Being anxious to reach the city as soon
as possible, forr of the passengers, in
cluding myself, started over the moun
tains afoot, hoping to reach our destina
tion by three o'cloc'i in the afternoon.
We walked along quite briskly, and,
while following the ridge of a moun
tain, were hailed by a voice which I
recognized as belonging to the torpedo
superintendent having in charge the
district adjoiuing that of John McWil
liams.
"Hello! come over here! the man
shouted, accompanying his words with
emphatic gestures.
Curiously wondering what Smolley
could want, we went toward him. 1 wo
or three men were leaning against the
stump of tree, and merely nodded as
we approached. Smolley was searcuiug
on the ground for something at some
distance from his companions.
"What's the trouble, Smolley?" and
as I spoke the glycerine man raised a
pained looking face, and mutely pointed
his finger in the direction of the men
around the stump.
Hooked and saw a strange sight j
The wreck of an oil derrick aud its ma
chinery lay scattered over the ground in
small pieces. In an instant it all came
to me there had been an explosion of
nitre-glycerine. The derrick had been
blown to atoms and scattered far and
ide; the ponderous bull-wheels were
dismantled and broken into a thousand
fragments. On every hand was ruin
such as only uitro-glyoerine can produce
The thought came, was anybody hurt?
I glanced inquiringly at the three men.
One of them pointed silently at a small
baking-powder box lying at their feet
I stepped forward.
"My God! John John McWilliams?
and I would have fallen bad not one of
the meu supported me.
