The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-06-09

swish of knife-blades. the heavy fall of
| leaden bodies, and the tread of hurry
ing feet upon the sodden floor, be-
tokened the deadly work that was do
ing, while even the yells of the savages
had sunk to long-drawn breaths, gut
tural curses and growls, as Of infuri-
ated dogs.
1t was horrible!
How long it las ted, know not; but,
wounded again and again, struggling
against score, plying my heavy knife
as reaper his scythe, I felt myself
slowly being borne to the earth by the
simple weight of numbers, when sud-
denly hand of steel grasped me. I
was torn from the clutches of the fends
who swarmed upon me, dragged rapidly
backward dozen PAGES around curve
of the level, and then-then a. single
pistol-shot sounded and, in a great puff
ofsulphurous smoke, in dull roar that
shook the earth, and bowed the very
walls of the drift together, in second
of intense light the end came-the world
dissolved!
When opened my eyes, it was upon
the hillside at the mouth of our shaft,
beneath the tall, whispering pines, and
surrounded by dozen of Uncle Sans
blue coats. Near me, litter held
something covered with blanket, and
at my side knelt old Jack.
"Ah, my boy" cried the old man, in
glad tones, as my eyes fell upon him,
back again, God be thanked! But it
was close rub for ye! Charlie there,
poor fellow, panned out! Only you and
I remain"
"Is Charlie deadP" whispered.
Very!" said Jack, solemnly. "He
was filled with balls and Ute knife-h holes
enough to kill a dozen men. And you'd
a-been in as bad fix eff / hadn't a-grab-
bed you. an:,
pull me outP ! remember now. But
what followed what tollowed?" and l
sought to rise in my eagerness, butsank
back faint from loss of blood.
"Lie still. an III tell ye," said my
friend 1.-The game war up-1 felt that;
though l had cut free, knew that you
couldn't hold out much longer. But l
had an idea. ran away. Yes, ran to
the lower level, got a keg Of the blasting
powder we were using yesterday and
| lCIulASt. SSSpo ~, en eSe sAS A>Ss
close to our barricade. The Injins war
thick. but they didn't tech me. for they
couldn't see, and the sound O. the fight
war all about you. Then kinder cut
my way in. grabbed you, an dragged
you around the corner, and then | fired
my last ball into that powder keg! The
result war tremenjous!"
1T took ME about an hour to figure
it out myself, for war sort O. shocked,
same as the rest; but when l begun to
examine the hole, thar warn't a live
Injun left! Efany O. 'em escaped, they
must O. TUX the back track nightly
lively after the powder spoke. So l
just dragged you to the shaft here, and
waited, and about sun-up these fellers
looked in, and hoisted US both out.
Ard l war glad to see the top O. the
world, now I tell ye, my boy! 1t did
look good to me after last night!'
Old Jack ceased.
The sunlight glittered through the
tall pines just as it did twenty-four
hours before, and the faraway peeks
were as bright as when my comrades
were at my side, but purple haze
covered everything now, and my eyes
were still shadowed with the horrors
of what had passed; and though l live
to be an old man, one memory can
never efface, and one night will ever be
sad anniversary in each year--the
night of our terrible fight in the level
of the "Good Luck" mine.