The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-02-08
CHAPTER vIIL-CoxrrNurD.

Half petrificd with terror, Elsie had
drunk In every syllable uttered during
this terrible interview. With quick
perception, aided by her knowledge OF
local habits, she pieccd the fragments
of the conversation and read the story
like n book. These villains, by we'll
concocted tale, had induced Jack Wild
ers to descend the disused mine and
there prepared his DEATH
Never for moment did the brave
girl hesitate. Her one burning hope
was TO reach the third gallery before
Wilders had descended to the lowest
floor.
To appreciate the daring of her I'M
dertalxing one must be familiar with
the character Of her surroundings. The
mine descends In several stories, each
called by the hardy worlSfuen a gallery,
and each descent Is from fifty 10 seven
ty-hve feet In depth, reached by long
ladders, placed nearly perpendicnlarly,
and In some instances with the top bare
~ reaching to the surface.
With flying steps she ran To the dark,
yawning chasm, which was the shaft
of the old mine. Brave as she was her
heart beat as she gazed down the
gulf OF blaclxness.
But she was resolved. Flinging her
self for one moment on her knees she
poured forth her soul In prayer; then,
binding her shawl around her waist,
sho set about her perilous task.
Feeling her way, step by step, for be-
ing without lantern added tenfold TO
her peril, she reached In safety the first
floor, where greater danger awaited
her. The second ladder must be APP
preached in light so dim, just the
few faint flashes that reached her from
the mouth OF the shaft, that she could
only grope her way in despair TO the
black abyss before her.
But she found the ladder at last, with
its top fortunately projecting above the
door OF the gallery.
Very slowly and painfully, and In ut
ter darkness, she made her way down,
her delicate hands torn with splinters
from ..i!.e half-aeeayed rings of the old
ladders, and her feet, protected only by
her frail shoes, aching with burning
pain.
Once more she reached the ground.
"Wildersl Wildersw she screamed.
The echoes of her voice rolled through
those subtcrranean caverns with awful
distinctness - repeated In the hollow
chambers, till it seemed 10 her heated
brain as though dends were mocklng
her.
Then a terrible, soul-sickening sd
lenca.
She could hear her heart beat as she
strained her ears 10 catch some faint
reply, but all In vain. The terrible
step must be taken, the last ladder must
be descended.
Flinging herself on hands and knees
she CROPPED her way TO the edge OF the
prccipice. All, what Is this? A wall.
She knew that she had taken wrong
direction and was wandering into one
OF the interminable passages of the de-
serted mine where n sure and lingering
death awaited her. Many were tho
stories that flashed across her burning
brain Of miners. who. once having lost
themselves In these subterraneous lab
yrinths, could never win their way back
TO safety. What could she then, q
weak girl, hope for? All sense Of lo-
cality seemed TO have deserted her.
Gathering herself for one supreme ef-
j, fort, she shrielscd:
"Wildersl Wildersl Wilderslr
The echoes once more died away IN
tho distance. Thcn-.could she believe
her cnrs?--n long. low, agonizing groan.
The direction Of the spot where some
thing human was In agony was now
known to her. Once more on hands
and knees she CROPPED till she felt with
trembling hand the Shiny wall OF the
last gallery.
With eager eyes she pierced the dark
chnsm.
Seventy feet below. like star,
glittercd storm-lanterh, and close by
II she thought she recognized human
body lying prone on the ground.
"Wildcrsl Wildcrslv she cried again.
Ait This time an answer.
From the depths below came a faint
cry for help, then all again was silent
Then Elsie knew that tho last peril.
oun step must be taken. Better had she
rctrnced her way up those feeble lad.
dcra and sought for help. but her gen.
crous impaticncc brooIxed no delay.
She did not hesitate, though she knew
that some Of the rungs had been tam
pcrcd with and that one false stcr
wo,ld htlri'hcr 10 destruction. Calmly
hut quickly she reasoned that each
etavo must DO tried before she trusted