The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1881-12-02

the sea would cover US too close for that !
| But the others?
/ "Pooh it's only dying a little sooner; and
what is life to stupid. toiling drudges like
/ them -
! A terrible smile passed over his face as he
placed the lamp by his side and bent over
/ the canister. Onlva light to the powder and
/ the rocks above would be Tiven. and with a
might burst the sea would rush in and over
whelm them all He took out his knife and
! proceeded to open the lid Of the canister,
which, bv Some means, had been fastened
down too tightly.
| But, bark Close beside him, lust beyond
| the ending of the path, he heard rusting,
/ cracking sound then crash and a huge
/ fragment Of rock rolled down and he was
only Just in time to lean aside before the
place where he had stood was covered with
shivered portions of it as it descended. and.
| leaping from ledge to ledge. at last, with sud
der roar, was lost in the depth below. Still
he listened, for another and more dreadful
sound caught his ear-the low, swishino
sound Of falling water He crept as near as
he could along the pathway. and as he did so
his face was sprinkIpd with the cold spravs
of the torrent. He held ont his hand. and
then, touching his lip, tasted the water 1t
was salt.
Still and brpathless as a statue he stood for
a moment: the next. holding the lamp before
him. he was rushing with wild speed down
the broken pathwavaHd awav from the scene.
As he approached the entrance he stopped.
and for a moment looked around in bewil-
derment He had mistaken the road. and
instead nf taking that hv which he had come
had followed another which abruptly stop
ped. mass Of coal having fallen and broken
it off. He had no time to turn back He
threw his lamp down. and. as fortune would
have it, it had not heen broken. hut had only
fallen on one side about ten feet below;
then. drawing in his breath. he prepared for
the leap. He did not know fhe ground-the
lamn had gone ont. If he leaned he might
fan into some deep fssIrp hut there was no
time TO hesitate He took the leap and fell
the firm ground was beneath him
His ann was bruised and his ankle sprain-
ed. hut he hardly felt it, ReIiyhtfnc his
lamp, he dashed along through the narrow
passages towards the mine where the men
were at work.
At last he met boy slowly dra CGing along
small coal wagon. He caught the lad by
the shoulder and shouted to him
"Can you run, WHIP
CAV. oi can answered the bov.
"Then run your hardest, viii. Tell them
in the lower main that the waters coming
in, and in an hour it'll he flooded
"Favther's theTer' the boy cried, and with
out another word rushed off.
n+bar hove foroa1 h. E,o-o.,B- -4o,-,. -
to ohev. were sent to other parts of the mine,
he telling them that he would not let one
man leave the pit till they were all there.
Then he waited. And if any one had seen
his face as he stood alone, a singular change
would have been noticed in it. There was
now such look of triumphant eladness as
for manv year had not rested there. He
stretched out his arm lika one who had Just
finished some weary labor. Then his head
sank on his bosom and he muttered:
go God Saved Saved Thou hast kept
me from it, and may yet save them all"
Quickly he recovered himself and went
into a small Office where he kept his books
and Instruments. He took from a box a
mall revolver and some matches and com
Ing out again set light to a heap of shavings
ald dry wood lying near the door, which
SON blazed up and illuminated the whole
plsce
Again he waited
Son troop after troop of the men, f1ving
at tieir utmost speed, reached the mouth of
the pt, and a fearful sight it was to see the
struggling mass of men, each one with mad
dened shouts and blows striving to come
closer % the basket. But George Heimers'
voice WIS heard above them all
'1'll sloot the first man that touches that
basket bfOre I tell him -
They sw the levelled barrel of the revol-
yer and dew back
Those hat are married stand here,
And in silence the men obeved him.
He then .ignaled to a certain number of
them to ener the basket Not an instant
was lost. AM they were hoisted out Of sight.
The other strained their eyes to watch
the ascending mass, calculating how soon if
would return to rescue them. Some of the
men who had the ir sons with them cIasped
them tight in heir arms, whispering messa-
ges to he givenif they were lost. for in near
ly every case tie fathers chose that the bows
should go in their places some sank to tie
ground muttering prayers that they had
never spoken since childhood, and others
listened to George HeimPrs as ne told them
that there was stal hope if shey would obey
him
Jim Massey, having been in one of the
most distant workings, was one of the last
to reach the pits mouth, and now he stood
by the wall apart. with eyes bent down on
something he held in his hald-a lock Of
Agnes hair that she had givenhim the night
before.
More than half the number # men were
now safe; and the basket, whrled up hv
those who knew just how muci depended
upon their work, had just left, wfan George.
in the same calm voice with whrh he had
spoken before, said Men. WINS to IN
neXt?' There were only about tw.ntv left.
men and boys, whom George hadmanv n
time helped by words and deeds 7hev re-
membered this, and they all cried a once
/ Next turns thine, master-we'H ctpe af-
ter -
''Thank YOU, my lads, - he answere, ami
etlyI 'I'm not going this time, but want
to send some one in my place. Will yo let
me?'
/ Not so eagerly this time-but still the,u-
/ swer, cay, master p was given.
Jim, come hereP' George shouted 'rYu
take my place when it comes again. Ma
lad, you must Remember, Agnes want
you. Jim, you'll be good to her, won't you
And tell her sometimes the last words tried
to say were; God bless both of you '''
Once more the basket descended, the few