The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-11-10

SAID a braWny, coai-smeared man peslde
him.
"Yis, WILL" was the answer, given
like bulldogs growl.
"Ill make another" said the man.
can me-" " An me, v" An me-" cried
a dozen more.
"Rig the bowk, somebody" said the
love-lorn verse-maker, taking at once
and as by right the place he was born
for e---Abel---Darkey---come
wi me-
The crowd divided, and the five made
for the offices, and found there in row
number of barrel-shaped machines of
metal, each having q small hose and a
pumping apparatus attached to it.
These were new boon from the gener-
ous hand of science---a French contri-
vance, as the name affixed to each set
forth" LExtincteur." Each of the
men seized one of these, and bore it to
tho edge of the shaft, the crowd once
more making way. A bucket, techni-
cally called ga bowk," some two feet
deep and eighteen inches wide, was
affixed to the wire rope which swung
above the burning shaft.
The self-appointed leader asked for
flannel clothing. A dozen garments
were flung to him at once. He wrapped
himself up like mummy, and bound
cotton handkerchief over his face. Then,
with the machine strapped securely
across his shoulder, he stepped one foot
in the bucket and laid hand upon the
rope. A man ran forward with slender
chain, which he passed rapidly round
the volunteers waist and fixed to the
rope which supported the bowk An
other thrust an end of rope into his
hand, and stood by to reeve out the rest
as he descended. Then came the word
"Short, steady" The engine painted,
the rope frightened, the clumsy figure,
with the machine bound about it, swung
into the smoke, and in death-like still
ness, with here and there a smothered
gasp, the man went down. His comrade
at the edge dribbled the rope through
his al-blackened fingers as delicately
as though it had been silken thread.
Then came sudden tug at it, and the
word was flashed to the engine-room, and
the creak of the wheel ceased, and the
gliding wire rope was still. Then, for
space of nigh minute, not sound was
heard, but every eye was on the rope,
and every cheek was pallid with sus-
pense, and every heart was with the hero
in the fiery depths below. Then came
another warning tug at the rope, and
again the word flashed to the engine
room. The wheel spun round, the rope
glided, quivered, stopped, the figure
swung up through the smoke again, was
seized, lowered, landed. When his
comrades laid hands upon him, the fan
mel garments fell from him in huge
blackened fakes, so near to the flames
had he been. He cast these garments
from him, and they fell, half tinder, at
his feet Then he drew off the hand
kerchief which bound his face, and, at
the god-like, heroic pallor of his counte-
nance, and the set lips and cleaning
eyes, women whispered, pantingly, "God
bless him!" and the breath of those bold
fellows was drawn hard Then he
reeled, and pair of arms like bears
were round him in a second. In two
minutes more he was outside the crowd,
and restorative which came from no.
body knew where, was at his lips as he
lay upon the ground, and two or three
women ran for water.
And while all this was doing, another
man, as good as he, was swinging down.
ward in the binding smoke. So fierce
leap the flames made at this hero, that
they caught him fairly for a moment in
their arms, and when he was brought to
the surface, he hung limp and senseless,
with great patches of smoldering fire
upon his garments, and his hands and
face cracked and blackened. But the
next man was ready, and when he, in
turn, came to the light, he had said good
bye to the light forever in this world.
Not this, nor anything that fear could
urge, could stay the rest. There were five
and thirty men and boys below, and they
would have them up or die. With that
god-like pallor on their lips and cheeks,
with those wide eyes that looked death
in the face, and knew him, and deied
him---down they went saw these
things, who tell the story. Man after
man defied that fiery hell, and faced its
lurid, smoky darkness, undismayed, un-
til at last, their valor won the day.
The love-lorn William had but little
room in his heart for superhuous senti-
ment as he laid his hand upon the wire
rope, and set his foot in the bowk again
Yet just hope was there---that Selma
should not grieve too greatly if this
second venture failed, and he should
meet his death. He was not, as a rule
devotionally inclined, but he whispered
inwardly, "God be good to her" AnC
there, at that second, he saw her face
before him---so set and fixed that in it,
agony of fear and prayer it looked like
marble. The rope grew taut, he passed
the handkerchief about his face again
and with the memory of her eyes upoI
him, dropped out of sight. The man a
the side of the shaft paid out the slende
line again, and old hands watched j
closely. Yard after yard ran out. Th'
great coil at his feet snaked itself, rinl
by ring, through his coaly fingers. Still
no warning message came from below
The engine stopped at last, and the.
knew that the foot of the shaft wa
reached. Had the explorer tainted b,
the wav? He might. for all they kney