“Warden, I’m an expert on quarry work, as you know,” he panted.  “I’m doing my best to show you that I haven’t forgotten what I learned over at Stoneport, and to back up what I promised you and the commissioners after I gave you the tip as to what could be done with that hill.  Much obliged to you for allowing me all the dynamite I need.  But, demmit!  I haven’t got anybody with brains to help me handle it.  It’s notional stuff, sir.  It hates a blasted fool.”  He pointed a finger at the men across the pit.  Their striped suits suggested the nomenclature he used “Those potato bugs will do something to blow us to blazes sure’n there’s air in a doughnut hole!”

The warden showed his concern.  “Don’t you know of some man who is used to dynamite?”

“That ain’t it, sir.  A fool gets used to it, till he’s too cussed familiar.  I want a man with brains enough to be polite to it.”

The warden, making a general survey of the scene, beheld Vaniman.  “A man who knows enough to be a bank cashier ought to have brains, Wagg.  How about Number Two-Seven-Nine?”

Mr. Wagg contemplated Vaniman and took plenty of time for thought.  “I’ll try him,” he said, without enthusiasm.  “I hadn’t thought of him—­but I’ll try him.”

Directed to do so by the warden, Vaniman went to his new work with Wagg.  The latter exhibited no especial symptoms of satisfaction at securing such a helper.  He told the young man that his particular care would be the dynamite—­to handle the boxes, store them in the little shed, unpack the sticks, and follow the drills, planting the rendrock ready for the blast that was to topple the hillock into the pit.  Mr. Wagg explained to the warden, after a time, that the dynamite could be planted more safely and to better advantage when the drillers were off the job.  Therefore, Vaniman was detailed to help during the noon hour while the prisoners were at dinner.

But, even when they were alone together, day after day, Mr. Wagg maintained his reticence.  Once in a while he did wink at Vaniman.  The winks grew more frequent when Mr. Wagg began to connect up the dynamite pockets in the hill with wires.  One afternoon, near knocking-off time, he stepped into the shed where Vaniman was covering up his boxes for the night.  “When you leave your cell in the morning,” said the man who had promised freedom, “hide in your pockets all the letters and little chickle-fixings you intend to carry away with you.  You won’t be going back into that cell again, Number Two-Seven-Nine.”

CHAPTER XXIII

NO VOICE FROM THE PIT

It was a night of wakefulness and of tremors for Vaniman.  His was the acute expectancy of one who was about to set out on strange adventures, but whose orders were sealed and whose destination was unknown.  Wagg’s stolid appearance of knowing just what he was about had been a steadying aid in helping the young man control his doubts; in issuing his final, curt commands Wagg did not abate his confidence; Vaniman felt that he was in no position to demand more candor.