"You can get up now," Jack heard Mr. Post saying. "That was about as narrow a squeak as I ever had, and I've been in some pretty tight places." "What's it all about?" asked John Smith, as he rose and began brushing the dirt from his hair. "That's what I want to know," put in Jack. "Snooping sand fleas! But I feel as if I had been digging a tunnel!" cried Nat. "Mighty lucky you didn't get blown down into one, or an oil hole," said Mr. Post. "Anybody hurt?" asked Mr. Baker, running up at that moment. "My! I thought you'd all be killed!" "More good luck than good management that we weren't," replied the miner. "How could you do it, Jim?" "First time I ever was so careless," replied the well-shooter. "You can bet it'll never happen again." "What was it?" asked Nat. "Just an explosion of about twenty pounds of nitro-glycerine about as close to us as I ever care to have it," said Mr. Post. "Yes, and if it hadn't been for Josh, I don't know where you boys would be now," put in Mr. Baker. "He saved your lives, all right. That's what he did." "It wasn't anything," the miner interposed. "You see." he went on, "Jim sort of got careless and left one of his cans of nitro-glycerine lying on the ground. I didn't notice it, and I guess he didn't either, until he shot the well. Then, when I saw the shower of rock and stones, shooting up with the oil, and bearing right over toward where the can of juice lay, I figured out there was going to be trouble. That's why I yelled to you to run. "I knew if any stones fell and hit that can we had a first-class passage to kingdom come all bought and paid for, with through tickets. I could see a lot of stones hurling up in the air, and I knew, there wasn't anything to stop them from coming down. And the majority of them were headed right for that can of death and destruction." "That's all right, as far as it goes," said Mr. Baker, when the miner had ceased. "But he hasn't told you all. When Josh saw there was going to be an eruption, then and there, for one big stone was almost on top of the can, he just shoved you boys ahead of him, and then fell on you to shield you with his body. That's what I call being a hero." "Hi! You drop that!" exclaimed Mr. Post, making a grab for his old friend. "I didn't do any more than any one would have done. It was all your fault, anyhow, Jim Baker." "I know it was," admitted Mr. Baker, in contrite tones. "But that don't alter what I said, Josh." "Well if I ever hear you making any remarks about it, I'll inform the oil well authorities how careless you're getting and you'll lose your job," put in the miner. "Now I reckon you boys have seen enough for one day." "Well, I guess we have," said Jack. "Besides our train will leave pretty soon."