CHAPTER XXI.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

Ram Chunda approached a small hut painted red like the other dynamite shed, and came out with his arms laden with what were apparently cylindrical tin cans. He selected a number of these, handling them with no more apparent care than if they had been tins of tomatoes, instead of charges 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, "but don't worry about Ram, he knows what he's doing."

He spoke with the indifference of one who has handled high explosives for years, but the boys' emotions were very different. They eyed Ram Chunda askance 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 point where no tracks or workmen were visible.

"Right here is where, before long, we are going to build a wing dam to strengthen the main one," explained the engineer.

"Then what's the use of blowing it up?" asked Tubby stolidly. The fat boy was, 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 a foundation, otherwise it would be so much wasted labor," was the response.

There were already several test holes drilled in the ground, but the object of dynamiting was to loosen up the soil beneath to ascertain if there was any substratum of water.

"Ever see them shoot an oil well?" asked the engineer, as he peered about looking for a suitable hole to start on.

The boys shook their heads. They had heard of the operation but had never had 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 his boss'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 heart was beating a bit fast.

"Scare-cat nothing. I--I guess I'll go home to dinner. Once is quite enough to be blown up in one morning," quoth the fat youth, "besides, I promised 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 watch the proceedings of the Hindoo "dynamite man."

The latter cautiously lowered into the hole selected several of his tin cylinders. The rest of the operation, as Mr. Raynor had explained, would be similar to that of shooting an oil well. That is to say, a heavy cylindrical iron weight would be dropped on the explosive mass at the bottom of the hole, causing it to detonate.

With as much care now as if he were handling eggs, Ram lowered the final cylinder of dynamite into the hole. Then he attached a long string to the weight and gave a shout.

"Get back to a safe distance, boys," cried Mr. Raynor, running toward them.

They needed no second warning, but beat a rapid retreat toward the great concrete 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 any excuse to drop work, laid down their shovels to see what would happen when 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 a distance from the hole.

"All right!" he shouted.

Ram gave the string a jerk and dropped it. Then he too started sprinting toward 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 a place of safety. Their hearts fairly stood in their mouths as they watched him running like a greyhound.

Suddenly came a subdued roar. The earth shook. The solid ground trembled as if it had been a jelly. A second later, from the mouth of the hole there shot a mighty column of earth, stones and smoke. It was accompanied by a screaming, whistling sound and then came the detonation of a mighty roar. 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 a sharp, commanding cry:

"Run, boys! Run for your lives! After me!"

For an instant they hesitated. Why should they run? There appeared to be no danger. At the distance that they were from the spouting column it did not appear possible that they would be in jeopardy from it even when it collapsed and came crashing to earth.

"What's the matter?" cried Rob.

"Don't stop to ask questions. Run! Run! Run, I tell you!" roared the engineer.