Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-01-16
up, and his hand played unconsciously

MS 1atner drop stone down q cavern,
and that his father had said it was
very deep hole, because of the long time
they had to wait to hear the stone touch
bottom. So he took bit of coal in bis
hand, held it over the ledge and dropped
it. Instantly there came back a little
sharp clink that sounded very near.
Not moment was TO be lost. Again
he let himself down by his hands, took
a long breath, let go, and fell-about
four inches.
After another long breath of relief,
Tony began exploring on his hands and
knees. He did not intend to risk falling
off any higher lodges. The floor still
sloped downward, and Tony almost
walked on his head as he crawled along.
Presently he bumped upagainst another
pillar. or was it the side wall? He felt
carefully along for some distance, and
decided that it was the wall; then rising
up from his knees, which was cramped
and cut. he ventured to walk, or rather,
creep, feeling the wall all the while
with his hands, which gave him GER
tain sense of >Scurity.
But he yet felt as if at any moment
he might step into hole, and he did
step into deep pools of water, getting
wet up 70 his knees, and sometimes he
stumbled over stalagmites - curious
ringed formations made by water drop
ping upon the mine fioOr-but by dint
of pluck he gained Roadway.
Also, he began to grow used to the
utter blacknesS, as he found that how
ever needful the sense of sight seems,
there are other senses that will take its
place. He was certainly kept on the
alert. To guard his face from sharp
projections of the wall; to find safe
footing before ever he dared plant
foot-waving his leg before him as
measuring-worm waves its head-above
all, to keep from swallowing the ring;
Tony's mind and body were well Occu-
pied, even though his eyes were of no
use to him.
He now felt sure from the sound of his
footsteps that he had left the great open
chamber with its pillars. and had en-
tered the gangway, or corridor, which
connected this old mine with the new
one. He knew, for he had heard his
forked at certain point leading in one
direction down into the working mine,
! and in the other direction bringing one
out upon the surface of the ground.
How was Tony to choose the right
way, when he did not know whether the
working vein led to the right or to the
| left?
This difficulty was a serious one, for,
although he could not get hOpelessly
lost, he could not lose much precious
| time. However, he thought that if the
worst came he might meet miner in
the new gangway who would show him
the way out.
SO he took heart and plodded on
yarily. His hearing was uncOmfortably
sharp. Every noise seemed important,
and now and then came a sound which
tmade his heart thump. 1t was crack
ling, sometimes succeeded by falling
sound, and it brought to Tony's mind all
| that he had ever heard of miners buried
beneath falls of coal.
This old mine had lost many of its
supports. Sometimes the huge pillars
! had been robbed, as it is called by the
miners. who hated TO see so much good
coal wasted. and also found it easier
mining than drilling into solid
breast" Then they would neglect to
put in wooden props, or where they did
put them in, these props would decay,
and then the wall overhead, already
cracked by the action of springs, would
| tumble in by sheer, unsupported weight.
Tony felt - and had good reasons
to feel-that at any moment he was
likely to be crushed by tons of coal and
rock
The floor was now getting soft and
culmy, as is the case when much trod-
den upon by men and mules, so he
thought he must be nearing the fork,
or else, that without knowing it, he had
entered the new gangway.
He uuickened his steps a little, and in
another moment bumped his head
against great wooden door, and at the
same time got big splinter in one OF
his hands.
He did not mind either the bump OF
the splinter, however, in his JOY al
finding himself in some definite place
and no longer wandering about blindly
in those vague, dreadful chambers, KEEP
in constant suspense between pits in the
floors and cracks in the ceiling. Tony
was sure there would be some men or
the other side who would show him {
short way out to the surface, so he
knocked hard with his fist, calling our
at the same time.
He thumped with all his might, and
vainly strove to open the heavy timber
door himself, but it was fastened on the
other side, and presently he heard The
mems voices die away in distance
Then the brave little fellow sat down IL
, the darkness and cried like girl.
He pictured himself dying there de
serted by every body; he pictured Al
J wandering lonely in the ravine, and no
, caring to pick fossils; he thought of hi
fathers coming home and asking TO
7 him, and giving him up for lost, TO
Tony was not just now in state of minC
to reason, and it didn't occur to him tina
: his father would come with Lantern
! and rescue him.
Itseemed hours, days, since he had tori
; himself away from Ap, and started upol
| his terrible journey. And now the lad,
| would never get her ring; he and tn
ring were buried in one grave.
, Tony cried so hard that the ring tum
bled out of his mouth, and he had t
= feel around for it among the coal-dust
} He now held it tightly in his hand, no
I daring to trust it in his mouth.
2 Soon his ear was caught by Sigh
, hurrying sound among the culm, an
something ran over him. In momen
: he felt himself attacked on all sides b