We must trust to luck, and in the meantime we'll fire the shot." He blew a whistle and then striking a match lighted the fuse and hurried away.

A minute or two later, lumps of frozen gravel flew about the track and showers of smaller fragments scattered the snow.

As Festing came out of his shelter a man with an angry look advanced along the line.
"Why don't you warn folks before you shoot off your rocks ?" he asked.
"My partner whistled," Charnock answered.

"What's the matter, anyhow?
Did the shot jar your nerves ?" "A rock a foot across mighty near jarred my head! A smaller piece got me plumb on the ribs." Festing thought this unlikely, in view of the fellow's distance from the explosion, but could not be certain he was not struck.
"I'm sorry if you got hurt," he said.

"You ought to have heard the whistle." "Anyhow, I didn't.