Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1872-04-05

and another so CALLED me that we
fought. [ went home that night
bruised, sore, and ashamed of my pas
sion while he went to the Andrews
and said he had to thrash me for speak
ing insultingly about Mary.
l heard this afterward, and / don't
know how it was, but l wrote to her
telling her it was false, and that
loved her too well ever to have acted
so.
Six months passed over my head-six
weary, wretched months--till Christmas
came on, cold and bitter, but not so cold
and bitter as was my heart.
1t was Christmas eve, and in dreamy,
listless way | was sitting over my
breakfast before starting for work,
when | heard sound and knew what
it meant before there were shrieks in
the village and women running out and
making for the pits mouth, quarter
of a mile away. tell you l turned sick
with horror, for l knew that at least
twenty men would be down on the night
shift; and though it was close upon their
leaving time, they could not have come
up yet.
"Pit's fired! pits fired p I heard
people shrieking; not that there was
any need, for there wasn't soul that
didn't know it, for the pit had spoken
for itself. And as 1 hurried out !
thought all in flash like Of what a
Christmas it would be for some families
there, and I seemed to see a long pro-
cession of rough coffins going to the
churchyard and to hear the wailings OF
the widow and the fatherless.
| didn't lose any time, as you may
suppose, in running to the pits mouth
but those who lived nearer were there
long before me: and by the time [ got
there [ found that the cage had brought
up part of the men, and three who were
insensible, and that it WA just going
down again.
It went down directly, and just as it
disappeared who should come running
up, pale and scared, but Mary An
drews.
"Theres no one belonging to you
down, is there ?'' I asked her.
ooh, yes-yes my father was down,
and John Kelsey"
"Now, then, who's going down?' l
shouted.
"You can't go down." shouted half
a-dozen voices, "the choke got most
the better of u.s."
But there ore two men downW /
cried, savagely. "You're not all cow
ards, are you?'
Two men stepped forward, and we got
in the cage.
"Who knows where Andrews was ?"
[ cried and faint voice from one of
the injured men told me. Then | gave
the warning, and we were lowered down,
it having been understood that at the
first signal we made we were to be drawn
up sharply.
We reached the bottom, and l found
no difficulty in breathing, and, shouting
to the men to come on, [ ran in the di-
rection where 1 had been told we should
find Andrews; but it was terrible work,
for / expected each moment to encoun-
ter the deadly gas that had robbed so
many men of their lives. But I kept on
shouting to those behind me, till at
once tripped and fell over some one !;
and as soon as [ could get myself to-
gether I lowered the lamp l carried,
and, to my great delight, l found it was
Andrews.
Whether dead or alive l could not
tell then; but we lifted him among us,
and none too soon, for as took my first
step back l reeled, from curious giddy
feeling which came over me.
Run, if you can," [ said, family ;
for my legs seemed to be sinking under
me. l managed to keep on, though,
and at our next turn we were in purer
air; but we knew it was race for life,
for the heavy gas was rolling over us,
ready to quench out our lives if we
slackened speed for an instant. We
pressed on, though, till we reached the
cage, rolled into it, more than climbed,
and were drawn up, to be received with
a burst of cheers, Mary throwing her
arms round her fathers neck, and sob.
bing bitterly.
"I'm no much hurt" he said, feebly,
the fresh air reviving him, as he was
laid gently down. God bless those
brave lads who brought me up! But
there's another man down-John Kel-
sey."
No one spoke, no one moved; for all
knew of the peril we had just escaped
from.
"My lads" he said feebly, "can't
you do nothing to save your mate p
and as he looked wildly from one
to the other, | felt my heart like in my
mouth.
"Do you all hear ?" said loud
voice and I started as I saw Mary An
drew rise from where she had knelt,
holding her fathers hand; ado you
all hear? John Kelsey is left in the
pit. Are you not men enough to go?'
"Men can't co." said one of the day
shift, grufiy; no one could live
there"
"You have not tried" again she
cried passionately. Richard Oldshaw," !"
she said, turning to me with red glow
upon her face, John Kelsey is down
there dying, and asking for help. Will
you not go?''
"And you wish me to go, then?" I
said bitterly.
eyes, she said. "Would you have
your fellow-creature lie there and die,
when God has given you the power,
ard strength, and knowledge to save
him?"
The next minute l stepped up to-
ward the pits mouth, where there was
dead silence, for no one would volun-
teer, and, in half clustering way, 1
said:
I" I'll go down."
There was regular cheer rose up as
l said these words; but hardly needed
it, for was looking at Mary, and my
heart sank as l saw her standing there
smiling with joy.
The next minute | had stepped into
the cage, and it began to move, when a
voice called out, Blow it all Dick
OldshaM shan't 90 alone I' and a young