The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-08-03
on his fragile perch in this manner.

up from the depths of the shait-an
immense sound Of human voices that
seemed cry of agony wrenched from
many hearts by the pain of toll. 1t
was the aldbado which is sung by the
miners upon the death of one of their
fraternity-a melancholy medley of
ayes and lamentations that forms a
kind of sorrowful aud pathetic melody
with which those who are condemned
to incessant labor to the end of life
saluted the happy departure of an
emancipated soul.
Already notice of the supposed death
of Don Rafael had arrived in those
subterranean caverns, and all the habi-
tants of the mine were chanting the
song of praise which also was the
song of mourning. Meanwhile :.
the treacherous beam on uhich Don
Rafael sat, hearing far below the song
that announced his own death, was
cracking!
The sad cadence of that song, melo-
dious and mournful, like psalm at the
threshold of the tomb, ceased, and the
mufiled sound of the stream cables,
going up with water and returning for
more, seemed to Don Rafael a pendu-
lum marking the moments of his de-
parting life.
The fragile beam was already inclin-
ing toward the horrible depth of the
abyss; the hands of Don Rafael were
grasping the jagged points of rock
with desperation; the moment of his
precipitation to horrible death was
very near. Suddenly the sound of
many voices came from the mouth of
the shaft. The criminal had notified
the directory of an accident, and all
the employees came TO see the body Of
the administrator brought from the
bottom of the shaft.
Looking up, Don Rafael saw a
rapidly descending torch. In the next
moment man suspended on cable
of descent, with his back toward him,
passed h s fearful perch. 1t
was the cajonero, Jose.
Instantly Don Rafael sprang from
his perch and seized the cable, some
| ulbUhuCt dUoFC UDt Iudu dU Jlt tuu vi
it. This movement loosened the beam
from its anchorage and it fell. The
noise and the movement of the cable
caused Jose to look up. Seeing Don
Rafael he commedced to blaspheme
and holding a dagger between his
teeth, to climb toward him. Between
the two men there was space of some
twenty yards, and while Jose assembled
Don Rafael fastened himself in a stir.
rup of cable that was swinging violent
ly.
As the torch was impending the as
cent of Jose. he cast it to the bottom
and the shaft was again in darkness.
Seeing that the light was extinguish
ed, the employees feared some new ac
cident, and began to haul up the cabl,
with great rapidity.
Having secured his position, Dor
Rafael drew from his pocket clasl
knife and tried to cut the cable below
him. He could hear the labored breath
ing of his adversary, who comprehend
ed the design of the administrator, ant
was asserting his utmost strength t.
gain the position of the latter IN tim,
to avert his own plunge to the bottom
of the abyss to which he had shor
time before, dispatched the man wht
had 80 strangely escaped the intended
death. The duel in the darkness be
tween the Two combatants suspende {
by cord over that horrible abyss wa
prosecuted by both with equal hast,
and desperation. Each knew that hi
own escape from that frightful situa
ton depended on the destruction o
the other; yet each was losing the con
sciousness of his own peril in his strug
gle to dispatch his foe.
The cajonero was SO near that Dol
Rafael could feel his hot breath on tn
hand that held the knife when tn
cable parted, and the man below, wit
| yell of rage and terror, went dow
through darkness to his death.
When the cable was hauled up, tn
appearance of Don Rafael, who ha
, been reported dead, instead of jose
who had been sent down to bring u
his mangled body, produced no iittl
surprise. He explained it all, how
ever, excepting one circumstance
how it happened that his hair, had bee
changed, in 80 brief period, to 81
, yer whiteness.-FrOna the Spanish 9
Pedro Castera.
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