oor, mules being the motive
power to bring out the small dump cars loaded with rock and dirt,
excavated from the big hole.

"Mind the turn!" called Job Titus, who was ahead of Tom and Mr. Damon.
"It's rough here."

Tom found it so, for he slipped over some pieces of rock, and would
have fallen had not Koku held him up.

"Thanks," gasped Tom, as on he ran.

A little later he came to a place where a cluster of electric lights
gave better illumination, and he could see it was there that the damage
had been done.

A number of men were lying on the dirt and rock floor of the tunnel,
and some of them were bleeding. Others were staggering about as though
shocked or stunned.

"We must get the injured ones out of here!" cried Walter Titus. "Where
are the men with stretchers?"

"I sint that Spalapeen Serato for thim!" broke in a voice, rich in
Irish brogue. "But he's thot stupid he might think I was after sindin'
him fer wather!"

"No, Tim. Serato is after the stretchers all right," said Walter. "We
passed him on the way."

"That's Tim Sullivan, our Irish foreman, though he has only a few of
his own kind to boss," explained Job Titus in a whisper.

Some of the workmen (all of whom save the few Irish referred to were
Peruvian Indians) had now recovered from their shock, or fright, and
began to help the Titus brothers, Tom, Mr. Damon and Koku in looking
after the injured. Of these there were five, only two of whom were,
seemingly, seriously hurt.

"Me take them out," said Koku, and placing one gently over his left
shoulder, and the other over his right, out of the tunnel he stalked
with them, not waiting for the stretchers.

And it was well he did so, for one man was in need of an immediate
operation, which was performed at the rude hospital the contractors
maintained at the tunnel mouth. The other man died as Koku was carrying
him out, but the giant had saved one life.

Serato, the Indian foreman, with some of his men now came in, and the
other injured were carried out on stretchers, being attended to by the
two doctors who formed part of the tunnel force. Among a large body of
men some were always falling ill or getting hurt, and in that wild
country a doctor had to be kept near at hand.

When the excitement had died down, and it was found that one death
would be the total toll of the accident and that the premature blast
had done no damage to the tunnel, the two Titus brothers began to
consider matters.

To