Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-09
f. o IL
IF o II -
LOVE OF A LANCASHIRE LASS:
A ROMANCE OF FACTORY LIFE.
BY j. II. FOSTER,
Author of "a Pit Brow Lnssie," "The
Black Moss Mystery" Etc.
JAIL RIGHTS Reserved
CHAPTER L.-DowN THE OLD SHAFT.

into the black mouth OF tDe Olu PIT La
Ashton had been flung, by the force O.
the passionate blow Mark Eliot had
struck him, and that horrible peal OF
deadliest terror had welled from his lips
as he felt himself falling IN the dark I'M
known depths of the disused shaft.
Fortunately for Dan and his assailant
also, the stricken man had not very far
to fall, for although the pit was forty or
fifty fathoms deep, it was filled with
water TO within half-a score of yards OF
the grassy surface.
Into the cold black water mine host fell
with tremendous splash, and the force
of his fall shot him to a considerable
depth. But o moment or two later he
arose to the surface of the water, awfully
terrified, greatly shaken by his sudden
| plunge, and with mouth and eyes filled
| with the nauseOus fluid.
| 9 Luckily tor Ashton he was an expert
| swimmer, and on coming up he supported
| himself by treading the water, while ne
! glanced around for means of escaping
| from his dangerous position.
| A portion of the old "cross trees and
"guide rods'' attached thereto, still re-
! manned in the shaft, and with an effort
| he contrived TO seize one of the oaken
| beams set in the brickwork, and lifting
| himself from the water he sat astride
upon It.
| While immersed in the flood beneath
| him, Dan had been too much occupied III
| the work of saving himself, to cry out
| for help. But now that he haG climbed
out of the water, and the fear OF immedl-
ate death had passed away, he opened
his mouth and prepared to shout with all
his force for aid.
But his lips closed suddenly without
| sound or word coming therefrom. A
new fear had now taken possession OF
him and prevented him from raising an
cutlery.
The Infatuated man who had flung him
into the pit might still be at the top, and
If he cried out Mark might take fresh
steps to destroy nim-might cast great
stones down the shaft upon him, and thus
kill him.
That thought shut Ashton's mouth
like vice, and he sat there cold and
shivering, glancing along the circular
hole overhead, and listening intently for
the slightest sound which would indicate
Mark Eliot's presence on the surface.
But all was still as death; nothing
stirred at the mouth of the shaft-at
least nothing he could hear. ring
shaped patch of the blue sky was visible
to him, across it he watched the white
clouds drift, and now and again a bird
fitted on swift wings over the dark hole
which formed Dan IS prison.
At first the silence of the well-like hole
had seemed profound to the man who sal
there astTide the stout oaken beam, wet
and chilled to the very bone; but after a
while he could hear the ceeseless drip,
drip, of the water which ran down the
rough Shiny sides of the shaft.
And presently, when his eyes grew Sc
} customed to the shadowy light-the semi
darkness he could see about him quite
distinctly. AS he glanced around
, above, to where the white daylight
} shone; below, where the dark deep poo
lay, and al the wet slippery sides of the
} shaft, something struck his gaze whiot
sent a thrill of satisfaction to his heart
This was a large cavity in the side o.
the pit, evidently the mounting, oil
entrance TO some old seam, and it wa,
only a couple of yards above Dan s head
He must reach it. Therein he would bt
: safer at all events than sitting astrid'
that piece of timber which might give
way Mt any moment and precipitate him
afresh into the deep below.
Rising to his feet on the cross tree
Dan shook the old guide rod which rar
| up the pit side as far as the hole to see i
it would bear his weight. 1t resisted hi
attempts to shake it down, and deeminE
il strong enough, he commenced to raist
himself towards the old mounting.
But to climb the rod was no easy mat
ter. 1t was dripping with water ant
Shiny mud; and 1t was only after muol
desperate struggling that Ashton con
trived to reach and scramble into thu
| dark cavernous hole.
There he lay for some minutes, pant
| ing and tired after his exertions, and
wondering what step he should mex
take. He was much easier in his mint
| now. All danger of immediate dealt
was passed, and his rescue now was onl,
q mere question of time.
Before long the broken fence at the to-
| of the pit would attract attention, som
= one would be sent to repair it, and thel
, | he would be able to make known bis IN
comfortable position.
Thus thinking, Dan seated himself II
the driest spot he could find, placed hi
back against the cold wall of the ole
gallery, and listened iutently for SCUM,
of voice or feet above.
Then he bethought him that smok
would greatly relieve the tedium of hi
involuntary vigil, and he felt eagerly il
his drenched pockets for his pipe, to
bacco, and matches.
He found his match box and pouch blu
: his pipe was missing; IL must have gon
= with his hat, down into the dark water
j This discovery added a new discomfort t
a Dan IS situation, and as he cursed tn
(. lost "briar, he crammed portion o
: the weed into his mouth.
y Suddenly a new idea struck him. En-
s seemed there in the mounting of the dis
used seam he was safe from his assaiiant
Nothing that Mark could hurl down tn
; shaft could reach him how. He nigh
1 cry out now without fear.
4 He opened his mouth, and with all tn
depth of his lungs cried out: ''Help
help! helpl' But the sound of his owl
, voice startled him, and awoke in b
breast new fear.
He was almost dumb; the create:
= noise he could produce was a low. hars
gurgle, that no one could hear a doze
yarls away. That sudden, frightfl
plunge into the deadly cold water of til
pit had put shouting beyond him-ha
made him so hoarse that he coul
scarcely speak.
This JiscoVpry filed Dan with desDera