The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1885-02-20

that uead lire OF theirs, WITH no incl
dents but tOrments and terrors, the
hours passed swiftly in this experiment.
Hope sat upon a great lump of coal, his
daughter kneeled in front of him, gaz-
ing at him with love, confidence. rev.
erence; and Burnley kneeled in front of
him too, but at a greater distance, with
woliish eyes full of thirst and nothing
else.
At last the little can was two-thirds
full OF clear water. Hope took the large
iron spoon which he had found along
with the tea, and gave full spoonful
to his daughter. my child" said he,
"let IT trickle very slowly over your
tongue and down your throat; it is the
throat and the adjacent organs which
suffer most from thirst" lie then took
spoonful himself, not to drink after
an assassin. He then gave spoonful
TO Burnley, with the same instructions,
and rose from his seat and gave the can
to Grace, and said, "the rest of this pit
lance must not be touched for six hours
at least"
Burnley, instead of complying with
the wise advice given him, tossed the
liquid down his throat with gesture,
and then dashing down the spoon, said,
"I'll have the rest ont if | die for it,"
and made furious rush ut Grace Hope.
She screamed family, and Hope met
him full in that incautious rush. and
felled him like log with a single blow.
Burnley lay there with his heels tapping
the ground for little while, then he
got on his hands and knees, and crawled
away to the farthest corner of his own
place, and sat brooding.
That night when Grace retired to rest,
Hope lay down at her feet, with his
hammer in his hand, and when one slept
the other watched, for they feared an
attack. Toward the morning of the
next day Grace's quick senses heard q
mysterious noise III Burnley's quarter;
she woke her father. Directly he went
to the place, and he found Burnley at
work on his knees tearing away with
his hands and nails at the ruins of the
shaft Apparently fury supplied the
place of strength, for he had raised
quite Il large heap behind him, and he
had laid bare the feet up to the knees
of dead miner. Hope reported this
in hushed voice TO Grace, and said,
solemnly, Poor wretch, he's going
mad, fear"
"Oh no." said Grace, that would be
too horrible. What ever should we dor"
Keep him to his own side, that isall,"
said Hope.
But" objected Grace, in dismay, IF
lie is mad, lie won't listen, and he will
come here and attack me-"
IF he does" said Hope, simply, 81
must kill him, that's ALL"
Burnley, however. in point of fact,
kept more and more alOOf for many
hours; he never left his work till he laid
bare the whole body of that miner, and
found pickaXe i'm his dead hand. This
he hid, and reserved it for deadly uses;
he was not clear in his mind whether to
brain Hope with it. and so be revenged
on him for having shut him up in that
mine, or whether to peck hole in the
tank and destroy all three by a quicker
death than thirst or starvation. The
savage had another and more horrible
reason for keeping ont of sight; mad
| dened by thirst he had resource TO that
last extremity better men have been
driven to; he made cut with his clasp
knife in the breast of the dead miner,
and tried to swallow iellied blood.
This horrible relief never lasts long,
and the penalty follows in few hours,
but in the meantime the savage obtain
ed relief, and even vigor. from this
CHASTITY source, and seeing Hope and
his daughter lying comparatively weak
and exhausted, he came and sat down
at little distance in front Of them;that
was partly done TO divert Hope from
examining his shambles and his unnat-
ural work.
"Maister," said he, chow long have we
! been heref"
six days and more" said Hope.
"SiX days" said Grace. family, for her
powers wercnow quite eXhausted-"and
no signs of help, no hope of rescue"
do not say so, Grace. Rescue III
| time is certain, and. therefore, while
we live there is hope"
"Ay," said Burnley, 'for you tew. but
not for me. Vow telt the men that
fired t. mine, and If one of those men
gets free, they'll tear me limb from
jacket. Why should leave one grave
| to walk into another? But for VOW |
should have been away six days agone."
Man" said Hope, cannot you see
| that my hand was but the instrument?
TWAS the hand of heaven thatkept you
| back. Cease TO blame your victims, and
begin to see things as they are, and to
! repent Even il you escape, could the
white faces ever fade from your sight,
or the dying shrieks ever leave your ear,
of the brave men you SO foully murder
ed? Repent, monster, repent!"
Burnley was not touched, but he was
scared by Hopes solemnity, and went
to his own corner muttering, and as he
| crOuched there there came over his dllll
brain what in due course follows the
horrible meal he had made-a feverish
| frenzy.
In the meantime Grace, who had been
lying half insensible, raised her head
slowly and said, in low voice, Water,
Water!"
."Oh, my girl" said Hope, in despair,
"Ill go and get enough to moisten your
lips; but the last scrap of food has gone,
the last drop of oil is burning away,
and in an hour we shall be in darkness
and despair"
NO. no, father" said Grace, mot
while there is water there, beautiful
water"
But you cannot drink that uniiltered
it is foul, it is poisonous"
Not that, papa, said Grace, "far be-
yond that--lookl See that clear river
sparkling in the sunlight; how brightand
beautiful it shines! Look at the way
ing trees upon'the other side, the green
meadows and the bright blue sky, and
e-there-there-are the great white
swans. No, no; forgot; they are not
swans; they are ships sailing to the