Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-11-04

| When they had entered u tne pit rWltl
their lights, and were full Of confidence
the distance appeared short, but now il
the pitchy Egyptian darkness it seemed
as. if they, cold never find their. way out
Minutes seemed heightened into hours
and still they walked, and seemed nc
nearer their destination. At length
Meta's delicate frame succumed to the
unwonted exertion, and she exclaimed
Papa, can go no further; leave
me, and seek a light; will remain un- un-
til you return.
al can't my child" he replied
will remain with you, but Baccup can
go and bring assistance"
At this moment he felt Baccups hand
gently draw his on one side, and a voice
whispered in his ear: ..s.
g don't like to alarm Miss Wood
ward, sir, but L m afraid we have wan.
dered into the old workings, and if SO
we are lost" ;
~ -" No, no; that can't be, replied the
now terrified father; Z" for We couldn't
hardly have got in when all the breaks
were closed.
II heard the, men say at the pits
mouth this'morning thattheresh had been
a great break in thenight, butI did not
think we. should have come this side
replied the man. -
"God forbid we should bein these work
ings but if SO, they will miss us, guess
where we are, and search forvus."
How can each separate party know
but that We have gone up with the 9th
er? 1t will7be only when we are miss
ed at home that they will think what
can have become Of u.s. and before then
it will be too late. -. y
Mr.. Woodward felt the full force. Of
all this, but he would not give way so
he saidaaloud to Baceupsy ia5aa-.: psse. :.
cit won't do for us4to separate, /
think, after all so you and T will man
age to carry my daughter between US,
and reach the shaft" ~ea
The man complied, and,. raising the
young girl between them, they. again
essayed tesfnd their doubtful way: But
soon the road became rough and bro
ken, and they could now realize that
they had indeed wandered from the
right track, and were lost in the old
galleries. At length, the strong men
could go no further and, laying the
young girldow hefather seated him
self by her, andsaid-::r t@ So
''Meta, darling, we have wandered
from the right track: Itwopld be use
less going further in this. darkness, as
we don't know but We may be only ly,wan-
dering farther from che aid and sassis-
tanceathat will be shortly. seeking us. /
80 don't know now its, papa, bateI
feel firm conviction that / shall never
reach home again I pray that you
may be spared, for it was my folly that
brought us all here -,
The father gently child his child for
feeling so gloomy, and comforted2 her
as'well as he@could : for he felt all the
time black despair settling at hs'heart,
for now, for the first time, he realized
the peril they really stood in.
Hours passed, and still no signs Of
the promised assistance. Their strength
began, to fail; ;. for where is there any
thing that robs ones ofzall stregtheof
purpose and Of bodysas when the bright
goddess Hope takes her departure !? Tt
was Just at a moment when MI. Wood.
ward felt his senses leaving him with
anguish, that Meta exclaimed: d. *
Papa, is that aestar- l see shining in
the distance r rs,,..s, . sy,s- T; -. q
They looked, and beheld q faint gfim<
mer Of light, Hope immediately sprang
up again IN their minds. as : rs. ~ <zs'''.
They raised a feeble. shout. butt far
from ,expediting the assistance they.
stood so much in need off, it seemed, to
have a contrary effect or,the light i'm
nediately disappeared = @4@'5er ~ :
1t can only be the effect Of imagi-
nation, sighed Meta. ~ 80 z7ss
"Hush p said Baccup; keep silence,
and see what comes of it.. ~
Shortly the light began to glimmer
again, and presently they could per-
ceive a figure approach them-it was
that of a man almost skeleton. His
black locks hung down to his waist;
while in his eyes the fire of insanity
cleaned and flashed. ~
Tis Black Jack" whispered Bac-
And then theye,heard the madman
eXclalm 80 70 ~ -
Whoisit thatinyades my .lasthome,
when; after taking all Isheld near and
dear, drove me from the earth, and even
in hell cant let me rest 2"
He approached, and suddenly his
eyes fell on Meta, laying on the ground
insensible. -.
Mary, my darling, are you return
ed to comfort me-? You con back to
- Ha! hal l see the halo round her
head. Men nor devils shan''t part usl"
and, rushing forward, he raised the
fainting girl in his arms, and fled swift
ly away. ~ -.
The two men followed as we'll as they
could, guided by the sound of the ma
MAC S footsteps and. the occasional glim-
mer of his lamp but, after their ex-
haustion, they were no match for the
frenzied speed of the mailman They
gradually lost him, but, still keeping on
in the same direction, they saw a CLEAN
of light, and presently arrived at the
foot Of an old, disused shaft. To the
side of this shaft there had been fixed
ladders, by which the miners in the
olden time assembled, as well as descend.
ed, into the pit; but theyswere decayed
and frail. Nevertheless, it was evident
that up this ascent the maniac had Aed