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Dancing was the first to locate the conflagration, which grew now, even as they looked, by leaps and bounds. The two stood ready to plunge into the river when a fire of musketry echoed up the gorge. The lineman clutched Bucks's arm. "There's fighting going on down there now. What's that smokestack? By Jing, the roundhouse is on fire!" They plunged together into the river.
Your true lineman has a daredevil way with the women, as have all men whose calling is a hazardous one. Chet was a crack workman. He could shinny up a pole, strap his emergency belt, open his tool kit, wield his pliers with expert deftness, and climb down again in record time.
"Pitch a permanent camp, sergeant. There will be nothing to take us any farther up the river." As Stanley gave the order Bucks noticed that Dancing winked at Scott. And without the meaning glances exchanged by the lineman and the scout, Bucks would have understood from Stanley's manner that he meant strong measures.
At this critical juncture a place was found for him as lineman in a telephone company; climbing telephone poles and handling wires apparently supplied him with the elements of outdoor activity and danger which were necessary to hold his interest, and he became the steady support of his family.
For no sooner did the two linemen see them than they rushed for them, much to both lads' surprise. "You're the ones who cut that wire," said the first, a dark, young fellow. "I've a mind to give you a good hiding!" But they both rushed into explanations, and luckily, the other lineman recognized Jack. "It's the vicar's son from Bray, Tom," he said. "Let him alone."
Not a word was spoken, hardly a breath drawn, as the lineman felt for his slippery foothold with the deftness of a gorilla, and, pressing Bucks's hand as the signal to take a follow step, he made a slow but steady descent. The roar of the river already sounded in Bucks's ears like a cataract, but the shock of extreme danger had numbed his apprehension.
Strangers have to get used to it. There is a river here," added the lineman sententiously. "It's pretty swift, too." "What do you mean?" "I mean you have got to be careful how you do things out in this country." "But, Bill," persisted the lad, "if there is going to be any business done in this office we have got to have order, haven't we?"
"How did the ladder get there?" asked Frank. "I bribed a telephone lineman, who was stringing some wires on the buildings yesterday, to leave it there." "But what are we going to do when we get on the roof of the drug store?" asked Fenn. "You watch and you'll see," Ned answered.
He sprang into the fight and, armed only with a wagon spoke, cracked right and left wherever he could reach a head. Dancing he had given over for dead, when to his astonishment the lineman rose out of the heap about him, shaking off his enemies like rats. Flames shooting up from the burning jail lighted the scene.
He was a master lineman. As I came alongside he turned a good-humoured sweaty face toward me. "It's dang hot," said he. "It is," said I. There is something indescribably fascinating about the sight of a strong workman in the full swing of his work, something yes, beautiful! A hard pull of a job, with a strong man doing it joyfully, what could be finer to see?
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