The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-01-23

hinged formations nads BY water drop
ping upon the mine door-but by dint
Of pluck he gained headway.
Also, he began to grow used to the
utter blackness, 40 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 a. .
measnring-worm waves it's head above
all, to keep from swallowing the ring;
Tony's mind and body were we'll 6ccu-
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
father say so, that this gangway was
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 serious one, for,
although he could not get hopelessly
lost, he could not lose much precious
time. However, he thought that If tho
worst came he might meet . miner in
the new gangway who would show him
the way out.
So he took heart and plodded on
warily. His hearing was uncomfortably
sharp. Every noise seemed important,
and now and then came q sound which
made 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 80 much good
coal wasted, and also found it easier
mining than drilling into solid
''breast." Then they would neglect to
PIT 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-rhat at any moment he was
likely to he 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 quickened his steps little, and in
another moment bumped his head
against great wooden door, and at the
same time got a big splinter in one of
his hands.
He did not mind either the bump or
the splinter, however, in his joy at
finding himself in some definite place,
and no longer wandering about blindly
in those vague, dreadful chambers, kept
in constant suspense between pits in the
floors and cracks in the ceiling. Tony
was sure there would be some men on
the other side who would show him Q
she*t way out to the surface, so he
Knocked hard with his fist, calling out
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
otter side, and presently he heard the
mems voices die away in a distance.
Then the brave little fellow sat down in
the darkness and cried like girl.
He pictured himself dying there de-
serted BY every body; he pictured APP
wandering lonely in the ravine, and not
caring to pick fossils; he thought of his
fathers coming home and asking for
him, and giving him up for lost, for
Tony was not just now in state of mind
to reason, and it didn't occur to him that
his father would come with lantern
and rescue him.
1tseemed hours, days, since he had torn
himself away from APP, and started upon
his terrible journey. And now the lady
would never get her ring; he and the
ring were buried in one grave.
Tony cried so hard that the ring tum-
bled out of his mouth, and he had to
feel around for it among the coal-dust.
He now held it tightly in his hand, not
daring to trust it in his mouth.
Soon his ear was caught by slight
hurrying sound among the culm, and
something ran over him. In moment
he felt himself attacked on all sides by
small animals, and he knew he was at
tho mercy of rats! This brought the
tears to an end, and Tony to his feet.
The creatures were all about him, and
every time he put his foot down he
stepped on one, 80 that the air was filled
with horrible little squeaks and yells,
The rats were ravenously fierce, and
jumped upon Tony as he staggered along,
biting thrc .gh his stockings and trou-
sers. Tue horror of being beset in the
darkness by hungry rats made Tony des-
perate, and he rushed on madly, bang
ing himself against the walls, and re-
ceiving cuts and bruises or the right
and left.
Tony felt his strength and courage
giving out, and in another moment
would heve falI;n, when there suddenly
twin Aled out before him light, far
away bit clear, shining like the day,
which indeed it was.
His strength returned upon him. and
making final effort he sped like deer
toward the ever-growing brightness,
leaving his tormentors far behind to
squeak out their disappointment by
themselves, and to search for other
food.
When Tony reached daylight again,
he was dreadful looking object. His
face was covered with a compound of
coal-dust, tears and blood; his clothes
were battered and soaking wet, and the
hand which clenched the ring was
nearly skinned.
He looked about dazed by the light,
and with the strange bewildering sensa-
ton of being in a new world which al
ways comes to one at the first instant
after emerging from dark, underground
places. Soon, however, he got his bear