The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1892-06-04

he kept his word Loyalty as ever, and
when he found that by continuing to
visit Alice, though with a single.
minded purpose TO advance the wooing
of lis friend, he was only complicating
matters by developing he girls liking
for Limsslf, he determined to keep
away, and thenceforth did so. Still
Jim Pennart's suit did not prosper.
Alice Minton was no coquette, but a
very candid and ingenious girl. She
did not dislike Jim, and sh, did not re-
liz, that her feeling toward Treloar
was more than one of strong friendli-
ness. u Was only as his absence became
hi &c marked that she caught herself
Iolderiny upon its possible cause, to
En extent that surprised her when she
reflected upon it. Still the full truth
remained unsupported by her, and as
Pennarts visits b ;came more frequent
a sense of habitude commended him to
her and she was in fair way to be
prepared for his Offer of marriage,
when something occurred which
changed the situation, tragically and
definitely.
All the workings ON the Colnstoclt
lode are lined and Rooted with heavy
framed timbefs, from a foot to eighteen
inches square. Even these large beams
have often proved unequal to the ire
mendous strain upon them; and when
they do not give way it is found neces-
sary to replace them at intervals. their
fiber being destroyed by the pressure.
The great heat Of the lower workings
also dries these timber so that they
become dangerously inflammable; and
when, as sometimes has happened, the
rock itself is at a very high tempera-
ture, mere contact with it may set the
wood on fire.
How the great fire in the Yellow
known, for those who were alone
likely to know the truth persisted in
that disaster. The foulest rumors were
afterward spread abroad to injure the
superintendent Of the mine, notwith.
standing that he had rislxed his life in
trying to rescue the imprisoned men.
II was the night before this disaster
that John Treloar dreamed dream.
lie thought he was down in the mine
on the welve-hundfed-foot level, and
that some serious accident - but he
could not make out what-had hap
pened. Whatever its nature, he found
himself with his mate, Jim, struggling
to reach the shaft; and as they labored
through the passage there was the
sound of heavy fall. and 10! the way
was blocked before them by the col.
lapse of the roof. And he dreamed
that he and Jim set to work to dig
themselves out, but that his own
strength failed under the heat and foul
air, and that Pennart had to drag him
through the opening they had made.
Toward the end, the dream became
less distinct, and the last he remem-
bered was slowly broadening CLEAN
of light. which, he thought, represent
ed their approach to the shaft
Then he awole, and at breakfast he
told his dream; and his comrades did
not like it at all, but shook their heads,
aud one or two of them determined
then and there that they would LAY
off, that day and not venture to go
down the Yellow Jacket
Now, the strangest part of this
strange story is that on this same night
Alice Minton dreamed about the coun.
terpart of John Treloar's dream-but
with difference which can hardly be
regarded rs fortuitous She, too, found
herself in the mine, and looking on in
a great agitation. At first she saw
only crowd of excited miners, shout
ing and running this way and that.
Then she seemed to float away from
the crowd, and into a comparatively
silent working. w here two men were
frantically digging at a heap of rock
and earth that filled the passage in
front of them. She locke and recog-
niZed the two friends, but she could
not speak or make herself known to
them. Presently a narrow opening
was made between the roof and the
top of the fallen mass, and then the
men seemed to be talking, but she
could not hear what was said. After
a pause, one of the men sank back
upon the ground, and the other CLIMBS
the obstruction and made his way
through the opening. At this moment
an intense longing to know which of
them had escaped and which was left
behind overcame her, but she was now
unable to distinguish their faces; and
as she seemed to strain forward in or
der to see, a cloud as of vapor or
smoke rolled along the dimly lighted
passage, obscuring the scene COM
pletely, and the girl awoke with a
shudder and the name of John Treloar
upon her lips. Then she knew for the
first time that the feeling in her heart
towards this man was stronger than
that of friendship. At the breakfast.
table next morning she, too, told her
dream, and those who heard it recalled
and marveled at the story afterward. .
For within twelve hours the great
fire in the Yellow Jacket mine broke
out, and all Virginia City was throng-
ing to the hosting works, where the
massive engine was being worked at
dangerous speed, and the cage was be-