Morning journal and courier., 1889-04-24

cloudn came over them, for they could not hear the trammers working for while. So the time passed, the imprisoned men alternn ately huddling together for warmth and jumping about and heating their hands. In Chillon's dungeon it was "the elder of the three," who sought to f'cheer and to uphold the rest" In the far deeper gloom and soli- tude Of the Cornish mine it was Bant, the young man of 21, who first strove to keep up the spirits of his deaf companion fifteen years older than himself. On one occasion he ''stsrted to sing" then Jack said, ''Billy, if you have heart to sing I have heart to laugh.' But in 8 short space their forced gayety was turned to melancholy. ''My mate would say, I am thinking of the old people at home. What sad 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 being the only support the old people had" Now it was the turn of John of stronger nerve,to speak a word of comfort in graver way, and to remind his comrade of how they had always been good friends" !" but never 50 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 way of keeping up his spirits, observed that it 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 poor lookout for us. My mate, " continues the narrative, ''would very often ask me if heard them nicking away now. Ishould very quickly reply, 7Yes I hear them going at it smart Then we should be still for about five minutes, when we should want change of position. I should get one of my legs under, and he would put one of his on mine, and 50 on; we would draw our breath into each others's bosom; would put my hand under his coat, and he would put his under mine, and at the same time would say. Keep as close as we can to one another, and it will keep us warm.' We would lis like that until tired, and that would not be long. Then I would put my arm round his neck, and he would soon find it wanting, when I should have to get out of bed to sound" They fancied they could tell night from day by the time they felt sleepy.
 On one occasion Bant said to his eomrade; ''l think it's Thursday; do you think it is.'i On what seemed to be the day after this they could hear the rescuers blasting the rock with powder. They had husbanded their food in vain. for the pasties had gone bad, and were loatsome to the smell. The sounds, too, seemed further off; and, their stamina failing, they felt terribly cold, and were driven to tear the sleeves from their coats and put them round their feet. ''I felt," says Bant, "hungry and thirsty, thinking at the same time pound of candles would go good if had them; but not having them, had to do without. At last thought upon a plan I had heard of people eating their stockings; but could not eat mine, because they were up to the surface, where I should like to have been. thought, too, of eating piece of flannel shirt. After these thoughts passed through my mind I thought I heard some one talking. I remarked it to my mate, who said, Get out, man, you don't hear any one.' listened and heard them again, I, without hesitating, went over to the rise, called out, and quickly received an answer, which put new life in me-"
 It was at half past nine that lighted lan- tern was let down eighty feet through the hole above to cheer them with it's welcome ray, together with a bottle containing pearl barley, which they ate, using the empty bot tie to catch the falling water drops. Twenty minutes later stout hearted Thomas Chap man descended to the rescue, and, by the aid of a rope. drew the weak and weary captives out of their dreary solitude to feel once more upon their faces the pure fresh air of heaven.