The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1878-07-19

pleading face seemed to risesup out o
the dafkness, and quietly he took hi
stand in front Of the PROSTATE form.
-fsotNV will Kill him shouted tn,
men. > fsPerhaps then we can appeas,
the wrath of the spirits of the mine
and they will show us some fsway out,
or keep life i'm our bodies tillF they dig
for us. All, here he il, " starting for
ward as one stumbled over him fol
whom they sought
''sBaell, men! Would you do mur.
der?us sshouteda a voice. 9Has not the
old wall threatened danger for many
days, that you should suppose a mans
whistle could cause it to come tum-
bling about our eai's!" Fs
afas He put the spirits to worlSw said
one. IT'S never failed yet. We'll
give him to them of one of them"
= Not unless you give me, toop' said
Jack, his face growing very. white,
and the words rushing from his lips
as though he could not repress them.
ole can't defend himself. It's only a
coward who would strike a helpless
ma&uif1 - 5Elt aft
The men paused with flush of
shame, willie their hands sank quietly
to their sides, and Jack Howard knew
his defense 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-
casionalIy would sound 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 whether 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 Ill their breasts,
as, faint and distinct, came a human
voice. With one accord they an
swered it, and grasping their tools
with new earnestness, fell to work to
meet those digging their slow way to-.
ward them. All, the ecstacy of the
moment when the first ray of light
penetrated their darkness! 4
awe dare-dig no more" shouted a
voice. cone by one you must enter,
crawling through this hole. There is
room for but five on the shaft. How
many of you are there?'
Silently they counted; there were
six.
'rNo need for lots" asserted one.
"We will leave the whistler. He is
almost gone, anyway. They can
come back for him if there's time" 4
SO they decided, and one by one
craw1ed through the nrrrOw space.
Jack Howard came last. He cast one
look upon the silent, death-like place,
the silent death-like form, while Bay
Bernard's words stood written in let
ters of fire in the blackneSS:
"What'er you do to him you do to
me-"
Then he turned back, and raising
the PROSTATE form, and whispering in
his ear: "Tell her l kept sacred the
shrine which held her heart, and did
it for her sake" he dragged him as
best he could to the aperture.
"Lend hand, boys" he shouted.
"We'H send Tom up first. He has a
sweetheart waiting. II have no
one.n
There was no time to parley, and
Courage, Jack, Wen soon
be back for you!' they obeyed him.
So Jack went back to his doom.
1t was 4 glimpse of Eden to the
thought themselves shut
out from it fOrever-as once more
they saw the green fields and the sun
light, while weeping women and
children clung, sobbing, tOtheir knees,
But they suddenly grew weak and
tender as they, as great crash smote
on their ears, and they knew Jack
eXpiated his sacrifice with his
life.
Like faint dream, the words, whis-
pered in his ear came to Tom Wilcox
as Ray nu:sed him to health and
strength, and wonderfully he repeated
them to her. Then, as though unvail-
ing some sacred thing, with sobbing
breath she told him why Jack Howard
had done this thing. How great,
how true an act of heroism was his,
cen though no marble shaft nor sculp- |
tured urn record it.