneness is in my knees,” Walter Perkins informed them.
”Either place is bad enough,” returned Ned.
”Do you think it safe for us to leave here now?” asked Tad.