Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1878-09-21

"Aye-but let the serpent rear IT,
head across NV gay, and see hO~
quickly will I grind its vennnous heal
berestL nv heel
Yes. Jack, but Ton ilco1 has nsy
er done Won wrong.
Tn. man laughed.
lie has entered REV hosse aid rob
i,sl me Of the one thing nv soul prIzed
has despoilei me Of nv all DO ne
not punish tho~e ~ho s'eal from A.:
Not II they steal tina, winch - their
owp. know Won. Jack, letter than
YOU kno~ ycGr-elf. anil know the noble
heart which YOU cover O-llgLt xItl -
false a mask. Remember. Jsck-yOu
say you love NE ! love Tom Niloox
" hat Ere You do 90 him you do - me
His L. the SHINE which b ilds nas heart.
even - b.. Is Ler,. striking her breast
Then. with a loo Goodnight, . svift
touch Of her hand. she left him 10 his
own gloomy thoughts
Sax men busy Of work. little group
apart from the others the nev ball
In the mine II Vas Q strance sound
that made each man suddenly throw
dovn his tool and start with white
faces 10 their feet--the sound Of .
CHEEKY whistle echoing through the
the silent, vault-like place.
Hush. man. Are you mad to vhis-
tie in the mine? Don't you know il
has never yet failed TO bring swift pun
ishment?"
Nonsense. boys" laughed rom, the
offender, In answer. That's an old
superstition, fit for grooming hays by
the fireside. An honest whistle can do
no man harm. Listen" And once
again the CHEEKY sound rang out--this
time the whistler's feet keeping time.
"Ah. if you were as happy as am l,
you'd whistle too, since I've won the
prettiest lass in all the village for my
BRIDE"
On one listeners face these words
brought blacklist fro an; but he sternly
kept his white lips together, and was
mute--none noticing the instant start,
the half clenched hand; but none had
time to answer, for, as though far off,
came a dull, heavy sound they knew too
we'll. One moment they looked with
blanched faces upon each other, then
followed crash. The wall had fallen
and hemmed them in their living tomb.
In the darkness rose cries of vengence
and curses upon him who had brought
the curse home to them.
"Let us find him." they cried, crop.
ing in the darkness-''he who dared
whistle the evil spirits to do their
work."
But, singular to say, he, the instru.
ment OF their vengence, was the one
who had fallen helpless and disabled,
and lay half.unconscious under heap
of stones.
jack Howard was the first to find
him. Why, then, did he not denounce
him? Once more his hand clenched,
his face darkened, but girls white,
pleading face seemed to rise up out OF
the darkness, and quietly he took his
stand in front of the PROSTATE form.
"We will kill himw shouted the men.
perhaps then We can appease the
wrath of the spirits of the mine, and
they will show us some way out, or
ka0P life in our bodies till uhpy dig for
us. All. here he is, starting forward as
one stumbled over him for whom they
sought.
Back, men! Would you do murder?"
shouted vocie. HAS not the old wall
threatened danger for many day, that
you should suppose O mans whistle
could cause it to come tumbling about
our ears?'
"He put the spirits to work." said
one. 'It's never failed yet. Well
give him to them as one of them!"
"Not unless you give me, tool" said
Jack, his face growing very white, and
words rushing from his lips as though
he could not repress them. HE can't
defend himself. It's only a coward
who would strike helpless mani"
The men paused with a flush of
shame, while their hands sank quietly
to their sides, and Jack Howard knew
his defence had proved good. So the
long weary hours dragged themselves
along, each man busy with his own
thoughts; some thinking of the wife
and BARNS who waited their return;
some, the mother and sweetheart. Oc-
casionly would sound dull, rumbling
noise, drawing nearer and nearer, and
unless rescue soon reached them, all
knew the wall surrounding them would
soon give way. They knew not wheth-
er it were day or night, or, save by
the pangs of hunger and thirst already
assailing them, how long they had been
entombed, when hope rose once more
in their breasts, as, faint and distant
come human voice. With one accord
they answered it, and grasped their
tools with new earnestness, fell to work
to meet those digging their slow way
toward them. All, the ecstacy of the
moment when the first ray of light pen
etrafed their darkness!
1--WE dare dig no morew shouted a
voice. "One by one you must enter,
crawling through this hole. There is
room for bat five on the shaft. How
many Of you are there?"
Silently they counted; they we're
six.
mo need for lots," asserted one.
I'VE will leave the whistler. He is al
most gone, anyway. They can come
back for him If there's any time"
SO they decided, and one by one
eravled through the narrow space.