The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1883-01-05

| enlloren were gathered at the mouth of the
pit. They all belonged to Father Ryan's
ncck, but Mr.. Knox, the Methodist parson,
and DR.. Floyd, the Episcopalisn, were busy
as he, quietinR and cheering them.
Honor was sitting on the bank not crying
Ike the others. Her round face locking
| pinched and drawn. A basket of newly
froned clothes stood beside her. for she had
been Oh her way home with then when the
dub report OF the explosion was heard
Mrs. Sprout was near her, sobbIng and talk
ing loudly.
! "Teddy's In there" she cried, as came
| up. 81 sent him there. 1 wish l had left
him at home. It's always my luck when
| do the best can to help people l'
| At that moment there was q shout from
the men at work at the mouth of the mine
and some twenty OF the miners emerged
| from the mouth of the pit. stunned and ter
| rifed by the explosion, but otherwise un-
| hurt Teddy was not among them.
Where are the other men ?" demanded
| Father Ryan, as soon as he could make him.
| self heard
where's Teddy NealP" cried Mrs.
Sprout, catching the foreman by the shoul-
der and pushing his sobbing wife aside
/
heap of slate made by the explosion. We
were this side of it." he answered. "Ted
| was with us, an'-an'"-
He looked uneasily at Honor, who had
come up to him and was staring into his
face with her lips open. They moved to
ask question, but she could not make a
sound.
"Where Is the boyS" said Mrs. Sprout, ,
| impatlentIy.
HE turned back to go to them. I could
not help itr' he exclaimed, appealing to
Doctor Floyd. He would have it that he
knew a way out of the back of the mine :;
and that If it were open, he could guide the
men through It."
"How did he get to them 7'
There was crack at the top of the heap
Of slate, and he's such a lean little chap
that he wriggled through with our pushing
! him behind"
"You pushed him to his death - Mrs.
Sprout screamed. And then q sudden al
lence fell on the crowd
Every man ard woman there understood
that the boy had not five chances in ten for
| life. when he crawled into the bIackness of
the walled up pit to save his ellow-workmeo,
! Father Ryan said something to the fore
man, carefully lowering his voice, that Hon
or might not hear of fire damp"
$50 told the boy, your reverence But
he was determined to go. I could not stop
! him."
! There was nothing for US to do but wait
The men were In the heart OF the hill
which rose before US quiet in the warm sun
shine, with its black seas yswning through
the grss and weeds, 1t was impossible now
/ to reach them. If alive, they doubtless
were struggling through the black passages
Of the mine toward the outlet which Teddy
| had found, or thought be had found
/ Every man of the crowd believed the boy
| to be mistaken. 1t was not likely that such
an opening could exist, and no miner ever
bad discovered it. But nobody mad the
heart to hint q doubt with Honor and the
| wives and mothers OF the buried men to
/ hear it.
! So the crowd waited; whispering to each
other, listening with bated breath for some
sound from within-a cry-a muffied knock
! ing which should show that the buried men
! still lived.
| As long as there was a chance of their es-
cape by any back passage, however slight,
the men feared to begin work on the heap
Of fallen slate at the mouth of the Dit, as
/ any conclusion might bring down masses of
earth from the roof Of the chambers, already
! loosed by the explosion.
! Honor came up to the Methodist parson.
How long will it take Teddy to bring them
out, sir ?''
! The good old man avoided her eve
! THAT depends on-well, really, l don't
4 know where the passage is. Now, my poor
soul, le. US trust in God. He will take caro-
of Teddy in the pit just as well as il he were
here beside you"
But l want him beside me. sir The
Lords always left Teddy to me to take care
Of. l want him, sir. want me little by. -
| Mr. Knox began to speak, but his voice
was heard. Every man looked at his neigh
Dor. One OF the miners muttered fire
damp" which Is another name for death, in
these pits; but the others were silent
Then came a sound like thunder and q
heavy crash. There had been another e1-
plosion, and the roof of the main chamber
had probably fallen. Shrieks of despair
went up from the women,
Its all over - said Father Ryan.
! bOoh AZ nlm / crlcQ Honor. Wildly,
pointing down the road. MY by Teddy -
There, coming up the road, black as ne
groes, were nine men, every one of them
alive and shouting Teddy leading the van.
They had reached the mouth Of the open.
ing and had dragged each other through, and
had time to come down from Presley's Hills
before the second explosion.
There was town meeting that night II
was gathering which would seem queer
and old-fashioned enough now . days
There was a great table set In the town
hall, and every housewife sent something to
be eaten, from Mrs. Judge Larkins's frosted
cake, to poor Honor's loaf of bread and
rich and poor came, the miners and their
| wives in their Sunday clothes. to shake
hands and rejoice together.
The Methodist and Presbyterian clergy.
men offered prayer, and Father Ryan and
! Judge Larkins made speeches, and there
were plenty of jokes and laughing and kind
iy feeling
But most Of the glory OF the occasion fell
to Teddy's share. In his speech welcoming
the company, Judge Larkins mentioned him
as worth nothing in q shop, or q school, and
only showing ability In = mine by getting
out of it.
be proposed, therefore, that . subscrip-
tion be raised In the town. to enable Teddy
to follow his vocation Of naturalist, to which
he had so evidently been called.
There was great deal OF cheering. and g