Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1893-03-31

/
perstitions which attached TO II, they
evidently had their weight with him.
He kept we'll in the rear Of 1he other
two, as they prosecuted their search.
There was damp ooze in the west drift,
and he stepped along it carefully when
the others flashed their light to the end,
and turned into the crosscut.
Of u sudden some visible force -."~ned
him, aud his lamp went out. III be
a cry, and drawing bis matchbox, eager
ly struck light.
Allen had heard him, and turned
back in time to see the fame in Cald-
wells fingers catch and spread in ter
rife burst, circling him round.
And whether yoa believe it or not.
| saw Ben Slope, with chat cut throat
of his, catch him and drag him back
before the fame covered them both" he
declared to his partner.
They had run for their l:yes. aud
escaped up the shaft. with biilo<s of
black smoke pouring after them.
Not man in the camp could be per-
suadcd to aid them in putting out the
fire. The mine was accursed. Lives
enough had been lost through its baleful
influence. Caldwell was dead-thers
could be no doubt Of that. Let the Ere
destroy the place, and save future vic
tins.
There were explosions and falls heard
within the mine, then the smoke grew
less dense and the heat gradually dimin-
shed.
1t was the fifth day afterward that
Allen and Hart descended the shaft and
looked about them. A mass of still
smouldering ruins choked the passage.
ways.
1t took but glance to show them that
all their hopes Of fortune to be derived
from the Neversink mine were over. Il
would take sum far beyond their
means to restore it to working order.
The fire had eaten out the timbers, and
died out only when there was nothing
more to feed it.
"And the mystery Of the mine will
never be solved now said Allen, de-
spondently. "Hlrk What was that ?"
1t was the faint blow Of pick, multi
piled and echoed through the space
around them. Both men we're alert in
stantly. Hart called out, and his cry
was answered,
Help. help Here, here p
The words were repeated over and
over, ms if a score of ghostly voices had
taken them up, and the pick. falling with
renewed vigor sounded like an army of
picks family receding after every blow.
1T is Caldwell, and We must holp
him. Come. that is only an echo
Strange we never heard it so clearly
before"
Not 80 strange, however, considering
that the fallen walls had released some Of
the acoustic properties Of the natural
cave into which they penetrated after q
couple Of hours Of hard work.
Caldwell was there, weak aud pros
trated with the reaction which had come
now that rescue was at hand, and beside
him was blackened, stirless shaper-all
that was left Of poor Ben Stope, who
had undoubtedly hidden away here fer
months past unsupported. impersonating
the phantoms which had turned his own
unsteady brain.
"But he saved me at the coat Of his
own life, at last" said Caldwell, CRATE
fully. "IIe dragged me back and thrust
me in here. There was some sort OF
masked door, suppose hardly know
for he was all one sheet Of fame, aud
he rolled on the floor in agony, but
fought me of when tried to beat out
the blaze 1t was all over in little
while. | think be had saturated him
self with oil, along with the drift. There
was wire stretched there, which ran
against. and you know how everything
blazed up when struck my match. The
heat in here was almost intolerable, es-,
pooially after the walls fell found an
old can of water and a bit Of neal
enough 90 keep me from starting or
lying Of thirst but Slope, there, was
80 near a skeleton that IL IL no wonder
the men took him for ghost. You see
those strips and rags Of red flannel? Il
was with those that he simulated his
CHASTITY wound. There is a charred
strip on bis throat now, as you see, aud
fancy that there were crevices into the
mine which carried sounds made 10 here,
and gave them their ghostly character
And this, no doubt, was the explaDa-
ton Of the mystery.