er than it had been the first day, for, besides the fact that there
were only two of us, and those the least skilful, as we ascended towards
the stream each hole was a little deeper than the last, each charge a
little stronger, and each shot blew out a greater amount of rock to be
broken up and cast aside.

Nevertheless, we made very satisfactory headway, and continuing our work
the next two days with unabated energy and some increase of skill with
every hole we put down, we made such progress that by two o'clock on the
Wednesday afternoon there remained but three feet of rock to be shot out
to make connection with the channel.

I was for blasting this out forthwith, but Joe on the other hand
suggested that we trim up our trench a little before turning in the
water; for, hitherto, we had merely thrown out the loose pieces, and
there were in consequence many projections and jagged corners both in
the sides and bottom of our proposed water-course. These we attacked
with sledge and crowbar, and in two hours or so had them pretty well
cleared out of the way, when we went to work putting down our last hole.

As we wanted to make a sure thing of it, we sank this hole rather
deeper than any of the others, charging it with an extra allowance
of powder. Then, the tools having been removed, I touched off the fuse
and ran for shelter behind the big rock where Joe was already crouching,
making himself as small as possible. Presently there was a tremendous
bang! Rocks of every size and shape were flung broadcast all over
the crater--some of them coming down uncomfortably close to our
hiding-place--but as soon as the clatter ceased, up we both jumped and
ran to see the result.

Nothing could have been better. Our last shot had torn a great hole,
extending across almost the whole width of the old channel, and our
trench being six inches or more below the original level, the whole
stream at once rushed into it, leaving its former bed high and dry.

"Hooray, for us!" shouted Joe. "Come on, Phil! Let us run down and see
it go into the canyon."

Away we went; but as the crater-side was pretty steep we had to descend
with some caution; whereas the water, having no neck to break, went down
headlong. The consequence was that the stream beat us to the canyon by a
hundred yards, and by the time we arrived it was pouring over the edge
in a sixty-foot cascade.

We were in time, however, to see a wall of foam flying down the canyon; a
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