The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-10-24

"They'd hardly reached the surface
when the first crash came. They wait
ed in dreadful suspense to hear the sig
nal for the others to come up but time
passed and the gong didn't sound, while
the heavy thuds o. fallin' earth and
crashin' o. rocks warned them that terri.
BILE work was goin' on beneath, and ii
was probable the other men had been
killed at once by the powerful con-
cussion.
"While they were talkin' it over,
some discovered the cave-in on the sur.
face, and alarmed bout their families,
took lanterns and went in sarch O. them.
When Bill Myers reached the breaker,
the crush in the mines seemed to have
gone as far as it would, and the few men
left round the shaft were discussin' as to
whether the imprisoned men were alive
yet, and if it could be possible to
save 'em.
"Most all but Bill Myers was of the
opinion that they were already dead.
"While he was arguing with an expert.
enced miner, who should suddenly ap-
pear but Kate Dalton, still holdin' her
lantern, but with face as white as 9
ghost, and her eyes wild-lookin' and big.
ger than ever.
"She ran to the boss and cried,
"sDid John Pearson come up ?"
"But she instantly saw by our faces
he hadn't, and rushing to the engine.
room, she begged the engineer to let her
down on the elevator but Bill Myers
held her back, while the boss told her
that the tunnels were all filled with fal.
len rocks between the shaft and whal
they were at work.
"'Can they still be living p she asked.
"Possibly, he replied 'but thar q
no way to reach 'em.'
"She sank back heavily in Bill Myers
arms, and all thought she was goin' to
faint, and, sir, those rough fellers' Wis.
ion was very dim just then, for their
hearts ached for poor Kate. But with
shudder she rose up, and sorter gath
erin her strength, as for struggle, she
asked question after question, till she
knew the exact spot whar they were at
work, for she'd often been in the mines.
carter thinkin' desperately for few
minutes, she sprang forward and cried :
CO. Thar's the drift at number four.
The tunnel from that opening crosses
the one whar they are. I'm goin' to
save 'em. Who will help me?'
"Several offered, sayin' they'd forgot
all about that way; but the boss shook
his head and said
"sIt's two miles in whar they were at
work. If they could have come out,
they'd "a been here now. ALI who go
in may be caught in another crush, or
drowned by the rising water. But
more to herself than the men she re-
piled, wildly:
"'John said didn't care for him, but
1 love him too much to let him die down
she started off and ran for the drift, Bill
Myers alone followin'.
SIT was good bit of, and she did
not notice that he was comm till she
reached the broad wooden doors in the
side of the hill. She only thanked him
with her eyes, but stopped q moment
and looked back at the mountain whar
she'd left the children.
"The mornin' sun was just risin' over
it, and the clouds above were all crimson
and gold. Liftin' her hands towards
'em, she cried, beseechingly:
"Mother, mother, I wouldn't "a
left them to be happy, but he's perishin'
in the dark I must find him or die
Then che ran down the tunnel so fast
Bill had to hurry to catch up with her.
"Thar wasn't more water than usual
ON the sides for a mile and half. As
they went on, Bill shouted the names of
the men; but all was still as death, till
thnu hnno,, to hnar I,n
stream forcing its way through narrow
passages.
" It's no use, Kate, cried Bill; 'they
can't be iyin.' Well be drowned if we
go further. Think O. the young uns
what would they do without you? For
their sakes come out O. this 7
"But she looked at him like one
dazed, then said, pitifully, 'Come down
here little way and give one more loud
CALI
"To satisfy her he did, and to his
great surprise and Joy, distant voices
replied. Kate was crazy to rush forward
and find 'em, but Bill SAID they might
miss each other if they moved SO both
kept hallooin' and the answers came
nearer and nearer, till two men ap.
preached from side tunnel, and Kate
sprang forward and. found Pearson's
hand clasped in her own.
"It seems when her father brought
the warnin', he and Mick Coon insisted
on tryin' to reach the shaft arter they
heered the first crash, and OF course
were killed. Pearson and Wells had
sense enough to stay whar they were;
but the drift entrance had not been used
in long time, and they, too, had for
gotten it. If Kate hadn't insisted on
goin' arter them, they'd soon have been
drowned.
"You ask if Kate married him arter
this? Wal, gals is Gurus she wouldn't
consent till Bill Myers and his wife in
sisted on takin' the boys, and as they
also went to the Diamond mines and
became nextdoor neighbors again, Kate
felt as if she might be happy at last and
still keep her promise.
"And, sir, them boys are CROWN up
wonderful smart chaps. 1 tell Mrs.
Myers I'm as proud of 'em as if they
were our own, and not a drop o. old
Dalton's blood in their veins. But
butt forgot I didn't mean to tell yei
that I was Bill Myers. Youths Com
paniOn.
T. kLn T-x~oI arn otill yAu n.