The weekly Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1872-1887, 1875-05-29
>.+ *" 4 Il IS EIKo NEVADA, SATURDAY, MAY 2o 1875

| NOT 10 give III WITHOUT Hnothef great strliS
gle, went ON, blindly hoping to ligh
upon some, clue which might pcrchancr
lead me to Il working still actively prose
cuicd, for knew that much of the dis
trict underlying the hills over which hat
wandered was honcycombed by the opc
rations of the cOlliers. At alI events
this. was MY only chance, and il seemed
we'll TO keep up hnpc at last. All at once
fell over hard projection, and, on stoop
ing down. found it was an iron clnir yc
in stu. Though the rails and transom:
had been removed, here was discovery
tthough | would not build too much on
iD which kindled hope, and felt in Fl ont
of it till kicked another, and then nm.
other. These successive chairs Showed
that l WAS on a truck, at all events, along
Which l could hasten without constant
fear of running against the walls of the
pit, and Which, SO long MS I was careful
to keep touching these chairs, might lead
me to II frcquented, part of The pit. The
most intense listening disclosed no sound.
II was quits possible, thought, il pur-
sued this track, that it might bring me to
level entrance into the pit. I mus: have
ramblcd on for I'm honr, pursuing my mo
notonous task of kicking these iron chairs,
which regularly succeeded each other mt
Intervals of four yards, till 10 my great
joy, reached u mil fixed OH the chairs
and few yards further, finding the rail
continuous, began to feel certain that
was on the right mode of escape. Taking
the last drauglIt of water which remained,
! made mental VOW not to lie down, for
| felt / should never rise again if did.
Fortunately, the end was at hand.
Was dreaming, or out of the body in
lIadcsl Did dull knocking strike upon
my ears, or was ii the labOrcd thud of my
hearts slow beating that hcardl shook
OIL ihncics for Il moment, and realized us
stood there, leaning against the wall,
that repeated blows, smOthercd by dis
tancc, were being struck before me. The
Knocking continued; two or three blows
being given, and then II mUmcntary halt.
recognized the sound Of cUlliers' picks,
and thankfully stroye TO penetrate to them,
but my knees would no longer support
me; | staggered ON, and fell PROSTATE
Still it seemed so awful death to die
within reach of succor, that shouted as
lOud us could, and was cntranccd when
the Knocking ceased, us though the cOllicrs
were listening. The rcvulsion. of hope
was too much; my faculties nll became
dim and lazy; fired off in succession the
two barrels of my gun.
My next recollection is that of knot
of c"iliers, in scmi-nudity, who had Just
left their workings, and come through
the bratticc which divided their portion
of the pit from the disuscd part, and were
standing round me with their safety
lamps. They had fled, mt first, thinking
an explosion had taken place in the allan
rlonca workings; and ii was iOI!S !.e!orc
tue "butty" could persuade any of them
To follow him. But when they once saw
my dcplorab!e condition, agonizcd with
hunger and thirst, grimy from head To foot
with coal-dust, Thin and cadavcrOus with
anxiety, no Sisters of Charity could have
been more tender i'm their ministratIonS.
Warm ten AMI bread in spare morscIs were
given me; and then | WAS raised, and car
ricd to the working, put in wa gon, and
drawn by one of the pit horses to the pit
head. Never shall forget the delight of
being brought up to "bank," and once
more feeling the blessed air of heaven
blow Oh my haggard checks. And il any
day my resolution not to shoot again on
II Yorkshire moor were in danger of being
shaken by the hOspitablc invitations Of
Willis, my nightly dreams would soon
force me to abide by my yvOw.-ChamGerS'
JOHTH1i