Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-21
BURIED IN A MINE.

SoiOh VI SLlicy dAld, anu
o pay them visit. While there | was
isked to descend into one of the most ia
nous mines and see how the hard, black
'uel which affords us such grateful sensa-
lions on a cold winter night is procured
from the bowels of the earth Now have
a strong natural desire to see everything
new and strange; but l am also very eau
tious, and do not care to put my life in
peril merely to crafty my curiosity, so /
hesitated and reflected little before [ an
swered: would like to see the miners
at work if it could be done without risk of
life"
A pretty, bright blue-eyed young lady
who was present, and to whom had taken
a great fancy, burst out with ringing
laugh
"Surely, you are not afraid, Mr. Ma
ples?" she exclaimed, with mischievous
twinkle of her blue eyes that did more to
urge me ON than the arguments of all her
relations could have done in month, for
no man likes to be thought coward in
the presence of beauty. al certainly would
not like to be considered afraid, Miss Stu
art, merely because have repelling sense
of dangerl' l replied. "Surely you do
not think it necessary for man to be fool
hardy in order to prove that he is not a
poltroon? / believe every one is in some
degree afraid when he sees danger, but
some people are gifted with the faculty of
seeing danger when others do not"
And sometimes where it does not ex-
ist."
1t may be-"
and you possess that gift largely" she
laughed.
NAY, Miss Stuart, you hardly do me
justice. | at least claim to be reasonable.
In the case of mining coal, neither you nor
any one else who is familiar with past oc-
currences in the mines can truthfully de-
clare that there is not all the time danger
down in their dark and awful depths, and
that every one who descends thither, be it
for minute or month, carries his life in
his hands"
Well, l at least am not afraid" she re-
Joined, somewhat boastingly; and | have
been down there as many times as | am
years old"
A matter of 1927 / observed.
Exactly 49," she smiled.
Well, then, make it 20, and ! will ac-
company you" | said. Agreed" was her
proud response.
The instant / said this l experienced a
strange sensation, like presentiment of
evil, and | would gladly have had my
promise unspoken. But it was too late
for me to think of changing my declara-
ton even had the danger been thousand
times more apparent, for | am one of those
stubbornly firm individuals who always
live up to my given word, let the conse-
quences be what they may and 50 we pre-
pared ourselves and went down into the
mine-a party of four Of us-two gentle
men besides myself, and the lady | have
mentioned.
The descent for the first two hundred
feet was in large basket, lowered by a
windlass; and do not think that any one
of us for the first time ever took that
plunge into the awful abyss of mystery and
darkness without an inward shrinking
akin of horror, however careful and indif-
ferent may have been his outward assump-
ton.
One of our party, who was connected
with the mines and was to act as our guide
on the present occasion, carried Dayy
lamp fastened to mis- cap, and by this
feeble light we could diml y see each 9TH
ers faces and the black, damp wall which
surrounded us as down, down, ever down,
we kept sinking deeper and deeper into the
bowels of the black pit, well knowing that
the slightest accident might land us sud-
denly on the shores OF eternity.
The t,rO
grave, as became the place and the occa-
sion; but pretty Sibyl Stuart was full of
talk and animation, rafting on from one
thing to another, never seeming to care for
a reply, but apparently satisfied to hear
the sound of her own voice. Was she
really needless of any possible danger, or
was this light chatter done to cover seri-
Gus misgivings and fancies? | could not
believe the words came from a heart as
light and free as they seemed to represent.
Reaching our first landing. we began
our exploration through long, dark gale
rieS, where every here and there a heavy
prop supported the rocky roof with the
thin layer Of foundation supported in turn
in the same manner, still below us. tier on
tier, so that the yielding of any weak spot
far down in those awful depths might pre-
cipitate thousands of square feet into one
shapeless mass and bury us forever from
human sight. Still as there was no more
danger apparently of this occurring now
than at any time within the past twenty
years, there was no good reason for taking
the subject into consideration, except of
my being still haunted by that PRESENT.
ment of evil which | have spoken.
Our guide led the way to some moving
lights which we could see sparkling in pro-
found darkness, and We soon found our
selves at the top of another shaft, where
another descent of hundred and fifty feet
was made in bucket; after which fol-
lowed some rough climbing over rock and
assures, with here and there descent by
ladders, which proved both precarious and
tIresome, till at last we stood upon ledge
from which, another hundred feet still be-
low us, we beheld a hundred moving lights.
and heard the peculiar sound of the mi
ners at their daily toll of digging out and
breaking the black Jumps of coal that were
intended to find their way to the bright
world above. "There they are" ex-
claimed our companion, vivaciously. s1ook-
ing with their red, bobbipg lights and
shadowy forms, like so many fiends of Pan
demonium! Would you like to 90 down
among them, Mr.. Naples? ?"
If you are satisfied where you are, Miss
Stuart, | will venture to say ! have had
enough" was my reply with a kind of
shudder.
"Oh, for that matter am willing to let
you have your own way now" She re-
joined, with light, careless laugh. 'sYou
have braved the danger SO far like
gallant soldier, and are now entitled to
your discharge"
see that III your thoughtless wav Won
are still disposed to make sport of nv nat
ural caution" ] replied little severely ::
" but would very much like you to com
prehend that reasonable caution is not
cowardice, nor in any degree allied to it ::
and to prove it in my own person, now
throw down the gage to dare anything that
either you or any ambitions friend of yours
may have the courage to try"
Even in the dim light l could see that
my sharp words had sent deep color into
her pretty face; and after momentary
hesitation, she said:
crave your pardon, Mr.. Naples, if
my light. hippant remarks have hurt your
feelings"
"Ail is already forgotten" l cordially
replied, extending my hand, which was
accepted in token of ami.y.
An exclamation from one of our two
at this moment drew our at
tention to him. He was lookinq down at