Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-28
1nndon Daily Newal

whence they had started. What iaie
had befallen their two comrades they
knew not. but feeling about IN the dark
ness they found these mems jackets De
sides the Jacket Of Rule, Bants having
been buried in the sand and lost. This lind
was. indeed, q piece Of good fortune, for IN
the pocket Of each OF the garments was
nasty and Crib" apparently small
loaf, which guaranteed them, at least
for awhile. against starvation. some
hope they lad OF finding store OF can,
dies. but. to their grief, the rushing sand
had carried them away, together with
key of water, which, as tho writer OF the
narrative pathetically observes, "would
have done US some good If we had
had it," i
Then they lay down On their beds OF
sand aud stones damp with the con-
slant dripping from the Roof, and hour
after hour listened for some sound to
break the dreadful silence. At last Bant,
wboSe companion was deaf, exclaimed,
".Jack. | hear them sounding from the
forty fathom," and Rule answered,
"Giye them peal" Then 1t was that
the ono morsel Of candle which they had
became precious, for it was needful to
make their way 20 some spot IN the
direction OF the knocking and there re-
turn the signal. Thus they were en-
sbled 70 communicate from time TO time.
Then their little stock OF matches gave
ont. and ere lOaQ "a dark cloud came
over them, for they could not hear the
trammers working for awhile. 30 the
time passed. the Imprisoned men alter
nateiy budding together for warmth,
and humping about and beating their
banda In Gibbons dungeon 1t was
"the elder OF the three who sought to
"cheer and to uphold the rest" In tho
far deeper gloom and solitude OF the
Cornish mine it WAS Bant, the young
man of twenty-one. who frat strove to
keen up the spirits OF his dear com
psnion. fifteen years older than himself
On one occasion he "started 10 sing,
when Jack said, "Billy, if you have q
heart TO sing, l lave heart to laugh.
But in short space their forced gayety
WAS turned 10 melancholy. MY mate
would say, Il sm thinking OF the old
people ut homo. What fed way they
must be in. This will kill the old man.
He was bad before, and mother Is
bad by this time. l expect, he beng the
only support the old people had. Now
it was the turn Of John Rule, who, as his
companion observes, was OF stronger
nerve, to speak word OF comfort IN
praver way, and to remind his comrade
of how they had "slways been good
friends" but never SO much as then.
Still it was the young man who had TO
do all the sounding, though he too had
begun to feel deaf on one side through
the dripping Of water into the ear from
the roof. His comrade, by the way OF
keeping up his spirits, observed that 1t
was "better to be deaf in one ear than
two" which, says Bant. IN his
simple way, "of course, was right,
though if both were deaf it would be a
Door lookout for us. My mate" con-
tinues the narrative. "would very often
ask me If | heard them nicking away
now. | should very quickly reply
yes, I hear them going at it smart.
Then we should be still for about five
minutes. when we should want a change
of position. 1 should get one Of my legs
under, and he would put one Of his on
mine, and so on We would draw our
breath into each others bosom would
put nv hand under his coat, and he
would put his under mine, and at the
same time would say, Keep as close rs
We can to one another and it will keep us
warm. We would lie like that until
tired and that would not be long. Then
| would put my arm round his neck aud
he would soon find it wanting. when ]
should have to get out OF bed to sound. "
They fancied they could tell night from
dav by the time when they felt sleepy.
On one occasion Bant said to his COM
rade: 81 think it's Thursday; do You
think IL 1872" On what seemed TO be the
day after this they could hear the res
cuers blasting the rock with powder.
They had husbanded their food IN vain,
for the pasties had gone bad and were
loathsome 20 the smell. The sounds,
too. seemed further off ; and their STAN
ina failing, they felt terribly cold and
we're driven to tear the sleeves
from their coats and put them
round their feet 81 felt. says
Bant, hungry and thirsty, think
ing at the same time pound OF can
dies would go good if had them but
not having them, had to do without:
At last l thought upon plan had
heard OF people eating their stockings
but could not eat mine, because they
were up to the surface, where | should
like to have been. 1 thought, too, OF
eating piece of flannel shirt. After
these thoughts passed through my mind
l thought heard some one talking.
remarked it to my mate, who said Get
out, man, You didn't hear any one. L
listened and heard them again. ], with
out hesitsting, went over to the rise,
called out and quickly received an an
swer which put new life in me"
1t was at $50 o'clock that lighted
lantern was let down eighty feet through
the hole above to cheer them with its
welcome ray, together with bottle
containing pearl barley, which they ate,
using the empty bottle to catch the fall
ing water-drops. Twenty minutes later
stout-hearted Thomas Chapman de-
scended TO the rescue, and by the aid OF
rope drew the weak and weary cap
tiyes out of their dreary solitude to feel
once more upon their faces the pure,
fresh AIR of Heaven,