St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-09-01

the uncertain feet of the old man have
strangely missed, is stumbled upon by
Gaskell, who falls heavily.
" Hurry, Jim,l Pie calls once more, as
he rises, bruisedS and with difficulty;
''you'll get there safe.''
It is but few moments since the
alarm was given, but now the sand is
falling all about him, and rs Frank add
vances a few PAGES from where he fell,
part of the western wall comes down
upon him in one swift, terrible rush.
Round about him rises the soft yellow
sand. To his knees, to his waist, then
higher to his neck, and the rush is
stayed.
AS Jim painfully tolls up the ladder
and reaches the surface, dozen voices
call to him:
"Where's Mr. Gaskell?''
"Down there, answers Jim, point
ing in a bewildered way to the pit from
which he has escaped.
At this the Others hasten to the edge,
Just as the western wall falls, but few
feet to the north owwthem.
Its all up wife poor Mr.. Gaskell,"
Say sc4Cltl FUlCES4
..No, it isn't; Iedln see him. some
one says who is petaing cautiously over
lest the treacheroas earth should give
way at that point also, and then they
hear Franks clear voice:
"I'm here, boys. Sorry to give you
another job, but | guess you'll have to
dig me out of this; can't get out alone,
you know. =
..Indade, Muster Gaskell, we'll
wurruk to get yez out as long as we've
got arrums,' exclaim the men, in great
relief at hearing his voice again.
But how to do this is not easy to tell.
The sand has stopped falling, but even
footstep on the bank near may cause
it to fall. The eastern wall, however,
seems firm, and on that side the men
begin their work. 1t will be long task.
To work northward toward Gaskell
from the bottom of the cutting viii in
evitably bring down more earth upon
him, and the only available plain seems
to be to make a transverse cutting from
the eastern side, and endeavor to reach
him in that way. The news of the dis
aster has spread very rapidly through
the city, and in short time crowds are
hurrying toward Poplar street. But
only the workmen are allowed near the
opening. all others, except a couple of
reporters, are stern!y kept back by the
police. The work goes on slowly,
though many willing hands are engaged.
The Herald reporter, a tall, well-made
fellow, goes to the edge of the opening
above Gaskell.
Courage, Frank" he says; tender
ly; "they'l have you out of this
shortly
Gaskell answers.
s.How did you happen to be the only
one left down there?'' asks the other.
"Well, you know, Strawford, / had
to see that my men were all out. 1t
wouldn't have done for me to scramble
out first
This is said naturally enough, and as
if it had not occurred to the speaker
that he could have done otherwise than
to see that his men were safe before try
ing to save himself.
You are a noble fellow, Frank,
Strawford says; and then to the COM
panion reporter he adds: 'sThere aren't
many fellows that would do as Gaskell
! has done this morning.
The hours move on slowly, but ifthey
seem long to those above in the free air
and sunshine what must they be to
Gaskell down there in the half-darkness
waiting for deliverance! Strawford
goes away after a time, but returns
Shortly with bottle of wine, and after
soaking a sponge with the wine lowers
it carefully to GaskeH.
"That will do you good if you can
possibly get hold of it, Frank" he
says.
This the other essays to do, and after
one or two Intellectual attempts succeeds
in getting portion of the sponge be-
tween his teeth.
"It's good for you," calls out Straw
ford from above, land you shall have
just as much as. you want to keep up
your strength =
By and by the noon whistles blow
shrilly, and hundreds of Workmen who
have lust heard the news of the accl-
| dent flock toward Poplar street, and
from one to another it is told that
Frank Gaskell is down there in the cut
ting buried in the sand up to his neck,
and that it will be hours before they can
get him out. Again the whistles blow,
and the men from the mills and facto-
ries return to their work, but the
anxious, waiting crowd is still great.
and to their impatient eyes but small
progress is making toward Gaskelrs
rescue. The courthouse ecksstrikes
two, then three, and still StraWford is
kneeling BY the edge speaking encour-
aging words to GaskeH and telling him
| what progress the workmen are max
ing. The long afternoon drags by.
Gasken from his prison watches the
white clouds chase each other across
the narrow rift OF blue sky that he can