The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-08-03
SELECT STORY.
A FRIGHTFUL AFFAIR.

lbdyd DOth ~ viz
Mexican mineral district of Guiana
juato, and with the readers permission
/ will assume that it happent d in the
latter.
The main shaft of the Rayas mine
has the vertical depth Of nine hun
dred yards, and sixteen yards of dia-
meter. For its dimensions, it is rank
ed as the first mining shaft of the
world.
In the epoch to which refer, eight
windlasses, operated by mules, were
constantly employed in raisirg water
from this enormous hole in the planet.
The administrator at that time was
Don Rafael Il, 80 years Of age,
pale, slender, feeble in appearance;
but in whose gaze shone the flame OF
halghtiness and energy, and the radi-
ant spark of int, lligence.
The cgonero or person charged
with the operation of the windlasses,
was called Jose. He was an athletic
fellow, sinewy and vigorous; but with
the hungry, apprehensive, and unquiet
look of the jackal. Under his orders
and immediate direction were the
cables by which the miners descended,
the stream-cables for hosting water,
and all that related to the various SER
vices of the shaft
Among the properties" of the ad.
ministrator was a young woman oi
more beauty than chastity, whose vol
uptuous form had turned the head OF
the cajonero, who had long time en-
deavored vainly to ingratiate himself
in her favor. The jade treated his ad
vances with arrogant disdain, and this
is easily explained when it is known
that from the a0minist, ador0 to the
cgjonera the distance is the same as
between the housekeeper and tn,
scrubwoman.
Jose laid siege to this strong fortress
of virtue, but finding that the garrison
was not likely to accept terms of CAPT
tulation, he one day made an assault
that cost him superb whipping by
order of the administrator.
Jose endured the chastisement but
swore in the teeth of his master that ht
would have his revenge. Don Rafae
treated the menace with contempt, and
the csjonera continued to occupy hi.
post.
Sometime afterward, the damsel in
order to give further proof of hel
constancy, ran away witt cavalry
officer; whereat Don Rafael mani Tested
neither Indignation nor surprise.
One morning Jose ent red precipit
ately into the apartments of the ad
minlstrator, before the latter wa,
awake, and said to him that, to judg,
from the unusual singing and hurrah
ing of the miners at the bottom of the
shaft, they surely must have found {
bonanza.
This word bonanza produces a more
wonderful effect on the cerebrum of 8
miner than all the cataclysms ant
earthquakes joined together. Dor
Rafael sprang out of bed, leaped int
his garments, and, without waiting t
make inquiries, ran to the shaft, har
messed himself to a cable of descent
and so suspending himself over tn
enormous abyss, said to the cajona
"Let her CO."
The horses of one of the windasse
began to move, the cable to unwind
and Don Rafael. holding a torch il
one hand and with the other steadyin,
himself in his hanging saddle, slowly
descended into that immense black mol
without observing that no sound what
ever came from below, nor that tn
face of the cajonero betrayed siniste
smile when he saw him going down.
Peril not only awakens instinct, bu
enlightens it. When Don Rafae
found himself suspended in that fright
ful abyss, he suddenly remembered tn
menace of Jose, comprehendei that h
had acted inoonsiderately, and that hi
life was suspended by a thread whic
his enemy could cnt at his pleasur
and dispatch him to eternity withou
notice and also without passport.
By the reflection of the torch Nigh
have been seen great drops of col
perspiratiOn upon his brow, the cor
vulsive treInor that agitated his men
bers, and the look of anguish that
cast toward the black depth and pei
pendicular wall of the shaft. Th
cable had descended perhaps hui
dred yards when suddenly its NOV,
ment was arrested. Don Rafael felt
sudden chill that penetrated The yer
marrow of his bones and congealed h
blood. He comprehended the horrib
plot. Jose was going TO cut the cab
and dash him to mass of lifeles
shapeless flesh by fall of six hundre
yards to the bottom of the shaft.
Directing look Of desperation t.
ward the nearest wall, he perceive
projecting from it, half a yard or
e little more, a piece of timber that ha
s served to support scaffold.
= To cast the torch to the bottom {
the shaft, swing himself upon thi
trescherous support. and detach hin
self from the cable was the work of
few seconds and hardly had he accou
plished it when the cable parted Fl
above, and fell with great splashin
noise into the water almost two thou
and feet below. Involuntarily cry
terror escaped him, which was an
wered at the mouth of the shaft with
sarcastic and savage holse. laugh tina
n spite of himself, made him tremble
Afterward profound silence reigne
and Don Rafael, submerged in darl
ness, renamed seated on that fra
piece of wood; vsoillating over tn,
enormous abyss into which the sligh
est circumstance might hurl him, wi,
the certainty of being dashed to fral
ments at the bottom.
The silence was broken only by Il
t CT eaking of ropes, the water drippin
from the ascending buckets, and o
casionally by the smothered coucussio
of the miners tools somewhere in Il
v black depths below, But, suddenl
/, among these divers sounds, was di
: tinguished one that filled Don Rata
with horror.
The wooden perch on which he WI
seated began to manifest signs
breaking!
Time and moist air had caused d,
cav, and the timber was yielding und