The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-02-19

words.
"Do you 60 then! p she said. %
can trust you to tell me it Hugh
is" Her white lips could no
utter the word "dead.''. It seemed
such an awful and such an, unrea
word to connect with Hugh's prout
life and strength. "Then you will
save him if you camp she went on
with trembling eagcrness. 20 Mr.
Tyrrell you are SO brave and kinc
will you not try to save him
Surely you are better able thar
they-those men yonder; surely
you can if you will!'' a .siz
"God knows how willingly j
would if could" Tyrrell said. "But
those men yonder understand such
matters, and they have done all
that human effort can do" s''!''
"But you are wiser than they
she persisted, feverishly. 1"You
think I am childish to talk like
this, bntI feel-I know-that God
has sent you to, help and to save
him. Am I mad? ! don't know,
But But say! say !, you will try-0h' say you
81 aolN try" he answered, carried
away by her appeal, yet knowing
that there was nothing for him to
do. IL swear to you. that if 9 an
opportunity arises, I illsbold: my
own life for nothing in comparison
with his. But you will promise me
to stay here if ] or ms. I
II promise She said, and she
sat dowr again on the seat from
which she had risen. ''s
When Margaret Churchill said
81 promise,' he must have been
blind and deaf indeed who did not
trust her-even at such a supreme
momentas this. Tyrrell did, fully
and entirely. He gave one glance
at her face-rigid with an awful
look of despair-then went his
way without another word. .@
y They were bringing out the victims
one by one when be reached the
opening of the shaft. A terrible sight
it was-with the fearfa! wall of. some
women rising now and then as hus-
band or son was recognized. Most
of them were dead. A few, who had
been farther advanced in front, had
escaped the heavy fall Of the iill.sup.
ported earth, and still showed signs
of life. Half hoping. yet half appre-
hensive, Tyrrell looked over the IN.
conscious faces, but Hugh was not
there. AS he looked, Mr.. Beresford
approached. i, :, ;,
aNo sign Of Churchill yet" he said
He must certainly have been one OF
the farthest in the mine"
'.Tbat gives hope for his safety,
doesn't it?' 9,. ,..a9.g @a 1hxs
"In o measure" the other answered,
"but only in a measure. You see we
got them out very quickly, aid those
men who were not Immediately sutfo.
Gated, may very likely recover! But
every minute counts, and the longer
they are in finding Churchill; The less
bopo there is that he will be found
alive"
"Yes, I see," said Tyrreil, thought
fully. Then, attera pause, he added
"Can I go into the mine? | should
like to see what progress they are
making, unless you object to the in
truson of outsiders" :,.sz, sitsi
"I do object as a general rule 1.-THE
answered. There
are plenty of people here who would
like nothing better than to 60 down
there aud stare, if they We're allowed
to do so; but, of course, with you,
Mr.. Tyrrell, it is q different matter.
III send a man down with you if you
wish to 60"
Tyrrell reiterating his desire, tho
man was summoned, and they pro
ceeded together into tho mine 1t
was strange, wild scene, and thor
oughly novel to the man Of the upper
world, upon which they en- cred. H.,
dark galleries opening away in differ
ent dir iIections, with here and there the
light of q miners candle cleaning.
the subterranean atmosphere, the
smell of fresh earth from the fallen
wall, the forge of men working with
shovels and pickaxes by It .a:rl4 It OF
lanterns and torches. AS Tyrrell
came up, an intimate fgurs was drawn
forth and carried past him to the
upper ain. jackson" he heard the
men saying to each other, and then
somebody added, "stone dead!'
"You see they are still taking out
the men on whom the earth fell" his
Guide said. "There's something like
half u dozen missing yet. If you are
not afraid to come through this way,
You'll find the place where they ARE
looking for Mr. Churchill" -, .!
Fear did not chance to be a word
in Roland Tyrrell's vocabulary, SO he
followed the speaker, through an
opening III the fallen earth, to where
the advance portion of tho mining
marty had been found. 1t was very
near tho end Of the excavation, and
men were working here eagerly, ex
pecting every moment It to find. Hugh
Churchill as they h d foun e hers.
aHclI never come ont alive" Tyr
rells guide said, gloomlly. mot but
that steady boys! what, are "yos
after now ?"
They were after another inanimatt
figure, upon which they had stumbled
and which they were almost SUR
would prove the one so anxiopsly