The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1888-08-02

was the alatGd0 which is sung by the
miners upon the death of one of their
fraternity-a melancholy medley of
aycS and lamentations that forms a
kind Of s0rrowful aud pathetic melody
with which those who are condemned to
incessant labor to the end of life salute
the happy departure of an emancipated
soul.
Already notice of the supposed death
of Don Rafael had arrived in those sub
terTanean cayerns, 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 which Don Rafael
sat, hearing, far below the song that
announced his own death, was crack
ing!
The sad cadence of that song, melo-
dious and mournful, like a psalm at
the threshold of the tomb, ceased, and
the muf1ied sound of the stream-cables,
going up with water and returning for
more, seemed to Don Rafael pendu-
lum marking the moments of his de-
parting life.
The fragile beam was already in
clining 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 a 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 ucciCie71t. 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 a cable
of descent, with his back toward him,
passed his fearful perch. 1t
was the cajOnerO, Jose.
Instantly Don Rafael sprang from
his perch and seized the cable, some
distance above the man at the end of if.
This movement lossened the beam from
its anchorage and it fell. The noise
and the movement of the cable caused
Jose 10 look up. Seeing Don Rafael
he commenced to blaspheme, and hold
ing a dagger between his teeth, to
climb toward him. Between the two
men there was a space of some twenty
yards, and while Jose ascended Don
Rafael fastened himself in a stirrup OF
cable that was swinging violently.
As the torch was impeding the ascent
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 cable
with great rapidity.
Having secured his position, Don
Rafael drew from his pocket clasp.
knife and tried to cut the cable below
him. He could hear the labored
breathing of his adversary, who com,
pretended the design of the admins,
traitor, and was asserting his utmost
strength TO gain the position of the
latter in time to avert his own plunge
to the bottom Of the abyss to which
he had a short time before, dispatched
the man who had so strangely, es.
capped the intended death. The duel il
the darkness between the two combat
ants suspended by a cord over that horri'
BILE abyss was prosecuted by both with
equal haste and desperation. Each
knew that his own escape from that
Il1SHtlui SlIuitiolI ttltiliGu OA inc ot'
struction of the other; yet each was
losing the consciousness of his OWL
peril in his struggle to dispatch his
foe.
The cajonero was so near that Don
Rafael could feel his hot breath on the
hand that held the knife when the
cable parted, and the man below, with
a yell of rage and terror. went down
through darkness to his death.
When the cable was hauled up, the
appearance of Don Rafael, who hao
been reported dead instead of Jose
| who had been sent down to bring "
his mangled body. produced no little
surprise. He explained it ali, how
ever, excepting one circumstance
how it happened that his hair, had been
changed, in so brief period. to sill
yer whiteness.-F'rOm the Spanish o.
Pedro CQStera.
a. Fcminines ofadmin,strator and cajonero