Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-06-01

|
certainty at any instant. Upon this
more than any other thing, their safe
| ty depended; and, having satisfied
himself that all was right, he retraceC
his steps.
Blanche Whiting was waiting anx
iously for him but he scarcely recog
nized the figure standing at the door
she looked so girlsh. All of fashion,
able attire had been exchanged fol-
the coarse skirts, and jacket, and
straw hat usually worn by the miners
children. Her golden brown, way
wardly-curlng hair had been plated
and was coiled around her head, Civ
ing clear view of the beautiful con.
tour of her eyes, lighted with happi-
ness.
Are you ready, Mr.. Malcolm?'
From that moment, as she flashed
upon him, dazzling in her loneliness,
Bruce Malcolm felt that all his future
peace of mind lay in her keeping,
and his fate hung upon single word
from her lips.
eS, MISS DlanCne.
He led the way more like one in a
maze than gifted with strong mind
to the shaft. The bucket had been
reeled up, and was waiting. He lift
ed the girl in; instructed her how TO
stand and hold; warned her not to
look down; took his place beside her,
and they began the descent.
The shaft was deep-fully two hun
dred feet from the surface to the bot
tom marrow, and cut through the
solid rock; and now and then as they
touched some projecting point, and
where whirled around, the girl chung
convulsively to him, and he saw that
her lips were trembling and face
bloodless.
But slowly, very slowly, they con.
tinued their course. All light was
shut out except that which filtered in
from above-a little patch of blue sky
and sunshine scarcely larger than her
hand; and Blanche Whiting began to
bitterly repent her wish.
'There is no real danger, Malcolm
replied. 'We are already half way
to the bottom; will soon be there
His words failed to reassure her. 1t
has tried far stronger nerves than hers
to be thus swinging in darkness, sus-
pended by singlerope, which, should
it part, would send them whirlng be-
low, to be dashed into shapeless
mass upon the ragged rocks at the
bottom. She began to realize the
horrors of her situation, and begged
to 90 back.
It's too late!' he replied sadly.
we must go to the bottom first.
Then l will signal for some one to
draw us up
To guard against carelsesness or
accident, he had permitted no one
to man the windlass, had taken the
check into his own hands, and now
there was nothing but to hold on.
But there was no thought of teay in
his heart. he knew that thoy were
safe, and he thanked Heaven tor it.
Yet, even as he was thinking thus,
the little of light was suddenly shut
out. Had dark cloud swept
athwart the face of the sun .? He
glanced upward, and in an instant
his ruddy face became as colorless as
MAI ble
There, leaning upon the wIndlass,
was the maniac miner, with an axe
raised in his hand to cut the rope
that sustained them.
With mighty effort, Malcolm kept
back tho exclamation of horror that
was forced to his lips, and eased
away the check so as to descend
more rapidly. In that was his only
hope. They were yet seventy feet
from the bottom ; single blow of
the mailman would send them crash
ing down; the bucket would be
crushed like an egg-shell, and they
he dared not think He tried to shout
but in vain never was tongue NOSE
paralyzed. But it was not for him
self that be feared. He had no
thought of his own life. Brain and
heart and muscle we're all working
for the beautiful girl, and with more
than lightning rapidity fancy pic.
tured her bloody and mangled form,
Yet ho was cool to act had not en-
tirely lost bis self command would
be ready to take advantage Of the
slightest turn in their favor.
With as much rapidity as he dared
he permitted the bucket to descend.
Too much speed would hasten the
very fate be stood in dread of. With
one arm be sustained the weight of
the shrin King girl-with the other
held the revolution of the windlass
in check. lie dared not look at the
face of Blanche; but he tervently
thanked heaven that she knew moth
of the terrible dsnger-eould not see
bis own. If she must die, she was,
at least, spared the premonition--the
terrible, lingering anguish that was
worse than death itself.
He turned his eyes aloft. There
stood the insane nan who had been
the giant of the mines = whose
strength was equal to half a dozen
| others-stood with his brawny
breast heaving like a blacksmith :
bollows-the muscles of his arms,
that had been want to make play
things of the heaviest sledges, stand
ing out from the shrunken flesh like
knotted whipcords. A wild, fierce
light was burning in his eyes, and
froth was blown from his unshorn
lips as he muttered threats. A quiet
| tender-hearted man-one afraid OF
his own immense power when him.
self, but now the slave of the fends
of fever and the demons of insanity
"a raging, mindless brute, whose
| only instinct was to kill
By the marks upon the wall NAL
cCG,,m knew the progress of their de-
scend. There was fifty feet remain
ing, and be began to breathe more
freely. The milestone was beginning
| to be lifted from his heart. In a few