The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-02-22
in THE SHADOW g
BY L. B. w,,llLsqN

II
"some time, Lizzie, I VII tell you
why1work and why ] study SO hard"
Nothing more than this had ever
passed between US. From children
to theag of man and woman, Lizzie
Mason and I had been very, very
good friends. Her father had risen
from n working miner to be resident
proprietor ut the Etony Mine. and
now there WIS q wide social gulf be-
tween us, for and my brothers were
only miners who toiled in the pit;
Ned, the eldest, because he was too
old and steady for change; Dick, be-
cause he was reckless, adidn't care,"
but I only worked whileI had to, to
gainmoney for supportwllile l stud
led my chosen profession-civil en-
gineering.
Lizzie Mason was the prize hoped
to win. She knew it toe, though I
had never told her, and s:sossss.pery
kind to me. All herlife long she had
entertained such ahorror ofthe mine,
in sight of which she had been born
and lived her life that no persuasion
could ever induce her to descend.
One day, however, as 1 entered the
engine room to go below, found
Lizzie and her father standing there,
he with u note in hand.
Here's David, SAID Mr.. Mason,
che can take you as we'll as L." and
then it was explained that the lady
expected friends to visit her who
would certainly desire to go into the
mine, and she wished to conquer her
repugnance and gain some knowl-
edge of it before accompanying
them.
Her father had proposed to take
her down in the pit that morning,
but ut the last moment II note re-
ceived called him away on business.
Igladly, eagerly accepted the pleas
ing task of conductor and instructor.
In few minutes the rough overgar-
ments were donned, we stepped upon
the floor of the cage, and down the
black shaft into the darkness We
went; but caught Mt the last mo-
ment the words of some one calling
to the engineer that there was "lots
of gas too much last night in Nar-
sfiole-a name given to- u spot
where Harvey had been killed years
before. ] looked closely Mt my COM
pnnion and wns delighted to see that
inexcitcmcntand strungenesssl she had
not heard the remark.
Upon reaching the bottom of the
shaft took Il lamp and together we
slowly made our way towards the
part of the mine where my brothers
were working, this was near the head
of the gnngway, point iurthest
from the shaft.
| We had just reached the "hrcnst"
and surprised Ned and Dick by our
appearance when we heard n smoth-
cred roar.
Every man of them knew what it
meant, and the sight of our blanchcd
faces told Lizzie that it signaled dam
ger, and that OF no trifling character.
Without IL word grnsped Lizzieb by
1.-THE arm and Joined in the rush for the
shaft. Before We ran faran old miner
met and stopped us with news that
the shaft was Al furnace of flame and
all the workings on the north side
were on fire.
| Drawing us near to the shaft as we
could, we found the blaze rushing up
with the roar of whirlwind; great
logs of burning timber already were
crashing down and came bounding
out OF the fire towards us.
Following my brothers, knowing
we'll that escape was impossible until
the fire had burned out or was sub
dued, led the trembling girl back to
the spot from which we had started,
nnd there we men discussed, in wlis-
pers, our chances for life, and how
quickly the fire could becxtinguished,
if at all.
TO remain inactive was almost inn
possible and again we approach the
shaft, only to find that the fire had
spread several feet in our direction,
but still We hoped that when they be-
gan to throw water into the shaft, it
might be effective. The upward
draught towards us was very slow.
but the air became so heated that we
were force to draw further and fur
ther back into the mine, the hot air
causing the gas to ooze out of the
coal.
Again we turned to by brothers.
working place The food they had
taken down with them was, there,
and Dicks whiskey bottle: the air al
SO wins cool and fresh still, in com
purison with that we had just been
breathing near the shaft.
With our coats We made a cushion
for Lizzie. Withdrew some feet from
her. Ned and Dick lay down and
slept, and in silence and darkness we
sat there, know not how long.
Then Ned woke. heard him NUT
ter, eth! wnter!'' and scramble to his
feet. He called to Dick to wait and
find the lamp: they lighted it, for,
though against rules, they had
plenty of matches. and rushed off to
see what was doing. Lizzie did not
move, and remained at my post to
guard her.
Soon they returned. Tho bosses
on top had stopped the pumps SO as
to allow the water to accumulate in
the workings. Unfortunately. the
floor of the pit below the shaft was
higher than the surrounding parts,
so that the water ran of, and was
fast helping to flood the mine, while
the place wllcrcon it was wanted re-
ylnined uncovered.
Dick became restless and reckless
and, spite of our protests and ell
treaties. started of to find some
other miners that we could make
hear by shouting to them. Ned and
Z then set to work and made such Il
barrier with Jumps andand coal dust
as would, we thought, keep the
water from reaching directly to us.
Every minute of idlcness was an
hour OF horror, so VIC began to pre-
pare for the rise in the water by
picking away the coal from the roof,
and utter considerable time We had
gradually raised ourselves nearly
level with the roof of the passage
through the greater part oftlle mine.
| | had been forced to ask Lizzie to