In the Nitrate Fields
The last exclamation was called from Jack by the fact that the teams had
suddenly stopped, and the native drivers were shouting excitedly over
something which had happened.
They were at the time trying to make a roadway to the nitrate bed through
a trackless wilderness, and had thus far progressed with greater ease than
the young speculator had calculated.
But upon reaching the spot where the teamsters and workmen were holding an
excited controversy, Jack found that the cause of the excitement was the
fact that the way had been stopped by a sharp, rocky ridge, which extended
for miles in both directions.
"We can't go any further, señor," declared the head driver. "No team can
find its way through these rocks and up and down the hill."
Jack had seen this place when making his survey and had calculated upon
the difficulty in passing it, having the route most feasible at this
point.
"Let two men come forward with axes to clear away the stunted growth, and
the rest get their levers. I will show you by to-morrow it can be passed."
Lively work followed, the men taking hold with a vim, so that by noon the
next day a path had been cleared, so the teams could cross the rocky
ridge.
The balance of the distance to the mine was very favorable and at last
Jack had the satisfaction of finding himself at his destination, when the
men were set to work loading the carts, the oxen getting a chance to rest
while it was being done.
While superintending the work Jack had time to realize more fully than
before the gigantic undertaking he had upon hand. It is true the worst
seemed over, now that the path was cleared, but he knew with the rude
implements he had to work with that this had been poorly done, and that
the loaded teams would have difficult work to reach the open country. Even
then he would be many miles from the nearest seaport, where he was likely
to meet with another obstacle in finding a ship to transport his cargo to
the United States. Then, after he had reached home, how would he be
treated? A failure to sell his nitrate meant the loss of every penny of
money he had worked so hard to earn. But these anxious thoughts did not
rob him of his confidence in his ultimate success. Now he had put his
shoulder to the wheel, he was not one to look back.
When the hour came for him to give the order to hitch up the cattle and
prepare for the return journey, he gave his orders in a cheery tone.
"I tell you, Jack," said Plum, speaking with less drawl than common, "I'm
mighty glad to do this. I don't see how you can be so chipper, for I'm
dead sure we're going to have loads of trouble before we get out of this."
"No great thing was ever done without having more or less trouble at the
outset," replied Jack. "As soon as we get started we shall find it easier.
Hi, there, Pedro!" addressing one of the Peruvian drivers, "you have those
oxen yoked wrong. You ought to know better by this time."
"Who knows best, señor, you or I?" demanded the Peruvian, showing anger at
what he deemed an unwarranted interference.
Jack said nothing further, feeling that he had spoken too sharply perhaps,
though he knew he was in the right. He had found the natives anything but
pleasant men to deal with, and the quarrel of one was sure to be taken up
by his companions.
Five minutes later the foremost team was leaving the nitrate bed, starting
on its long journey at the slow pace of oxen, while the other soon
followed.
Vague reports had reached Jack before he had left on his trip, of the
uprising of the people, and of the guerrilla warfare being carried on by
the straggling armies of the North and South. Still he did not think he
would be molested, and he felt in good spirits, as they followed the rough
pathway.
To be on his guard as much as possible, however, he had thought best to
keep a short distance ahead of the teams, while Plum Plucky followed about
the same distance behind, the two thus maintaining a continual watch over
the train.
Nothing occurred to delay their progress, until Jack found himself
climbing the steep upgrade, which the Peruvians had declared impassable
before they had done so much work in clearing it. The course was uneven
now, and considerable of the way it was little more than a scratch on the
mountain side, with a sheer descent on one side of hundreds of feet.
He had got about half way toward the top when the loud cries of the
teamsters caused him to look back.
A glance showed him that the foremost team was "hung up" at a particularly
bad place.
The drivers were belaboring the patient oxen unmercifully, but not another
inch could they make the animals pull the load.
Shouting to the men to stop their useless goading of the oxen, our hero
ran back to the spot, finding that the second team had stopped a short
distance below, where it was comfortably waiting for the other to move
ahead so it could resume its tedious journey.
As there was no chance to get the oxen on the lower team past the upper
one, so as to be hitched on to help, on account of the narrowness of the
road, Jack quickly dismissed such an idea from his thoughts.
Not wishing to throw off a part of the load, which must be lost by so
doing, he stepped alongside the cattle and began to stroke them and to
speak gently to them.
"Both teams couldn't pull the load up this path, señor," said one of the
drivers.
"I am sorry I did not think to double up at the foot of the ascent, but it
is too late to complain now. Come, boys! all together."
Jack had taken the long, slender pole, with its ten feet of lash, with
which the drivers urged on their patient teams, and swinging the unwieldly
instrument over their heads as he uttered the words, he hoped to make them
start.
The result was most unexpected.
Putting their shoulders to the work with renewed life, the obedient oxen
fairly touched the ground with their bodies as they tugged ahead with
their burden.
The cart creaked and the axles groaned, while the heavy wheels began to
revolve.
"Hooray! it is mov--"
Plum Plucky gave expression to the exultant cry, but he did not have time
to finish before a loud snap was heard, and the oxen were seen to suddenly
plunge up the grade, leaving the cart!
"The pull pin has broken!" cried one of the Peruvians, terrified.
"The clevis has broke--look out!" yelled Plum, turning pale. "The other
team will be smashed!"
The heavily loaded wagon, freed suddenly from the power which had pulled
it to this precarious position, stood for a moment as if balanced on the
pinacle.
Of course Jack had seen what was taking place with a quicker eye than any
of his companions, and as he saw the wagon trembling in the balance for a
moment before it started on its downward course to destruction, and
realizing that a timely action could yet save it, he rushed forward to
seize hold of one of the wheels, shouting to his assistants:
"Quick--put your shoulder to the wheel and we may save it!"
Plum did spring forward to help his friend, but even he was too late to be
of any avail, while the Peruvians stood idle, without offering to move.
While the united strength of all might have stopped the wagon, Jack's
resistance was futile, and in a moment the loaded vehicle started on its
downward course, soon gaining a momentum that nothing could stop.
Faster and faster it moved, the wheels creaking and groaning unanimously,
as it gained in speed.
The drivers of the other team in the pathway below uttered wild cries of
terror, as they saw their danger, and began to scramble helter-skelter up
the mountain side.
The runaway was going directly upon them, but they were likely to escape.
Not so with the oxen and wagon, which seemed surely doomed.
Jack saw at a glance his whole work going to naught in a moment's time.
Then his presence of mind returned to him and he thought he saw a way to
avert a part of the loss.
Bounding down the pathway after the runaway, he soon managed to catch hold
of the tongue, which was dodging swiftly from one side to the other of the
path, according as it was swung to and fro by the motion of the forward
wheels.
Grasping this forearm with all the strength he possessed, Jack swung it
toward the near side, until locking the forward wheel on that side against
the sill of the cart.
He had seen that the only chance to save the rear wagon was at the
sacrifice of the other, and no sooner had he begun to hold the pole in
that position that the wagon began to turn toward the gulf yawning on that
side of the track.
It was a fearful alternative, but the best he could do, and Jack breathed
a sigh of relief as he found the hind wheels going over the brink of the
chasm.
For a moment the big load stood quivering on the edge of the precipice,
and then, with a crash which sounded far up and down the rugged valley,
the wagon went headlong to its doom.