The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-06-01

the figure standing at the door, she look
ed so girlish. All of fashionable attire
had been exchanged for the coarse skirts,
and Jackets, and straw hat usually worn
by the miners children. Her golden
brown, waywardly curling hair had been
plated, and was coiled around her hepd,
giving a clear view of the beautiful con-
tour of her face, flushed with expecta-
ton, and large eyes, lighted with hap
plness.
care you ready, Mr.. Malcolm 2"
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 a single word from
her lips.
eyes, Miss Blanche.
He led the way more like one IN
maze than gifted with strong mind to
the shaft. The bucket had been reeled
up, and was waiting. He lifted the girl
in instructed her how to stand and
hold warned her not to look down /;
took his place beside her, and they be-
gan the descent.
The shaft was deep-full two hundred
feet from the surface to the bottom
narrow, and cut through the sold rock
and now and then as they touched some
projecting point, and were whirled round
the girl chung convulsively to him, and
he saw that her lips were trembling and
face bloodless.
But slowly, very slowly they continued
their course. Ali light was shut out ex
cept that which filtered in from above
little patch of blue sky and sunshine
scarcely larger than her hand; and
Blanche Whiting began to bitterly re-
pent her wish.
s'There is no real DANGER" Malcolm
replied. eve 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, suspen-
ded by single rope, which, should it
part, would send them whirling below,
to be dashed into a shapeless mass upon
the ragged rocks at the bottom. She
began to realize the horrors of her stu
alton, and begged to go back.
cts too late i' he replied sadly. eve
must go to the bottom first. Then [
will signal for some one to draw us up"
To guard against carelessness or acct
dent, he had permitted no one to man
the windlass, had taken the check into
his own hands, and now there was moth
ing but to hold on. But there was no
thought of fear in his heart. He knew
that they were safe and he thanked
Heaven for it. Yet, even as he was
thinking thus, the little of light was sud-
denly shut out. Had dark cloud swept
athwart the face of the sun? He glanc-
ed upward, and in an instant his ruddy
face became as colerless as marble.
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 the 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
crashing 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 more paraly-
zed. But it was not for himself that he
feared. He had no thought of his own
life. Brain, heart and muscle were all
working for the beautiful girl, and with
more than lightning rapidity fancy pic
tured her bloody and mangled FORM
Yet still he was cool to act had not en-
| tirely lost his 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
| sustained the weight of the shrinking
| girl-with the other held the revolutions
| of the windlass in check. He dared not
look at the face of Blanche but he fer
vently thanked heaven that she knew
nothing of the terrible danger could
not see his own. If she must die, she
was, at least, spared the premonition-
tle terrible, lingering anguish that was
worse than death itself.
He turned his eyes aloft. There stood
the insane man who had been the giant
of the mines-whose strength vas equal
to half a dozen others-stood with his
brawny breast heaving like black
smiths bellows muscles of his arms
that had been wont to make playthinss
| of the heaviest sledges, standing out
| from the shrunken flesh like knoited
| whipcords. A wild, fierce light was
| burning in his eyes, and froth was blown
| from his unshorn lips as he muttered
threats. a quite, tender hearted man
one afraid OF his own immense power
when himself, but now the slave of the
| fiends of fever and the demons of insan-
ity-a raging, mindless brute, whose
only instinct was to kill
BY the marks upon the wall Malcolm
knew the progress of their DESCENT
There was fifty feet remaining, and he
began to breathe more freely. The mill
stone was beginning to be lifted from