The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-01-05

will travel along, and must find the
foreman, or return TO the station" So,
holding my candle far in advance,
started along.
| was not surprised that | could not
see the lights on the station we had left,
for l knew the drift was in had slight
curve toward the east, although its gem
eral direction was north and south. The
curve had been necessary In order to
effect connection it was intended to
make with drift on the same level of
another mine. The foreman had eth
er gone far enough along the drift to be
carried out Of sight by the curve, or he
had turned to the east cross-cut, where
he would certainly wait as soon as he
discovered my absence. half CROPPED
my slow way along, for my candle was
burning blue and low-omenously low,
it suddenly flashed upon me, as I re-
called wel-known miners warning:
Where candle won't burn miner
can't live.n
FRIGHTFUL FALL.
KNEW the explanation we'll enough
TO DO the unusually small proportion OF
oxygen in the atmosphere, and knew,
too, that my Pickering and blue-burn-
ing candle was the only warning would
have, as asphyxiation under the circum-
stances, would be painless. Startled,
then, by this sudden, dreadful thought,
turned hurriedly to the right, when
felt an opening, which | supposed must
be the drift | was looking for. | made
one quick step, but on to nothing! In
stinctively threw out both hands, and
grasped rope they came into contact
with. There was whirl, rafting of
loosened rocks, and / felt myself plunge
down into sitting, utter darkness.
Clinging desperately with arms and
legs to the rope, felt myself stopped
with sudden jerk, and slowly turn
round and round as the long unused
rope twisted and unwound under the
strain of my weight. Irealized my aw-
full position; knew had stepped into
the mouth of a winze-a shaft sunk
from an underground level had eau ght
hold of the windlass rope, which had
been only partly wound up, and was
suspended over the hot water below,
Would the water-soaked rope bear
me? Would nv strength last me in
that vitiated ARP Even if it did, could
climb to the topp" So near to an aw-
full death; knowing, if the rope held,
that my only chance for life was by the
most judicious use OF my strength. the
tremendous necessity Of the occasion
forced my mind into perfect calmncss.
Twisting the rope around my arms
and one leg, l carefully felt with one
foot, and found that the winze was not
more than four feet in diameter and I'M
timbered. Fastening my hands into
the very fibres of the swollen rope,
braced my feet against the sides of the
winze, and lifted myself slowly upward.
carefully raising my hands, one time,
for higher hold. Again braced my
feet, and again exerted my ebbing
strength for another advance toward
life and from the horrid death in the
hot, black water below A treacherous
loose rock, on which my right foot rest
ed, gave way just as l had released one
hand to extend 1t upward i fell with
a jar that wrenched every joint in my
body, but did not lose my desperate
grip on the rope. The big brogans |
wore were jostled from my feet, and for
the first time I shuddered, for | knew
by the sound as they splashed below
that was not over five feet from the
water, and so had twenty feet to climb.
Again l braced my feet against the
winze. The rocks were rough and hot,
and cut and burned my feet; but for
that cared not, as I found that with
out shoes could find better foothold,
and make better progress.
Slowly, seemingly an age between
each advance, feeling my hands swell,
and knowing that each second my grasp
was less secure, worked myself up;
but at last felt that the lifeless air and
the terrible physical strain had so ex-
hausted me that even for life, that
seemed so dear then, and which might
be saved by one more effort, could not
make it. My arms and legs ached. rs
must those of the victim on the rack;
in the black darkness | seemed to see
binding flashes of fire, and the blood
was surging through my head with
ha eful roar.
For the moment, had no idea that |
could ever make another effort; yet |
did not let 90 the rope, but twined my
limbs around il all the more tightly.
Although absolutely hopeless, my mind
revolted in CHASTITY horror from the
thought of the fast approaching moment
when my relaxing muscles should cease
to support me, and alone in the silent
darkness, should drop helplessly into
the deep water of that black. deserted
hole. Aimlessly, almost, | stretched
out one arm, and my heart gave great
bound when l found that | could not
touch the sides. 1 hne,o my head must
be above the top of The wiaze! Cau-
tiously, yet trembling with hope and
excitement, extended my arm around
until felt the wooden framework sup.
porting the windlass. l drew myself,
still hanging to the rope. toward the
frame, wound one arm ami then the
other around one of the upright sup
ports, and carefully disentangled my
legs from the rope, put all the last des-
perate strength revived hope had given
me into one supreme effort, and tainted
as felt myself lying safe on the rocky
floor by the side of the mouth of the